Why Your Sockets Keep Tripping

[@qwerty-cg7hv]

Disclosure, I'm a landlord. But before you wince too much, I do employ trained electricians for most of my problems, it keeps the insurance company happy! 🙂 Any way I had a similar issue with a tenant, 20:00 hrs I get a phone call that his power was off, and he couldn't reset it, mad panic!! Being a responsible landlord and knowing the tenant from past issues, he would light an open fire in the middle of the lounge floor to stay warm if he thought that he'd get away with it, I went around and had a look. RCBO on the sockets tripped, I unplugged "everything" and it still tripped. Oh bother, went into deep thought mode and realised that the gas hob had an electric igniter, why do kitchen fitters’ fit sockets in the most obscure places?? Unplugged the gas hob and this time the RCBO stayed in. Upon delving into the hob there was a couple of inches of water inside the case completely covering the supply board for the igniter. Tennant had no idea as to how that had happened and very firmly denied all knowledge of it. Unfortunately for him his very friendly 6-year-old child had appeared on the scene, "maybe it was when you washed it all down earlier daddy" You really have to love kids!!!! And tenants………….. 🙂

[@Leon-nn7rn]

@@qwerty-cg7hv its great to hear you saw the funny side 😂

[@qwerty-cg7hv]

@@Leon-nn7rn Sometimes it's the best thing to do. He knew he'd caused it, I knew that he had and he knew that I knew! I just hope that his kid didn't get in too much bother.

[@callandick429]

I've seen a couple of these videos now. It's just very satisfying to watch a professional who really knows his stuff explain things so clearly.

[@Leon-nn7rn]

@@callandick429 officially my favourite comment of the day. Thank you ☺️

[@Michael_Brock]

Ring mains were less copper and tie 2 spurs together late 1940s. You break those spurs out. My problem excessive current via fuse in consumer unit. Wires 60 amp, fuse 40 housing association since panel 2 gen old has said replace but I don't know if they will hit 60 amps. 60% is induction hobs, plus the fuse for cooker is permanently fused. No continuity between terminals.

[@afzalshaikhshahmahammad]

... same here - just Subscribed to this Channel - this guy is great! (not my world, but it is still interesting) 2nd video watched

[@BillDavies-ej6ye]

@@Michael_Brock They probably weren't two spurs, it sounds like a ring main. Each arm shared current so lower gauge wire could be used in post-war Britain. Still commonly seen in our ageing housing stock, radials are better with our higher current demands today.

[@kevinwhitehouse3998]

Excellent video.. great example.. we can all learn from your efforts.. Thank you.

[@shiamjad]

great fault finding video... please make more fault finding videos

[@Leon-nn7rn]

Absolutely, i think i enjoy them the most. Watch this space.

[@dodgem259]

Whilst we are aware of their being bad landlords, THIS is what landlords have such distain for tenants because in this case the tenant would have known they spilt water into the mains extension lead but instead of telling the landlord the truth, the landlord has to get the electrician out to diagnose where the problem is. We now know where the problem is, a tenant not being honest and telling the landlord what actually happened. In this case, bad tenant, good landlord.

[@markdudley1028]

Great fault finding demo.

[@ktmhustle]

I panicked when I saw it was one of my boards but I'm glad you found the fault and it wasn't my mistake! Good video mate 👍🏼

[@Leon-nn7rn]

You and me both! 😂. Thanks mate

[@stevendevilliers471]

Spot on procedure and commendable ethics.

[@miketherefurbisher8000]

Well you can't argue with the facts! Not only that you must protect your reputation at all cost. New to your channel and ❤ it "Great Stuff" Thanks

[@metrotechguru5863]

Good job, mate. It's a shame that extension leads can cause so many problems. Many older homes just don't have sockets in the most convenient places for modern living. Cheers.

[@AndrewNeilBaird]

I now wear a body cam so everything is recorded from the moment I leave the van to when I get back in , it even showed once how I left an ohmmeter in a kitchen and when I went back in it wasn't on the counter , Mrs benefits tennant denied it obviously and started the shouty innocence protest , called the police and wouldn't let them out the flat , moments after the police arrived my meter landed in the back yard thrown out the top floor window . They still said I put it in the garden myself even though they were video recorded.

[@G6EJD]

You have a legal responsibility/ responsibility to tell the truth too. Tenant was to blame.

[@Leon-nn7rn]

Absolutely so true

[@roybatty2030]

Great work. Tenant should pay for this and will then learn a lesson. To be fair, though, there should be a socket near the bed to avoid relying on horrible extension leads.

[@iscmiscm]

Even with a double socket there are now so many electrical items that extra are nearly always needed. I try to hang them on a wall or cabinet where possible, so water is unlikely to get in plus I try not to use them for high power items.

[@ikeabuchi1]

Tenant spilt water in the extension outlet.

[@over-engineered]

are we sure it’s water!?

[@Woodkin007]

You speak through cinema films as well dont you?

