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How to Diagnose a Faulty Circuit in Your Home

How to Diagnose a Faulty Circuit in Your Home

1. Check for a Tripped RCD
- If one of the RCD switches is down and won’t reset, there may be a fault on one of the circuits it protects (e.g., kitchen sockets, lighting, heaters).

2. Isolate the Fault
- Turn all the MCBs (individual circuit switches) off.
- Try resetting the RCD again. If it stays on, then the issue is likely with one of the circuits.

3. Identify the Problem Circuit
- Turn the MCBs back on one at a time.
- If the RCD trips again after switching one on an MCB (e.g., kitchen sockets), that’s the circuit with the fault.
- Leave that circuit off to restore power to the rest of the property.

4. Unplug Appliances
- Go to the affected area (e.g., kitchen) and unplug all appliances from the sockets.

5. Reset the Power
- Return to the fuse box and try resetting the RCD and the MCB for the faulty circuit.
- If the RCD stays on, the fault has been cleared.

6. Find the Faulty Appliance
- Plug appliances back in one at a time.
- If the RCD trips again after plugging in a specific item (e.g., an electric heater), that appliance is likely faulty.
- Leave it unplugged to keep the power on.

7. Still Having Issues?
- Contact Irwell Valley Homes on 0300 561 1111 for further support.

How to Check Your Fuse Box

How to Check Your Fuse Box

1. Start with the Main Switch
- This controls all power to your home.
- If it’s off, everything will be off - flip it up to restore power.

2. Understand the RCDs (Residual Current Devices)
- An RCD protects a group of circuits (e.g., kitchen sockets, downstairs lighting).
- If an RCD is down, power is lost to all circuits in that group.
- Flip it back up to restore power.

3. Check the MCBs (Miniature Circuit Breakers)
- Each circuit (like your cooker, lighting etc.) has its own MCB.
- If one is down, that specific circuit has no power.
- Push it back up to turn the circuit back on.

4. Lost Power? Here’s What to Do
- Go to your fuse box and check:
- Is the main switch up?
- Are the RCDs up?
- Are all MCBs up?
- If anything is down, flip it back up to restore power.

5. Still No Power?
- Call Irwell Valley Homes on 0300 561 1111 for further help.

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