Just to add to what alanl said above, If it’s a dual RCD board when you unplug the fridge/freezer plug it into a circuit on the other RCD and see if the problem moves with it.
It’s usually fridge/freezer or whatever is the most awkward socket to get to :-)

How about a Nebula Sky Projector?
Not bright enough to read by, can be dimmed, LED so doesn’t get hot, runs off USB, turned off with a timer etc and looks nice too.
The one I’ve got isn’t on Amazon anymore, but the Blisslight ones (Blisslights Sky Lite 2.0) have loads of recommendations.

Presumably the main switch you refer to is an RCD (as it’s tripping)? This is suggesting a there is a fault to earth.
Turning off the MCB that covers a set of sockets allowing the RCD to be reset suggests the fault is between live and earth (if it was a L-N the MCB would trip, if it were N-E switching the MCB would make no difference).
Is there a class 1 appliance on that set of sockets? (something with a metal casing that would require an earth e.g. fridge/freezer/washer/microwave) If there is I would start with checking the flex isn’t damaged (obviously while unplugged) then swapping them to another circuit and see if the fault moves with them.
If it trips when there is nothing plugged in (even that hidden socket that you forgot about) then you need your installation testing.

Smidge or a bit of bogmertle. For the love of god stay away from anything with Deet in it – it melts plastics (seen ruined mobile phones, baths, lino) and isn’t that good at repelling midges.
Breeze over 4mph and midges can’t fly, clegs are just utter b#@t#rds.
Make sure you have tick hooks with you keep an eye on any bites for bullseye rash.
Smidge is readily available in most shops here on Mull so presumably on the mainland too.

Double Twist was about the only one that I found that could cope with compilation albums and large music collections.

IHN – They are generally made from a stronger material and some have extra pockets/loops/kneepad pockets etc. I wouldn’t think they were too burly for general outdoor activities, but it’s not what they’re designed for.

Scruffs are sturdy but the pocket layout was better on the old ones.
Dickies aren’t as good quality but if you’re not wearing them everyday for work they’re a good option.
Helly Hansen Workwear is much better quality and thought out a lot better too.

Helly kneepads are great, but they’re internal loading so you have to decide if you want them in before you put the trousers on.

baldiebenty – inside the consumer unit there is a common busbar for all neautrals on that RCD and another one for all the earths so the fault can look like it’s on a different circuit to the one its’ actually on. WCA is saying his fault only trips the RCD when a particular MCB is turned on but with no load applied, therefore it must be on that circuit.

Oh, and if it’s only that circuit that causes the RCD to trip then it can’t be the RCD that is at fault, it has to be a fault on the circuit itself.

I wouldn’t have thought that the vacuum was anything to do with it and although it’s possible for the RCD to fail it’s not common. From what you’re saying it’s sounding more like a damaged cable somewhere, but without a test kit or a way of safely isolating sections of the circuit I can’t recommend a way for you to try to narrow that down.
If turning on the MCB for the downstairs sockets causes the RCD covering that bank to fail then there is an alternative path from live to earth on that circuit (there is a common busbar for all neautrals on that bank and another one for all the earths). If you have metal backboxes pay close attention to the sleaving on the cables when you’re looking in the sockets – a small nick in the live (red) coming into contact with the backbox would cause your problem, but wouldn’t explain why it has only just started.
Round here I would be looking for rodent damage by now.
Good luck

It sounds like you’ve had a have a go hero playing with your electrics in the past (speaker wire used for the lighting circuit). While you’ve been looking at the backs of sockets, they would normally only have two sets of wires connected there, the earth cables should be sleeved and only one colour scheme present (red/black or brown/blue). Any visible copper (should only be on the earth) shouldn’t show any signs of corrosion (going green), no debris/salting in the back box.
If you’re finding anything other than this it helps narrow down the area that might be at fault.
If more than 2 sets of cables are in the back of a socket then a spur has been added and you will find another socket with only one set of cables, but there should never be more than one spur from a socket.
If you’re finding none of the above then I’d be inclined to think it’s cable damage somewhere.

From that last post it sounds like an MCB not an RCD that is tripping?
Sounds like your consumer unit is reasonably modern, in which case, an RCD usually protects a bank of circuits and each circuit is protected by an MCB (a modern RCD is twice the width of an MCB)
If the RCD is tripping instantly, then there is an alternative path to earth.
If the MCB is tripping instantly, then there is a short between live and neutral.
Quite often people forget about a socket that’s hidden somewhere that has been forgotten about and still has something plugged in?
If there is genuinely nothing plugged in and there are no fused spur connections or anything else, then it can only be the MCB/RCD or the cable or one of the sockets.
Without a test kit it would be difficult to narrow down where a cable fault so hopefully you’ll find something at the back of a socket – for the love of Kona, make sure the circuit is isolated (both RCD and MCB turned off) before you start taking socket fronts off.