[@ashleycox432]

These are brilliant videos. I'm interested in electronics and obviously understand high voltage and such, but know very little about home electrics and am trying to learn a bit so it's always interesting to see people fault find, and especially test. I'm glad you didn't accept the blame for the fault, people shouldn't be dishonest and though accidents happen, putting an extension lead that is difficult to unplug in a position where it can have something spill on it is the kind of irresponsibility that causes house fires. If she was that bothered about the landlord finding out, she should have unplugged the lead that she was likely very well aware had water damage, turned the power back on and bought a new one.

[@Leon-nn7rn]

Glad you are enjoying the channel! That was my thoughts. She should have unplugged it first and trying it before calling the Landlord.

[@andyhawkes3335]

Had a similar problem with a puppy peeing through floorboards onto a ceiling rose

[@qwerty-cg7hv]

I had a familly of squirrels peeing through a ceiling into a smoke head because that was where the glass fiber insulation had been moved away when the cable was fitted and they didn't like squatting in glass fiber and so chose the gap. That was fun, especially for the guy that found it, standing on a pair of steps in an office he had a squirrel pee shower, not happy!!

[@pikricky]

Very enjoyable video,good to have a problem solved without too much hassle 👍

[@Woodkin007]

Great video. Well done on a straight forward lesson for newbies. Bloody tenant trying to avoid paying out for their mistake by trying to cooerce you into a lie. Shameful.

[@Leon-nn7rn]

Yes i agree. Happens too often

[@johnmcfadden7418]

Great vid im still learning so the advice on testing is olden but You just know the tennant is gonna plug a new extension lead in

[@alhamilton7261]

Kid dropped drink on 4 way, told no one, of course, why would they? U did good esp with the blame denial attempt. Seen it as well. Btw not heard Bristolian accent for years.....

[@imaginitivity7853]

I can think of three separate occasions where having buttoned everything back up after doing a small electrical job, the related breaker just will not reset. Popping and flashing as it unsets. Each time it's been a damn screw through a wire making L to N contact. At least when you've done some work you know where to start looking. 😂

[@jupeterczech1340]

Top man, anything else is a slippery downhill slide... otherwise, a dodgy rental property. 👍😬🇬🇧

[@Leon-nn7rn]

Tell me about it

[@GabrielBourke]

Love it when customers blame you for problems they caused themselves

[@DorsetSaferRoads]

I would have liked to have seen you test the extension lead to 100% prove it is the cause.

[@Leon-nn7rn]

Hi thanks for your comment. Would have loved to show that and i did. However holding the camera and trying to get in the tight spot it wasn’t possible to film.

[@TheEulerID]

It was not a dead short. What caused the trip was leakage current to ground in the power strip caused by the water. When it dried out, the fault would nodoubt have been cleared. Ironically, if the previous CU had no RCD protection, then it would have never tripped...

[@r.h.8754]

That lead you are using will bite you one day when your hand slips down onto the exposed probe - at the very least there should be a 'guard' above the exposed probe to try and prevent that happening. Even better, get some leads which can be used with clips so you don't have to hold the probe in place.

[@Leon-nn7rn]

I am due a new set of leads. Holding out for a potential sponsor 😂. My crock clip recently broke so im going to be replacing it shortly.

[@Bari_Khan_CEng_CMarEng]

Background music is too loud, otherwise great video and much appreciated

[@gordonp6353]

It would be very difficult to PAT that extension lead unless you could get it out, it's been many years since I did PAT but not being able to remove the plug quickly in the event of emergency was a no-no, it was always a Hmmmmm moment when I tested offices finding equipment plugged in behind filling cabinets I couldn't move

[@Leon-nn7rn]

Always a nightmare

[@ian.M440]

Great vid Sub to your channel a week ago

[@mitch19636]

Neat job.

[@annoyingbstard9407]

Bristol? How long have they had electric there?

[@SmoosWorkshop]

I found this very interesting but aren't you supposed to disconnect any loads before doing short tests?

[@S-Theo]

checking the neutral and live wire on the RCD or RCBO does not make sense, because these devices work between CPC and neutral. Therefore, if the neutral and CPC come into contact with each other, the RCD trips.

[@alastairbarkley6572]

V interesting. Thank you. But.... 0.01 Meg is 10 kOhm which isnt exactly 'a dead short' - at least in the electronics terms I'm more used to.

[@bingbong-l9z]

It trips out because its doing its Job

[@bal1058]

So what were you plugging in. Your Iron same time as hair dryer, microwave. 😮

[@johnswift1736]

So who got the bill?

[@BobHolroyde]

Were you able to do a resistance test on the Extension lead? 🙂

[@Leon-nn7rn]

I could have but i didn’t bother as it was difficult to get to the plug and once water is in the extension lead that is the end of it so apart from curiosity there wasn’t much point. Plus the tenant wanted me out sooner than later as she was going out.

[@leexgx]

​​@@Leon-nn7rn I bet the Tennant wanted you out so didn't have to pay for the call out

[@iscmiscm]

Checking what is plugged into the sockets on the tripped circuit should be the first thing to do. The tenant should have done that basic check It may be that someone else in the household spilt water and did not tell the main tenant, but they should have still checked with everything unplugged before calling the landlord. This is all quite basic stuff to do

[@lisab3396]

👍👍

[@richardcawrey]

Good work especially the not just turning on the rcbo a lot do

[@Leon-nn7rn]

@@richardcawrey i know, so many do it. Makes me cringe.

