OK - here's the story - long one - be warned!!
Just had kitchen done - had to have a partial re-wire owing to things found during the kitchen works - nothing major - just had to work out how it was wired and run a new ring for the kitchen and break the existing ring to drop the kitchen ring into it.
It was all done by a very experienced electrician - who also is a Corgi regd plumber and fitted our new combi boiler.
Fuse board is not that new - but not that old. Has a 100mA RCD protecting everything.
1 sockets ring for whole house (12 outlets), upstairs lights, downstairs lights, shower (now whirlpool bath), water heater (now feed to combi boiler) and cooker.Up until boiler/kitchen works we had *not* troubles with the RCD tripping.
Now we have random drops of everything. No individual cct trips - just the rcd drops everything out - in fact it just did it - which spurred me on to write the mail. Last time it did it was just after we went to bed and we woke up 10 hours later to find most of the freezer contents too defrosted to save :(
It was a bit of a PITA when the kitchen was done as the damn thing kept tripping all the time - even before the ring was broken to insert the new kitchen works.
Now the works are all completed - and everything appears hunky dory. We had DP above surface switches installed to the appliances when they were moved into their new homes in the kitchen so they can be totally isolated.
However, twice now - when it has got "damp" outside - the RCD has dropped out.
I just don't get it.
The sockets CCT was tested as part of the works done - as was the cooker cct as was the re-use of the water heater cct.
The following items were plugged in and operating at the time: TV/VCR/DVD recorder/DVD player/Sky Box - TV and Sky on - rest on standby Phone Computer and monitor Fridge/Freezer Some lights downstairs and upstairs
These were connected and power was live to them, but they were "off" at the machine: Washing machine
The electrician suggested it's most likely to be one of the white goods - but - since the only one plugged in was the fridge (and the washing machine - but it was "off" at it's controls) I can't understand how....
Now - my mind says - the obvious thing is the roof is leaking water into the roof space and water is getting into the lighting wiring - but - if that was the case - the short would probably mean that I wouldn't be able to re-set the RCD immediately - and it would drop out again - but it can be re-set straight away.
The electrician said to work it out we need to keep things off and gradually add them into the equation until we find something that causes the trip. But - since the last one was 12 days ago - it's not going to be a quick exercise to work out what gives.
Anyone got any suggestions? I just read an old thread on here about a replacement of an old fuse board with an RCD protected board and similar things happening - and that referenced the fridge drain onto the electrics - so I'll go and check that now - but - otherwise I'm stumped!!
Help? I'll check the lighting ccts in the loft tomorrow morning - but I was up there the other day and there was no sign of water damage anywhere - so I doubt the roof is leaking.
I don't want to go the re-wire route if the RCD is a bit dicky - and I'm a bit stumped for how to work out the culprit. Can you totally test all the wiring in the house without too much invasion to prove the circuits are all OK - so we at least know it's an appliance that's at fault? If so - does it take long and is it particularly costly? Likewise for testing the RCD.....if the RCD is stuffed he has already told me that they no longer make the one in the unit - only a 30mA trip one that isn't going to fit in the existing chassis - so it's a new box and bits.....We've just shelled out a lot on the boiler/kitchen works - and to have this on top is just not fair :-| (although it's bloody typical!!)
Any advice gratefully received.
Cheers Dan.