Author Topic: Power supply to garage tripped - removal of sky dish or something else?  (Read 1164 times)

velosam

  • '.....you used to be an apple on a stick.'
The power supply to my garage has tripped.   I cant seem to get to the fuse in the main box in the house as its not one of those pull out ones.


The fuse box in the garage has not tripped at all, so its something between the main house and the garage.

The only thing I have done (I think) is remove a BSB sky dish and all the aerial wires. I am pretty sure there are no loose connections around the house and I can't seem to find any feeds or blank wires, that are not aerial wires.

My questions are:

1. Can I unscrew the panel at the main fuse box and replace the fuse and see if that works?
2. How I find out has gone wrong?  The main wire from the garage fuse box sinks into the ground and the wires from the main fuse box in the house go under some flooring, which I have no hope of lifting.

Any help appreciated

thanks


Re: Power supply to garage tripped - removal of sky dish or something else?
« Reply #1 on: 16 August, 2017, 11:30:56 am »
Can you post a picture of your main house fusebox?

I'd suggest flipping the main switch in the garage distribution unit/fusebox to the 'off' position before replacing/resetting anything in your house.
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Re: Power supply to garage tripped - removal of sky dish or something else?
« Reply #2 on: 16 August, 2017, 11:35:30 am »
Pics of the fuse box? If it's an old-style one, I'd expect there to be removable fuse carriers behind the front cover - you should be able to check and replace the fuse or fuse wire if needed.

Don't suppose the garage supply goes off through an isolator switch which might have been turned off by mistake?

velosam

  • '.....you used to be an apple on a stick.'
Re: Power supply to garage tripped - removal of sky dish or something else?
« Reply #3 on: 16 August, 2017, 11:53:13 am »
Hi thanks. I just tried that.

I switched off the garage fuse box and tried to 'on' the main at the main fuse box and would not work.
I have difficultly posting pics on the forum but it the link below

https://www.google.co.uk/search?client=opera&hs=fqd&tbm=isch&q=Mk+fuse+box&chips=q:wylex+fuse+box,g_5:house&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjTjbe9ytvVAhWIOsAKHfTjBSIQ4lYIMigA&biw=1093&bih=510&dpr=1.25#imgrc=YuJICvRWqJR3KM:


The circuit breaker on for the garage is a type 2.


Re: Power supply to garage tripped - removal of sky dish or something else?
« Reply #4 on: 16 August, 2017, 12:02:40 pm »
So with the garage distro board main switch in the off position, you still couldn't turn the house distro board circuit breaker for the garage to the on position?

That suggests to me (who is a bit crap at house electrics) that there is a short from live to earth somewhere between the house and the garage.
<i>Marmite slave</i>

velosam

  • '.....you used to be an apple on a stick.'
Re: Power supply to garage tripped - removal of sky dish or something else?
« Reply #5 on: 16 August, 2017, 12:17:21 pm »
I agree. But I have no idea why and where or how to find out.  I am pretty sure it was all working on saturday.  All that has happened is the removal of the dish and the wires around the house.

Could that have done something?

Can I open that fuse box and replace the fuse? It also odd to me how there is a small black tab across the top of the garage fuse.

Just to test the switch, I switched off the main supply and pushed it to on.  Put the main supply back on and it tripped. 

No obvious wires or gaps anywhere not sure where to look now!

Thanks

jiberjaber

  • ... Fancy Pants \o/ ...
  • ACME S&M^2
Re: Power supply to garage tripped - removal of sky dish or something else?
« Reply #6 on: 16 August, 2017, 12:52:04 pm »
The removal of the BSB dish and wiring I expect to not have any impact on what you have experienced, it sounds like coincidently something else has gone wrong, UNLESS there was an already loose mains cable somewhere which pulling out the old Sat cables made worse.

From what you are saying is it the main breaker in the main distribution that has tripped or just the RCD/MCB feeding the garage? Later post indicates it is the feed to the garage, not the main supply?

(I'm assuming there is a secondary distribution board in the garage)

Step 1: Garage isolated (all breakers off in garage), Main distribution board breaker for garage OFF, does the main breaker remains ON ? (if yes, then it is something on the garage circuit, if no, then it is something in the house)
Step 2: If Yes, then Garage isolated (all breakers off in garage), Main distribution board breaker for garage ON, does the main breaker remains ON ? (if NO, then it is something on the garage circuit from dis board to Garage dis board, if Yes, then it is something in the Garage itself)
Step 3: if Yes, progress through Step 2 but switching on separate circuits in the Garage distribution board to identify circuit at fault.

