Something keeps tripping the entire house

[tpstom]

Hi there, newbie here - thanks in advance for any help/suggestions.

Over the last week or so something has tripped the entire house. At first it seemed to be limited to the kitchen lights but when I tested this they didn't trip the house. Then, with nobody near the kitchen lights, the house tripped again. It has happened several times - sometimes it is the kitchen lights but sometimes it isn't.

Before I call out an electrician I wondered if there was anything else I could do to narrow it down.

Any comments appreciated.

Kind regards

Tom

 

[Sintra]

To test this properly you really need the correct test equipment which I doubt you would have. I don't think you have much choice other than calling in a spark.

 

[Octopus]

If you only have one single RCD covering the entire installation you are very unlikely to find the issue unless you notice a very regular pattern. Keeping notes as to when it trips and what you are doing is a good start..... without test kit it may be like finding a needle in a haystack!

 

[Darkwood]

If the tripping patterns are seemingly random and you are just sat theresay watching the TV then it could be an Electrical appliance that automatically starts on its own like a fridge/freezer compressor or even your central heating boiler/ immersion heater.

If turning these off for a few hours cures your issue you know the cause if not then really you need to get a 'competent' qualified Electrician out.... As the fault is intermittent it may not be simple to locate but any help you can give will be valuable like time/date, weather, was your heating on etc etc

 

[GMES]

Follow Darkwoods advice, if your not going to call an Electrician straight away, then you need to do a bit of detective work.
How often does it trip is it around the same time of day/night what are you doing when it trips can you piece together any type of pattern to it.
However i do think you are delaying the innevitable, but when you do call an electrician out give him as much information as possible.

 

[telectrix]

if you post your approx. location, there may be one of us close to you.

 

[Marvo]

Assuming it's an RCD that's tripping the problem with leakage faults is that they're cumulative and the RCD tripping can be a result of several small faults rather than one big one. This makes them difficult to find using the elimination technique of unplugging or blindly disconnecting stuff because by removing even a small inconsequential fault can stop the tripping but it might not be the main cause so it would be a temporary fix.

An RCD also senses the neutral of a circuit so switching off a light switch only switches the live and usually won't stop the tripping.

As already suggested without test equipment you're on a hiding to nowhere.