Calling all knowledgeable electricians!
I've recently almost doubled the amount of sockets in this old (1 per room prior) house I've moved into. Twice now, the same sockets MCB (1 of 2) has tripped, probably 3 or 4 days apart. I've not had more than 2 or 3 things on at most both times.
Should I get a bigger MCB since I have added more sockets?
Any advice helpful.
Since PrepHole seems to be busier than normal, I'm bumping for answers.
>Should I get a bigger MCB since I have added more sockets?
Did you run additional wires for them?
They were all spurs off of existing sockets? My dad did it before I could look into it. He said he did it for the house I grew up in too..?
So new outlets have been added in parallel to existing ones?
So just arbitrarily putting in a higher rated breaker for that circuit wouldn't be accounting for the load the existing wiring was expected to handle.
Ideally, you might want to add in a new circuit, but that involves running a new wire probably through walls from the breaker box. And hopefully you gave an open slot to accommodate the new breaker and circuit.
Anyway, you're fricked.
>Should I get a bigger MCB since I have added more sockets?
You are going to burn your house down. Just call someone you are not up to this. The breaker is for the wire. If you add infinite outlets by your logic you might as well remove the breaker entirely. If you didn't have a big load then your wiring or the breaker is fricked.
First of all, they're called either outlets or receptacles, not "sockets".
Second, the wire run from the breaker was sized for that breaker, meaning you cannot just install a bigger breaker, or you will burn your house down (if your wire can only handle 15 amps and your breaker doesn't trip until 30 amps, guess what happens when 29 amps is running through that wire).
Safety third, if you're fricking around with breakers, you need to make sure that the main breaker is turned off before you take the cover off of that panel or you are going to have a nice day.
You're saying, "MCB" which, I assume, means "main circuit breaker", but you are almost assuredly talking about a regular breaker. If your main circuit breaker is tripping, you are almost definitely fricking something up very badly and you need to call an electrician yesterday.
This
If all the new outlets are run off existing outlets with the existing wire coming from the panel, leave the breaker panel alone and do what anon said if you start tripping breakers: call a sparky (or fire dept?)
>You're saying, "MCB" which, I assume, means "main circuit breaker"
Op is in the UK, so he probably means "miniature circuit breaker", picrel
>Any reasons why it may have tripped?
There are numerous reasons for a tripped breaker, but it depends on what model you're using and how it's hooked up.
If it's a barebone breaker, th obvious is a short.
If it's GFCI (RCBO) there could be current leakage to ground instead of neutral/return leg. If your system was built without actual ground/shielding running along the load pairs, that's what I'd put my money on.
If it's AFCI (AFDD) there's either a spark or inrush that's being drawn past its rating. Usually from an inductive load like a fan or compressor, but you shouldn't run either of those on an AFCI without inrush tolerance anyway
It could also be a bad breaker. You can turn them on and off all you like, but they're only really rated to handle a few real trips before they fall outside of their listed range and need to be replaced.
Forgot pic
>Op is in the UK, so he probably means "miniature circuit breaker", picrel
Oh, I see. Thanks, anon
If they're tripping without actual draw exceeding the amp rating on the MCB, then there's probably a fault in the wiring itself.
Unplug everything on the circuit and probe for current leakage with a clamp meter. If anything is being drawn without a load attached, then your wiring is already fricked.
Never bump up the breaker rating unless every leg of the circuit is an appropriate gauge, and never used a smaller gauge when tying into an existing circuit.
It's like you almost know what you're talking about
Sorry for the late reply lads, I was drunk when I posted this, passed out and was too hungover to do anything yesterday.
It is just a circuit breaker that has tripped twice. I realise now that to replace it with a higher amp one would be stupid!
I have gone around the house and found out what sockets/outlets are connected to this breaker.
I then went round and turned everything on on the circuit but it never tripped so I don't think it's an overload issue.
Any reasons why it may have tripped?
I am in the process of sourcing a clamp meter or multimeter to check for amp leakage like that knowledgeable anon suggested
>randomly altering circuits and adding sockets without even knowing what Ib>In>Iz is
Shiggy diggy do not redeem
You in a house or some yank building of some sought?
(Aus)
If your in a house, get some 2.5mm wire (convert into your prehistoric imperial system if need be) run it from you meter box straight to your roof.
From there run it to where you want an outlet, go to room, poke hole in wall and run a bendy stick thing to roof space (in aus we use “yellow tongue” that yellow strip in floor boards.
Tie cable to bendy stick, pull through to room
Now tie new cable to bendy stick, go back through original hole back into ceiling and go to next room. Rinse and repeat
Then call a sparky and get him to plug into box thing (breaker board?) dunno yank speak, and plug in new sockets where wire is.
Save $1000s and he’ll be happy he doesn’t have to crawl around in roof
I'm in the UK, it's a semi detached house probably built in the 50s or a little before then. I refuse to have new sockets installed as these ones should be fine and there is no need for that, this isn't the first set of sockets that me and my dad have done and there is nothing wrong in the other house which was done over 20 years ago.
My best guess is that a wire is loose on one of the spurs or an appliance is on its way out or some of the outlets don't have earthing (that wasn't a normal thing when this house was built) and that is somehow causing the odd trip to occur.
I refuse to believe this isn't a troll thread.
Well you best start believing in real threads lad, you're in one.