Cables do fail overtime, type of cable, its installation and water ingress etc Also breakers and switches can fail as well...

It's a bit hard to diagnose over the internet and if you are struggling to identify components in a distribution board then I would respectfully and strongly recommend seeking out someone competent who can help you in person.  We can probably help with some rudimentary fault finding and sorry if I've jumped to an incorrect conclusion based on posts so far but last thing anyone wants is you getting hurt  :thumbsup:
Regards,

Joergen

velosam

  • '.....you used to be an apple on a stick.'
Re: Power supply to garage tripped - removal of sky dish or something else?
« Reply #7 on: 16 August, 2017, 01:51:51 pm »
From what you are saying is it the main breaker in the main distribution that has tripped or just the RCD/MCB feeding the garage? Later post indicates it is the feed to the garage, not the main supply?

Sorry I am not sure what the above means but I believe it the breaker on the main distribution board i.e. from where I can switch all the electrics off.


Its definitely between the house and garage, as I have tried off the distribution board in the garage and it still does not switch on.

I also switched off the main supply and then turned the garage breaker on, the minute I switched on the main supply on again, the breaker flipped back to 'off'.

I *think* it was working when on Monday night,  post cable removal but am not sure. 

Thank you all very much but at this point I think you are right and I will have to find an electrician. 

It just bad luck its come with a host of other house issues.  I am really struggling to see how the cables would have been pulled as the feed into the garage is underground and I am pretty sure we have done nothing to 'move' any cables. House was fully rewired about 15 years ago if not less.

I also checked the feed into the garage fuse box, and that appears fine and untouched.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Power supply to garage tripped - removal of sky dish or something else?
« Reply #8 on: 16 August, 2017, 02:02:52 pm »
Your muddled use of terminology is making the description of the issue confusing.  You appear to be saying that the RCD/RCBO feeding the house consumer unit tripped, but also the MCB protecting the garage circuit?

http://www.diydata.com/electrics/fuses_mcb_rcd_rcbo/fuses_mcb_rcd_rcbo.php

Re: Power supply to garage tripped - removal of sky dish or something else?
« Reply #9 on: 16 August, 2017, 04:11:18 pm »
Agree about the sky dish being irrelevant in the normal way of things but might you have disturbed something that shared the route into your garage? 

I've put up a few dishes (and even got them working!) but none of them interacted with mains electricity.

An electrician does all my electrics because he knows what he's doing, so he tells me.  So far so good..

If you look for an electrician I'd recommend you avoid internet sites like 'rated people' because I think they attract quite a few cowboys who can talk the talk but don't care about quality (from my own and others' experience).  I prefer to ask friends and neighbours.
Move Faster and Bake Things

velosam

  • '.....you used to be an apple on a stick.'
Re: Power supply to garage tripped - removal of sky dish or something else?
« Reply #10 on: 20 August, 2017, 03:14:26 pm »
Well the problem has been sorted. I think I need to get some cable connected. I can run the cable OK and think I can drill through the walls ok.  However, most of the armoured cable is 3 core and I only have a 2 core connection if that makes sense.

So am I correct in that I only connect the live and neutral cable and leave out the neutral one?

Thanks

Feanor

  • It's mostly downhill from here.
Re: Power supply to garage tripped - removal of sky dish or something else?
« Reply #11 on: 20 August, 2017, 04:47:07 pm »
It's not as simple as that.

You need to consider the earthing arrangements.
Exporting an earth to an outbuilding is a surprisingly complex topic.
It depends on the type of earth you have on the house ( TN-S, TT, etc. )

The existing earth may have been be exported using the armour as the CPC.
In which case, it will be terminated correctly in suitable glands with frying-pan washers etc.

Yes, you can use 3-core SWA and either use the 3rd core as an additional earth conductor, or not use it and reinstate like-for-like.

But unless you are confident about terminating the SWA correctly in suitable glands, and doing a true like-for-like replacement,
I'm going to advise getting your sparks back in.  He'll understand all this stuff, that's what you are paying for.


velosam

  • '.....you used to be an apple on a stick.'
Re: Power supply to garage tripped - removal of sky dish or something else?
« Reply #12 on: 20 August, 2017, 05:04:23 pm »
Thanks am I confident, not entirely.


But surely don't I just pull two wires out and put two back in?

Feanor

  • It's mostly downhill from here.
Re: Power supply to garage tripped - removal of sky dish or something else?
« Reply #13 on: 20 August, 2017, 05:08:06 pm »
That, and deal with the earthing.
And then testing the installation.