I live in an oldish rented house, we have about 2 double plug sockets in each room at the very most.

When it rains, our electrics trip very easily, and refuse to come back on while one of the individual circuits is enabled. The only circuit that keeps the whole supply from being able to be switched back on is our upstairs plug sockets. After a couple of hours we can generally turn this breaker back on.

Would installing some socket circuit breakers in these upstairs sockets work? Keeping the break localised to that socket, and allowing the rest of that circuit to run normally?

Any chance this will work? Or will the basement fuses keep tripping out quicker than the Socket breakers can react?

On thinking about it, if it is a damp issue then its likely before the plug socket rather than anything we plug into them, so socket breakers might be pointless.

Not entirely sure why I’m asking a cycling forum, but there may be a sparky or clued up member among us 🙂

I’m sure you know this already but I think you should find and fix the cause of the trips instead of adding another fuse/trip.

Find the problem and get it sorted. We had a problem with our down stairs sockets tripping off and turning all the electric off. Tried all sorts of things to try and sort it out/narrow down what it could be. Had a sparky in today and he found out what it was……took him 2 1/5 hours to find it mind.

Sort out your damp first and then you shouldn’t have a problem with the other. Don’t just try and hide/live round the problem like we did.

If it’s a rented house the landlord is supposed to have surveys done of electrics on an annual basis.

First off contact landlord and explain issues. If they’re not interested then contact your local CAB.

Don’t do anything yourself. Speak to your landlord, tell them you’re not happy with the electrics. If they don’t get a sparky in to sort it sharpish speak to Citizens Advice. You have rights as tenants, use them.

No he’s not wwaswas, gas yes, elecs no. But he is not supposed to allow an unsafe situation to continue, and should sort it ASAP. Is there any further detective work you could do to narrow the problem better? Damp patches, gutters leaking, any outside lighting wired to the same circuit? If it’s happening every time it rains it should be easy enough to find though.

If it’s a rented house the landlord is supposed to have surveys done of electrics on an annual basis.

That’s not quite right, there’s no actual requirement to have tests done. The electrics do have to be safe, though, or the landlord is liable for anything that goes wrong, and the only way to ensure reasonable levels of safety is to get tests and any necessary repairs done. Doesn’t need to happen annually though.

sure, I agree with the general sentiment that the landlord needs to get this sorted. It’s kinda been brushed under the rug a bit since it’s been dry recently, however I can see me and the housemates getting quite riled up, looking at the weather for the next week. I will get on her case.

I’m considering the socket breakers as an interim to make it slightly more stable until it is sorted, and also as a tool to find the problem, can’t quite get my head around if it will work or not though, with it likely being a damp issue the problem will occur before the sockets I recon. Does that sound right?

will pester her tonight.

On thinking about it, if it is a damp issue then its likely before the plug socket rather than anything we plug into them, so socket breakers might be pointless.

Yep

I agree with mlc. Try and find the cause, leaky gutter, cracked tile. If it was my house I’d turn off the power and start popping sockets out looking for damp but that probably isn’t wise in a rental.

Just tell the landlord you got a shock off one of the sockets and you’ve smelt a sort of burning smell.

Would he like to send somebody round and have a look or should you get somebody and send the bill?

Sounds like a neutral is touching the wall and the damp completes the circuit.

Problem sounds very much like a neutral earth fault on that circuit. this will not always manifest its self so damp conditions could cause the leakage to earth. Get the land lord to check all the connections within the dis board and also all final terminations to wiring accessories such as sockets and spurs on this circuit. If these are ok then its floorboards up time im affraid to find the damaged bit of cable.

To answer your question directly. Fitting sockets with circuit built in RCDs or any other form of circuit breaker will not sort out you problem, unless you happen to rectify the fault in a socket whilst changing the socket fronts.

As has already been suggested, the fault is almost certainly due to a breakdown in the insulation resistance between the conductors. If you don’t have an RCD fitted, and the circuit trips the MCB, I would suggest that the fault is between the Live and either the N or Earth.

In either case, you need to get the fault traced and fixed, so let your landlord know that there is an electrical fault and that the house electrics are unsafe.

Don’t try and do it yourself. The circuit sounds like it should be fully checked and tested. You won’t be able to do that without the correct tools and knowledge.

To follow up what others have said, it is not a legal requirement that the electrical installation must be tested and certificated annually in the same way as the gas installation must be. However, the maximum recommended period between inspections is 10 years. The electrician who inspected your installation will have left a sticker on the fuse board / consumer unit saying when it was last inspected, and the recommended date for future inspection. If it doesn’t have a sticker, I would draw the conclusion that it has never been inspected. If that is the case, your landlord should, get one done. Failure to do so would mean that your landlord is in contravention of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 that require “that precautions be taken against the risk of death or personal injury from electricity in work activities.” These regulations also cover electrical installations in the home.

Let me know if I can be of any assistance.

A periodic inspection is recommended every 5 years or change of tenancy on rentals. See here Electrical Safety Council for advice.

Stu