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Elcb trip switch

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  • 28-07-2019 3:59am
    #1
    Laney marie
    Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭


    Please help. My elcb switch won't stay up. I have plugged everything out and it still won't stay up. Can't afford an electrician , is there anything else I can do


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    #2
    tabby aspreme
    Registered Users Posts: 3,998 ✭✭✭tabby aspreme


    Is the immersion heater in your hot water cylinder turned off.


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    #3
    kramer1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 305 ✭✭kramer1


    Turn down all breakers , turn up rcd/elcb , if it stays up then reset the breakers one at a time , until you find the one that's causing the trip. Leave that one down , this should restore most of your power


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    #4
    2011
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,596 Mod ✭✭✭✭2011


    +1

    Tripping is frequently caused by the ingress of water, so look around socket outlets for wetness. Also have you unplugged the washing machine and dishwasher? These are prime suspects.


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    #5
    salmocab
    Registered Users Posts: 11,366 ✭✭✭✭salmocab


    kramer1 wrote: »
    Turn down all breakers , turn up rcd/elcb , if it stays up then reset the breakers one at a time , until you find the one that's causing the trip. Leave that one down , this should restore most of your power

    This is the thing to follow, as others have said though is everything actually unplugged or just what you can get to? Washing machine, fridge dryer. Heating system and immersion.


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    #6
    The Cush
    Registered Users Posts: 15,563 ✭✭✭✭The Cush


    This happened to my brother's box earlier this week, in his case different circuits would trip the RCD at different times with nothing plugged in.

    In the end he changed the RCD, €35, problem solved.


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    #7
    salmocab
    Registered Users Posts: 11,366 ✭✭✭✭salmocab


    The Cush wrote: »
    This happened to my brother's box earlier this week, in his case different circuits would trip the RCD at different times with nothing plugged in.

    In the end he changed the RCD, €35, problem solved.

    Your brother was lucky as a faulty RCD is probably the least likely cause of it.


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    #8
    John.G
    Registered Users Posts: 3,514 ✭✭✭John.G


    salmocab wrote: »
    Your brother was lucky as a faulty RCD is probably the least likely cause of it.

    A little off topic but I had a very unusual RCD tripping problem a few years ago, I tried all the usual remidies but even with the RCD tripped I was still getting a full (o ohms resistance) between neutral and earth in any of the sockets in the house, the fault would disappear but over a 2 to 3 day period would re occur at random times, I even swapped the RCD for the shower RCBO and still no good, eventually the problem disappeared (neutral to earth resistance; infinity) and never returned, original RCD still in use.

    My query; How, or is Is it possible to get a apparent full short, neutral to earth, from a external source in the conditions described above?, I have a 1972 built house with fuses and I think a TCNS system with a earthing rod in the garage.


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    #9
    John.G
    Registered Users Posts: 3,514 ✭✭✭John.G


    Laney marie wrote: »
    Please help. My elcb switch won't stay up. I have plugged everything out and it still won't stay up. Can't afford an electrician , is there anything else I can do

    a long shot but has anyone carried out any carpentry work recently, driving nails here and there?.


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    #10
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    John.G wrote: »
    A little off topic but I had a very unusual RCD tripping problem a few years ago, I tried all the usual remidies but even with the RCD tripped I was still getting a full (o ohms resistance) between neutral and earth in any of the sockets in the house, the fault would disappear but over a 2 to 3 day period would re occur at random times, I even swapped the RCD for the shower RCBO and still no good, eventually the problem disappeared (neutral to earth resistance; infinity) and never returned, original RCD still in use.

    My query; How, or is Is it possible to get a apparent full short, neutral to earth, from a external source in the conditions described above?, I have a 1972 built house with fuses and I think a TCNS system with a earthing rod in the garage.

    That would be a neutral to earth short or near short on one of the circuits. Sometimes slight movement can cause it to make and break again.

    Or an appliance with the short in it was plugged out and in. If a low load is used on circuits other than the affected one, the RCD can stay on, so it can seem intermittent due to varying loads, as well as the short disappearing.

    A test with a meggar might possibly still find it in your case, if it was a nicked cable against the corner of a steel socket box which is another example of how they occur.

    When they do occur, all the neutrals should be disconnected from the RCD neutral bar, and RCD mcbs switched off, and tested to find which one is the problem.

    Double pole RCBOs on all circuits would be a big advantage for these faults.


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    #11
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    John.G wrote: »
    a long shot but has anyone carried out any carpentry work recently, driving nails here and there?.

    That does happen now and again. I seen two coving nails go between a T&E N and E twice on the same leg of cable, in two separate rooms before.

    After finding the first nail, there was still a short. I had the cable between the 2 sockets isolated and then found the second nail right above the other socket after scraping away the paint. High odds against that in two drops, each with two T&Es, and nailing between the N and E both times in the same piece of cable.


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