struggling to reset Mains after overload

[chrisM]

Greetings all.
I have the lowest cost supply of electricity available here in France. that means that I can only have a few heaters running at the same time as the oven is on or the main rcd supplied by the electricity company trips.
now my problem is trying to turn it back on again. it refuses for ages. i switch off all the individual breakers and the rcds. i try all manner of combinations. eventually I get it back on. sometimes after several hours. I learn nothing because each time I manage to get it on it is after a different combination of changes to switches.

this is what I cant understand.
if my consumer unit is isolated from the incoming by me turning off the mains in the consumer then I should expect that nothing my side of the supply rcd can be affecting things. but I have never managed to get it back on with the Mains turned off. Today I got it back on by having the mains turned on and just one breaker for lights turned on.
any help would be appreciated enormously.
chris

 

[Marvo]

The circuit breaker has an internal thermal heater that heats a bi-metallic actuator that causes it to trip when there's a partial overload over a period of time. This internal thermal mechanism will take a while to cool down again and allow resetting after the overload condition has been removed (ie after it has tripped). This isn't a fault with the circuit breaker as such, it's just a symptom of the way it works.

 

[Marvo]

Depending on the ambient temperature it could easily take up to half an hour or longer to reset if you're in a warm climate but in cooler climates like the UK I'd expect this reset time to be less that 15 minutes.

If the reset time is much longer than 30 mins it's possible that continuous and repeated overloading and tripping has taken its toll on the mechanism and a replacement would be in order.

 

[Wilko]

Hi Chris and Welcome to the Forum !

Want to post a pic of the board etc?

 

[westward10]

Is there a Wales in France?

 

[elsparko]

Is there a Wales in France?

i hope there is, they deserve a wales!

 

[Jay Sparks]

Is there a Wales in France?

I bet there's a few........especially with all the baguettes and pastry they eat.lol

Jay

P.S. is it an rcd or rcbo? If it's rcd it won't have overload, however if it's an rcbo, can you tell us what the rating is please?

 

[elsparko]

is it possible its as simple as its one of those rcd main switches that have to be pushed down before resetting to live? if it trips with circuits still all on, put them all of reset mainswitch and proceed to flip each breaker on till it pops

 

[chrisM]

 

[elsparko]

looks like a sealed unit with suppliers tags on it, what in the devils is that on the left hand board nearest camera?

 

[chrisM]

Many thanks for the replies. Particularly to Marvo who explained how the rcd heats up.
as requested here are pictures.
for your entertainment I have included a close up of the tails supplied 15 years ago with the new rcd. EdF was just beginning to ourtsource work and the electrician they sent fitted wires that already seemed very old. and black and grey (or very old white) Black was line...
I was grateful that he installed electricity at all as the house had rotting wire in it which I have now replaced.
Marvo's suggestion that the RCD could be hammered is interesting. we do have overloads about 5 times a year. usually when we have a few heaters running, the kettle on and then someone uses the sink with the under sink instant water boiler which uses loads of amps.
I am not overly keen to get EdF back in too quickly until I have finished the wiring and stripped out a few English twin and earths that I temporarily have run
as they are not compliant here.
thanks again
Chris

 

[elsparko]

Many thanks for the replies. Particularly to Marvo who explained how the rcd heats up.
as requested here are pictures.
for your entertainment I have included a close up of the tails supplied 15 years ago with the new rcd. EdF was just beginning to ourtsource work and the electrician they sent fitted wires that already seemed very old. and black and grey (or very old white) Black was line...
I was grateful that he installed electricity at all as the house had rotting wire in it which I have now replaced.
Marvo's suggestion that the RCD could be hammered is interesting. we do have overloads about 5 times a year. usually when we have a few heaters running, the kettle on and then someone uses the sink with the under sink instant water boiler which uses loads of amps.
I am not overly keen to get EdF back in too quickly until I have finished the wiring and stripped out a few English twin and earths that I temporarily have run
as they are not compliant here.
thanks again
Chris

what makes you think those twin and earths are english?

 

[elsparko]

what is that box next to the meter?

 

[chrisM]

Hi Elsparko
I am unable to answer what on earth it does except for giving being a n electricity meter.the main electricity meter is on the street,

 

[chrisM]

the twin and earths dont appear in the pic. i bought the twin and earth in the UK myself. now the French are very sniffy about them.
I laid a hundred meters just to get the house lit up.