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Electrical

RCD didn’t trip but sockets not working despite a reset.

Anonymous user 16/03/2024 - 2.43 PM

We have just come back from a week away to our utility room having no power. We are having new bathrooms installed and this was being done while we were away (and isn’t yet finished). The RCD hasn’t tripped for the sockets but the lights were tripped when we came in. There has been a leak in the bathroom above the utility and water has come through the ceiling (bathroom fitter hadn’t told us about the leak either). We think the lights tripped because of this. The electrician for the bathroom has installed a new thicker cable for the shower and installed this into the RCD box. We have reset the RCD but still no power. The sockets for the utility are on the same circuit as sockets in our lounge which are still working. The lights are working in the utility now too. Could the installation of the thicker shower cable have damaged power out to the utility? The utility has the boiler, gas meter, water meter and washing machine. It also currently has our fridge freezer so we need to know what’s happened. Bathroom fitters electrician says all was fine when he left but the utility seems to have not had power for days (freezer totally defrosted).

Are you a tradesperson and able to answer this question?

5 Answers

Anonymous user

Yes, water leaking in to electrics can cause circuit protective devices, such as RCDs and MCBs, to trip, but so can cables being cut, damaged or pulled out. The sockets have been disconnected in some way either by a cable being damaged, or pulled during new work, or when the CU was being worked on. It is also possible it was caused during repairs to the water leak if floorboards and the like were removed and cables disturbed. Junction boxes in the floor are prime candidates. You need to be a little firmer with your bathroom fitter and get him to sort it out. Its not your problem to do it for him and its impossible for us as a third party to solve the cause as we're not there to inspect anything. Somebody must know something about what happened while you were away so get them to sort it out.

Answered2 August 2021

MID ELECTRICAL LIMITED

Rating: 5 out of 5

Tonbridge

When the bathroom project had been going on,we can assume that the floor was taken out and the access to the cables supplying the lights and sockets within the utility room (below the bathroom) was available? If the property is over 30 years old,it is very possible the sockets inside the utility to be supplied via junction box fed from lounge sockets supply. So,it might be possible during the bathroom refurbishment that box to have been moved and due to loose connection at the jb between L-N ,the supply to utility room being disconnected!

Answered2 August 2021

Proheat engineering ltd

Rating: 5 out of 5

Darlington

Try and push up RCD sometimes RCD looks like its not tripped but it has if not RCD needs replacing

Answered2 August 2021

Anonymous user

Clearly something has changed. Get a different electrician in to diagnose the fault and fix. If it is related bill or deduct from bathroom fitters. Your electrician doesn’t seem overly helpful to say it was fine when he left. If he had finished ask him for his certification to prove he had tested.

Answered2 August 2021

Alpha electrics

Rating: 5 out of 5

Craigavon

Your RCD sounds like it's covering multiple circuits however there should be an indivudals MCB for the skt circuits. If these are all engaged in the on position and your getting no power to the skts. Your electrician or some other trade has my guess drilled through the skt cabling somewhere thus breaking the circuit. The install of a larger cable for the shower wouldn't affect the sht circuit. MCB covering domestic sjts should be either 20 amp for radial circuit but most likely a ring circuit and should be rated at 32 amp. Your electrician should have to make good for you as everything was operational before you left. Hope this helps.

Answered2 August 2021