I’ve got really old Supertankers and Juggernauts that are both probably 14 years old and still going strong. You can’t find them on NZO cos they’re from Ground Effect
Got a few bits from NZO from the same era and they are very good quality too and have always had good reviews.

@Stablebarns I was reading that hoping you’d sorted it, downer. I had originally thought it was the piston seal and bought what I thought was a pair, but it turned out to be just one (eBay search for shimano hydraulic brake piston). While I was waiting for it to arrive from China I had found out about the orings and tried that instead.

Mine are the very old Shimano LX M585 brakes (dating back to approx 2006) and it’s the rear brakes affected after long periods of not being used (over 6 months). After fixing them early last year I had another long spell of not riding and the symptoms are back, but to be fair I didn’t do much cleaning of the caliper while it was stripped down. Symptoms are they make a lot of noise but don’t grip the discs until they’ve been well warmed up, so contaminated pads. I’ve never been able to see any fluid which is why for ages it was always a mystery as to what was contaminating the pads.

Anyway, thanks for the update and good luck fixing your leaks.

@Murray
Sounds ideal, but I’ll have to pass for now (budget not quite there yet).

+1 26″ Kona (3×9) and Single speed Inbred
Trying to build up a 26″ Merlin for Mrs Wiksey

Where have all the 26″ Hope Pro 2 builds gone?

Rossburton, that was exactly what I was up against – squealing brakes, disappearing fluid but no obvious sign of where it was going. Ended up with losing braking force and bikes being unrideable. I was all set to buy new when I asked on here and sorted the brakes on 2 bikes for a few pence. It seems to give more problems on bikes that have been stood for a while (I don’t get as much chance to get out these days)

Stablebarns, no worries.

The orings I bought were these:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/141455807147?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&var=440603744128&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

spangelsaregreat did the hard work which is why I linked rather than it looking like I knew what I was doing! These are 3mm internal diameter and 1.5mm width. The original ones are 3mm 1.3mm.
Their instructions are as follows:
“Easy to do, remove caliper, remove the securing bolts to split the caliper, replace o ring, re assemble and bleed”

It really was that easy and saves junking more calipers for the sake of a few pence – nothing to lose really.

Is second hand the only real option now?
(looking to replace 9mm QR XT/XM719 soonish)

If it’s leaking from where the two halves of the caliper join together then, yes it can be fixed and I can confirm it was very easy to do. Cost about £2 for more o-rings than I needed to fix all my leaky calipers – see below :-)

A couple of years back I thought mine were leaking from the pistons hence this thread:
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/anyone-tried-fixing-leaky-shimano-brakes/

But the last post in that one sent me to the right place:
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/leaking-shimano-calipers-possible-solution/

A bit late to join in here, but I live and work on Mull (self catering business and also self employed so, not feeling the love from the government yet!!).
The advice from the government changes so rapidly that trying to guess if you’ll be able to go on a holiday any time soon will change on a daily basis.
There’s not a lot still open here on the island and there are a lot of scared people, so some very disturbing and conflicting messages being put out there and the rumblings of hostility towards people not complying with random interpretations of woolly guidance. With Easter holidays not being far away and the tourist season having already started a clear answer needs to be officially put out there and I’m sure it will be soon.
If you are thinking of travelling first consider what you will come into contact with on the journey and how clean they are e.g. toilet stops, fuel stops, anywhere you have to pay for things, (in the case of island) ferries, social distancing etc etc.
If you’re considering cancelling check with your travel insurance and also your holiday provider, but also consider holding your nerve and waiting for the actual government advice :-)

If it is a 2G intermediate switch that you’re looking for (4 terminals on each switch as snaps said) then I’ve not seen a modern version, but you can use an MK grid and make your own.

If you don’t want to feel every stone or cold feet get some Dunlop Safety Wellies, they will set you back about £50 but worth every penny.
Cheaper option? look at Scruffs wellies from Mad4Tools.

Music Bee can cope with ripping CDs, writing and it’s simple to use. Oh, and it can cope with compilation albums.

As just about everyone else has already said, yes, go for it. What’s the worst that could happen?
I left a well paid career just over 7 years ago and moved to the Isle of Mull. Not regretted it one bit. It’s not been easy, but the place is stunning, whereas I used to live near Blackpool, which is quite quite far from stunning!!

Er, yes, that take the pi$$ somewhat. The charge rate sounds like they sent 2 people to do the job so you’re paying for both of them.
If they are standard smoke alarms the fault is usually either the battery or that the alarm itself has expired (they have a life of about 10 years with a replace by date on them). Sounds like buying 3 alarms and driving for an hour would make a saving?

