Peculiar Electrical Issue

stedmaster on 28/02/2022 - 15:21

Every so often when I turn off the switch for the bathroom light and exhaust fan it trips the breaker for some of the wall sockets in my unit.

However the breaker that controls the lights and exhaust fan is not effected, i.e I can flick the bathroom switch back on again and the light and fan work, yet the study and a few other sockets need to have the breaker back on first.

It's quite annoying as I might be using my pc in the study and then precisely as someone turns off the switch for the bathroom light and fan it trips the breaker for every socket in the study and some others, but only sometimes.

This has been happening over the past week or two. The bathroom switch is near the study and its happened probably 6 times now. If I flick the switch on and off say 5-10 times I can do it on demand, doesn't seem to matter how, switch still feels correct, its not sloppy.

The only thing that has changed, I changed an old B22 fluro bulb in the bathroom to a B22 Brilliant Smart LED bulb, but then I changed it again to another B22 Osram LED bulb just incase, still happening, makes no sense anyway.

Maybe the switch is breaking down and needs replacing or perhaps the exhaust fan, it's an old unit, but why does it trip the other breaker not its own?

Probably going to have to get an electrician in, what else could it be?

Electrical & Electronics

Comments

  • BewareOfThe Dog on 28/02/2022 - 15:50

    Just a long shot. Is the Bayonet connector, still in good condition. Not crumbling?
    Still if its on a separate circuit, and is on lights/exhaust circuit, it shouldn't affect the other circuits?
    What Amperage etc is the circuit breaker that keeps tripping. Maybe it needs replacing, but only use the same size (unless instructed otherwise by an Electrician).

    • stedmaster on 28/02/2022 - 16:03

      I actually have a B22 fitting in the hall way that runs off another switch that broke a plastic lobe when I changed its bulb, plastics was very brittle and flaky, perhaps all the fittings need replacing.

      I already brought a replacement B22 for the hallway one but was going to get someone in to fit it. I was already having the the breaker issue before this happened.

      I'll get another B22 for the bathroom too and get a sparky in to replace them.

  • Crosscade on 28/02/2022 - 15:52

    The fan coming on is probably a big surge on the circuit, but it is odd that it seems to be tripping a different circuit. Are the light and fan staying on when you flip it on and it trips the circuit? That would be odd unless it is somehow on multiple circuits.

    Sounds like an electrician question, wouldn't want to be messing around, especially if there is a short or something causing it.

    • stedmaster on 28/02/2022 - 15:56

      The unrelated breaker only pops on the switch being turned off. I would imagine the high draw would be on motor start, not being turned off. But again, it pops the breaker for a few sockets, but I can still turn that switch on and off again and turn the fan and light on.

      • Krankite on 28/02/2022 - 16:44

        probably and an Safety Switch (RCD) will trip on difference between current going in and current going out as well as the standard overload protection. They will trip much quicker than a standard circuit breaker if a human becomes part of the circuit.

  • geek001 on 28/02/2022 - 15:56
    +6

    I am not expert, but it sounds like an issue with the earth and/or neutral wiring which can sometimes happen if the 2 breakers share the same neutral wire. Also sounds like an electrician job to me, could be quite dangerous for you to take a look yourself if the wiring is already a bit wonky.

    • jizmo on 28/02/2022 - 16:25
      +1

      THIS if the load going in and out isn't equal will trip the breaker and stop the load going to earth.

    • Krankite on 28/02/2022 - 16:31

      Needs and electrician, my first suspicion would be that the GPO circuits have an RCD (often referred to as a safety switch) but the lights/fan don't since they were legislated at different times, but could also be 101 different things. Get the electrician to check your safety switches it's a very quick job that is recommended as an annual inspection for rental properties.

      • stedmaster on 28/02/2022 - 17:32

        The fuze box is quite moderns, appears to all be RCDs in a line. I can hit the test button for 'lights' and that turns off the bathroom light and fan.

        But again, if I turn off the bathroom light switch enough times eventually it will trip the breaker than controls some of the wall sockets in the house, but I have noticed that also includes the bathroom wall sockets. That light switch can be turned on and still work but the rest of the sockets need their breakers reset

  • timthetoolman on 28/02/2022 - 16:31

    Are the two circuits on circuit breakers or rcbo?

  • jv on 28/02/2022 - 16:32
    +1

    What did your electrician say?

    • stedmaster on 28/02/2022 - 20:18
      +2

      He said watts up and I said currently I'm not amped

  • Brian McGee on 28/02/2022 - 16:39
    +1

    I had a similar issue with a poorly wired bathroom power point. When the units were built (around 2001) the electrician (nicknamed passion fingers) had decided to strip 2-3cm of insulation off the earth wire but then double the wire over in a place with full insulation and drive the grub retention screw through the plastic coating. Only after the switch had some wear and tear over 15 years did the switch start getting hot to the touch, but never shocking, and eventually the plastic switch button fell out. New power point and connecting the wire to the grub screw in the terminal fixed the issue.
    About a year after the bathroom episode a power point in the kitchen went in a similar way, PF strikes again. Don't discount a faulty switch, especially in a wet/damp/humid location.

  • outlander on 28/02/2022 - 17:32

    Is it the breaker thats tripping, or the RCD?
    They look pretty similar to each other but work in vastly different ways. Take a photo of your electrical box if you don't know

    • stedmaster on 28/02/2022 - 17:36

      Yeah thats the thing, thought an RCD is also classed as a breaker.

      Do RCD only have the test option or do breakers as well?

      • outlander on 28/02/2022 - 17:41

        RCD's always have a test option.
        Breakers mostly don't have one, but sometimes you get combined RCD/breaker and they do have them.

        Best way is to google the model number of the part.

      • BewareOfThe Dog on 28/02/2022 - 19:46

        I didn't see a mention previously of rcd.
        Call an electrician.
        Earth leakage?

        • stedmaster on 01/03/2022 - 02:49

          I have a theory that the motor in the old exhaust fan is causing a disengage voltage spike or imbalance, looks like its from the 80s or something maybe earlier.

          The exhaust fan actually has another inline switch on the unit itself that I usually leave on so it comes on when I turn the light on.

          Tomorrow I'm going try tripping it on demand with both the light and exhaust fan on, then turn off the exhaust fans own switch on the unit itself and see if I can still trip on demand rom the just the light switch and the light going, as a form of isolation trouble shooting

    • onetrickpony on 28/02/2022 - 20:02

      I've struck a similar problem a few times, its a tricky one. A photo would help to check your breaker configuration.

  • redfox1200 on 28/02/2022 - 21:50

    probably fault rcd

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