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External Lights trip the mains switch

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  • 22-12-2014 6:05pm
    #1
    SparrowHawk
    Registered Users Posts: 386 ✭✭


    Hi All,
    I have a set of 5 external lights (porch light & 4 "street light" style garden lights, which run of the same switch as some internal room lights.

    If I turn on the external lights the mains switch will trip - at random intervals - might take a few seconds - up to a couple of minutes. If the external lights are off there is no problem.

    Therefore I assume one of three things:
    1. Too much power being drawn by the external lights
    2. Faulty wiring
    3. A combination of the above

    Are my assumptions correct? Is there anything I'm missing? What can I do, to isolate what is causing the issue?

    Many thanks in advance,

    SH


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    #2
    kellymick39
    Site Banned Posts: 180 ✭✭kellymick39


    SparrowHawk wrote: »
    Hi All,
    I have a set of 5 external lights (porch light & 4 "street light" style garden lights, which run of the same switch as some internal room lights.

    If I turn on the external lights the mains switch will trip - at random intervals - might take a few seconds - up to a couple of minutes. If the external lights are off there is no problem.

    Therefore I assume one of three things:
    1. Too much power being drawn by the external lights
    2. Faulty wiring
    3. A combination of the above

    Are my assumptions correct? Is there anything I'm missing? What can I do, to isolate what is causing the issue?

    Many thanks in advance,

    SH

    Could be a short at one of the external lights or possible water ingress in the light housings that is causing the rcb to do its job.
    Have you used the correct outdoor cabling for the outdoor lights,as in swa for the garden lights.


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    #3
    ted1
    Registered Users Posts: 23,543 ✭✭✭✭ted1


    Is it the MCB or the RCB tripping? With outdoor lights it's genreally moisture that causes the trip


  • Options
    #4
    moonshadow
    Registered Users Posts: 1,217 ✭✭✭moonshadow


    Like they said moisture ingress to a fitting.


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    #5
    SparrowHawk
    Registered Users Posts: 386 ✭✭SparrowHawk


    ted1 wrote: »
    Is it the MCB or the RCB tripping? With outdoor lights it's genreally moisture that causes the trip

    If I understand the board correctly it is a circuit breaker that is tripping - i.e. one switch which controls the "front" lights for the house. Besides visual inspection for the above ground parts is there anyway to determine which light may be faulty?
    ted1 wrote: »
    Have you used the correct outdoor cabling for the outdoor lights,as in swa for the garden lights.
    We bought the house with lights in place, so no idea really - cable is underground, that's about all I can say right now. How would I tell if the correct cabling is used?


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