Sounds like the problem you have been having is similar to the one I had. After asking and thinking about trying to change pistons I eventually followed the advice in this old thread and fixed my brakes for a matter of pence – well happy.
In my case it seemed to be that lack of frequent use cases the o-ring between the two halves of the caliper to fail. Not sure about more modern versions of Shimano caliper as I am living in the past :-)

There’s been quite a bit of weather today over on Mull.
XC Weather gives most reliable forcast in these parts, but has been a bit off this week. Anything it lists as under 1mm can mean anything from a light drizzle to sun.

As others have said, the midges are fierce at the mo so Smidge & a net will be a good investment.

Bit of experience here as I’m on the local Lifeboat Crew… and in big seas I get as sick as a dog if I’m not careful.
The sea-sickness and car sickness you’re getting are the same thing. It’s something to do with stability of the inner ear and one direction of motion will affect you more than others. Those behind the ear patches help by drying/stiffening parts of the inner ear that detects motion.
In rolling seas standing and looking in the direction of travel is usually best (difficult in rougher seas when you need to be strapped in) and is why sitting in the front of a car is best for you – you’ll be looking out of the front window not the side.
Keeping the mind occupied is also a good idea as it gives you less time to think about getting sick. Singing sea shanties works for some but you might want to keep this inside your head!
Ginger works for some mints work for others… don’t eat a mars bar though as they taste much better on the way down!!
If you’re getting the feelings of being seasick don’t fight it for too long as it will take you longer to recover.
Oh, and almost everyone gets seasick at some point.

CONTINENTAL Vancontact 200 on my Transit Mk7. Proper rated, quiet, good in the wet and improve fuel economy… drive like a d1ck (AKA van driver) and they don’t last more than 15k :-)

There’s a few similar companies that offer cheap Chinese bikes that have been modded for life in the UK. Herald are pretty similar to Mutt (www.heraldmotorcompany.com) and Sinnis have a few options.

The Budweiser Prohibition tastes pretty similar to the standard Bud.
Beerwulf has a few good ones to try and they do an alcohol free pack which i got back in January, one was really nice but I can’t for the life of me remember which one it was.

Who does what is down to who will be the most competent. Fitting the extractor is an electrician’s job as it had an electrical connection. The pipe routing and cowl fitting can also be done by an electrician, but if the pipe routing gets a bit involved you want might need to swap trades – if it has to go though a roof I would rather a roofer did that job.

I’ve not seen a good combined surface mount extractor, but I would be concerned about swapping it out in a few years when it fails so wouldn’t want to fit one anyways.

FW – If your MF100 is that bad I would want to check the pipe routing is clear, not too long and not an old clogged pipe. Most expensive one I’ve fitted is about £120 and worked really well. Ohh, and if your door is really well sealed you might need to think about a vent grill in the door to allow increased airflow – prop the door slightly one time and see how well it works?

If you have space in-line is the way to go – generally shift more air and are quieter (if fitted right).

Always look for highest airflow and lowest decibels and make sure it’s one with a timer – needs to be on for at least 15 mins after you leave the room.

Check the vent pipe isn’t too long and has a good route to outside.

Cowl with no moving parts gives a better night’s sleep :-)

You’ve got the right dogs for the island! – seems everyone round here has one including us :-)

Plenty of good walks for collies from Tob and the pubs are open all year round and dog friendly so no worries there.

If you’re thinking less than a week then come over on the Lochaline-Fishnish ferry as you don’t have to book in advance.

All depends on what you’re looking for – if you’re thinking warm, dry and lots of restaurants etc you might be looking at the wrong island. If you’re thinking get out and about whatever the weather then cosy up by the fire in a pub at the end of the day then you’ll be in luck :-)

Tob is a good place for the winter as there are still some places open (a lot of places still shut for a while over the winter) and there’s all sorts of walks from close by.

Try here for a start:

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/mull/

Thanks for the link Capt.
I think for £2 for 10 of those o-rings and £6 for a set of replacement pistons and seals it’s worth a shot at trying to get a set of brakes working as opposed to nearly £250 for a new set of Hopes instead.

Looking through my spares boxes I have an old caliper that I swapped out for the same leaky reason. I’ll probably start by trying to open that up first and see how easy it is to strip down. If I can get at least one complete set of working brakes it’ll save me some cash :-)
I’ve also got a set of unused LX (old M585s from pre-SLX days) levers and hoses. Are these still OK with more modern Shimano calipers?

nedrapier – Thanks for the tip, I’ll get them off the bike soon and give them a good clean before deciding where to send them.

They’ve been brilliant forks and I would have been sad to see them go, so this is sounding positive, thanks guys.

Is TFTuned still the best place to send them off to?