Please don't all kill me here but, I replaced 3 lights tested those 3 and all working. Went to do a 4th a restored power and now the rcd trips. Put everything back to how it was and no power to any outgoing circuits but all circuits have 240v. No tripping at all unless I put in a plug top tester and the rcd goes Split board 2 rcds, this is a job for a friend who won't be friends with me much longer. I assumed if I remove lighting circuit (l, n, e) that I worked on that would restore power to all other circuits but the problem remained Any ideas?
Check all your neutral and earth connections to make sure you haven't mixed up a neutral and earth somewhere.
That's what I thought but I did not change anything in the board, only removed the lighting circuit so it's out of the rcd configuration to see if power would be back on but it isn't. Rcd doesn't trip unless I use my plug top tester
Yes it it one with a neon, the board is fairly new though and next to the digital meter and main fuse
No as i put everything back as before to try and retrace my steps before the fault, wondering I lf there is something wrong with the rcd
I'm a bit confused, are the lights working but don't when you plug in your tester? I was going to ask If you screwed through a cable whilst installing the 4th light?
I thought I hit a cable, originally 3 lights worked fine, 4th did not work. So put that back as it was and nothing ever came back on again, even removing the lighting circuit from the board didn't change anything. One thing I didn't check is the tails, wonder if neutral is loose
When you say removed the lighting circuit did you remove the live, neutral and earth? Don't think the mains tails will be the problem, you didn't touch them did you?
Are we talking a pen that lights up red at the end or a proper two pole tester that actually displays the voltage measured?
So with the lighting circuit completely removed from the MCB, the RCD does not trip unless you plug in your socket tester? Does it trip if you reconnect the lighting circuit and do not plug your socket tester in? If it does, then start disconnecting each light fitting that you changed until is doesn't trip. Take photos at each fitting and post on here.
You’ve obviously fecked up on the 4th fitting and NOT put it back as it was. Either a screwed cable, or you’ve muddled connections.
If it worked before then you have a cross connection or damaged cable. Maybe you have put n in wring side of db? Ie wrong rcd
Really appreciate all the advice, I went back with a more logical approach and tested everything, tails all good but no neutral when the main switch was on. Replaced main dist board switch and all back on, I think I lost a bit of common sense and it was late in the day. Glad it's resolved just weird how a lighting fault came up then the main switch failed.