[@afzalshaikhshahmahammad]

"... just a YT viewer that came across your videos (for whatever reasons) ..."

[@DazDaz105]

Clueless people Keeping sparky’s in work 👍

[@Leon-nn7rn]

Seems the case sometimes 😂

[@GuyChapman]

Fusebox? Nicely done: the customer is a cheapskate, but we don’t say it. Tidy job though.

[@mattsan70]

how much would you charge for this call out?

[@AndrewStrydomBRP]

650 quid

[@DD-eh9cp]

Very good. And to repeat the question, how much did you charge for this work? - your time and expertise have a cost.

[@Mr.1.i]

Rather than unplug everything and work from there,u choose to dismantle the main board

[@franklinwerren7684]

Your terminology is a bit different than what we do here in the US. The average house uses a 200 amp split phase 220-240 volt 60hz system and all the branch circuits are 120 volts to center tap ground. Extension cords usually are a no-no. I will sometimes use a power strip for a home entertainment center and I have 25 and 100 ft cords for yard work like leaf blowers or hedge trimmers. I have 4 heavy duty sockets for appliances and 2 appliances that are hard wired in that are part of my home. The other thing I notice is you loop your circuits, we use a tree and branch system, no loop backs!!!😊😊😊😊 That apartment was a bit confusing. I would here in the US use separate meter on each apartment and a 100 amp panel. On some apartment buildings there are whole back outside walls coated with meters. And now with smart meters, a lot easier to read by the utility company. I personally am not familiar with hi-rise apartment buildings in the US, but I expect it is fed with 3 phase and step down transformers with a master meter and the hi-rise owner owns the meters inside and charged accordingly. Either way it sounds like fun..fun. 73’s DE N2JYG

[@Leon-nn7rn]

Sounds like things are alot different over there. I have always been interested in the US and definitely the electrics! I will make it there one day. Always see you guys on the TV all my life and ive wanted to go. One day……

[@fabianmckenna8197]

Yeah US 120 volts........... Takes forever to make tea when we visit our "American daughter "!

[@djoakeydoakey1076]

​@@fabianmckenna8197isn't the tea in us done in microwaves?

[@fabianmckenna8197]

@@djoakeydoakey1076 Tea is bad enough in America with the poor quality water but microwaving it is just awful. Our Scottish water is very soft..........

[@franklinwerren7684]

@@fabianmckenna8197 That’s what a microwave is for!!!

[@idi0tdetectioninprogress]

Not knocking you at all, but its a classic case of way over thinking these types of faults. 99 times out of 100 its a physical fault, like it was here. Water, faulty appliances, new shelves recently installed, and the like. Theres really no need to be megger(ing) wiring to fault find. A 10 minute look around and you would have found that without even taking the cover off the CU.

[@RyanJ_]

An ignorant landlord? No way!

[@danielharvey8498]

0.02Mohms isn’t a dead short that is 20,000ohms so prehaps in the terminology department a “low insulation” fault. If it was 0.00Mohms I would always check on low ohms to confirm if it’s a copper to copper short or more like the fault you had (it you get say 0.31ohms) that confirms the type of fault you may be chasing. The result you had would not have tripped if it was just on an mcb. Nice splitting of the ring method 👍🏼

[@TheEulerID]

Definitely. It will have been the water causing a leakage current to earth. In all likelyhood, once it had dried out, that fault will have cleared.

[@christopherhubbard602]

I'm a landlord

[@markyd2633]

Gs 38 out the window then

[@Valehass]

What chjeek, she caused the problem and wanted him to take the blame.

[@andymurkle4931]

WHO PAID FOR YOUR TIME ??

[@Leon-nn7rn]

The landlord. What she chose to do between her and the tenant was up to her. :)

[@idi0tdetectioninprogress]

​@@Leon-nn7rnAs a one off, its probably not worth falling out over. A friendly word not to let it happen again. Its a delicate balance, because if anything happens and tenants think they're going to get the bill, it encourages them to do dangerous things, rather than report it. Some landlords insist on tenants holding an accidental insurance policy.

[@TheChipmunk2008]

Love how it's always our fault!

[@JustAlanJohn]

You really do not need misic in the background 🤔

[@blastingweevil2968]

why dont landlords or tennents tell you hey i spilt a drink overt this... can you check this first....my Grandfather Allways told me Extentions are only for tempory use such as christmas lights for the tree or a power tool ect you shouldnt leave them plugged in and turned for years for this very reason.

[@mistsmogguru8378]

So the tennant knew all along and hoped you would not discover the problem. Then when you did, tried to get you to cover it up and lay blame elsewhere. What a tosser. I'd make them pay for the cost and then evict them.

[@curtisj2165]

That is a ring final circuit. Ring mains are in the street, not inside houses

[@Grumpy_Granddad]

That is so nit picky -- as a non domestic leccy I would call it a ring main or ring cct