Main Box in Street Keeps Tripping

[thehuman]

Photo of your main db would help
99% of the time there is just a isolator before your breakers.

It could be a good idea to install a breaker just before or after isolator.

This should trip if there too much load on the municipal line.

 

[TheChamp]

UPDATE

I've contracted an electrician to do fault finding and he suggested I just replace all the wiring in my house since it's not up to compliance. The job should be done by Saturday which should rule out my house as the fault.

I also installed a new DB board 5 months ago with a main breaker rated at 63A and an earth leakage also rated at 63A. My neighbours have their mains at 60A and their earth leakage significantly lower at 20A. I'm now thinking that my mains and earth leakage may be rated too high? The electrician suggest I leave the earth leakage as is and swap out the 63A mains for a 50A.

What do you guys think?

I don't understand the reason for wanting to reduce your mains isolator for a 50A, it cannot be rated too high, you can even have a 100A there, it wouldn't have any adverse effect.

63A is generally the standard for most houses, do you perhaps live in a low cost area where the supply is less than 60A?

 

[thehuman]

I don't understand the reason for wanting to reduce your mains isolator for a 50A, it cannot be rated too high, you can even have a 100A there, it wouldn't have any adverse effect.

63A is generally the standard for most houses, do you perhaps live in a low cost area where the supply is less than 60A?

Also mains isolator dont have a trip function, if it all levers is green it cant trip.

Some current logging device could be better tho

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[soulie]

Photo of your main db would help
99% of the time there is just a isolator before your breakers.

It could be a good idea to install a breaker just before or after isolator.

This should trip if there too much load on the municipal line.

There should be a breaker at the meter if the meter is on the premise. If the meter is in the box outside you may have a bolt instead of a breaker. There must be a breaker before the earth leakage/isolator but with an eskom supply anything is possible.

 

[Moto Guzzi]

We had this a year ago where the whole area tripped just after loadsheddig came back everytime, they then manually came out like hour later and restore power. It lasted till they eventually repared the trip fault, now this is where you can pick up damage to your stuff at home, so I had to isolate my house everytime till fixed..

 

[soulie]

We had this a year ago where the whole area tripped just after loadsheddig came back everytime, they then manually came out like hour later and restore power. It lasted till they eventually repared the trip fault, now this is where you can pick up damage to your stuff at home, so I had to isolate my house everytime till fixed..

i have stated this so many times before .if you are at home turn off everything untill the dust has settled then wait a while before turning on again .or install a delay on timer ,just remember you may not disconnect individual neutrals going to plugs etc while the mains is on and the timer is waiting , just cut the plugs main live circuit .then at least your lights will be on .

 

[wingnut771]

I don't understand the reason for wanting to reduce your mains isolator for a 50A, it cannot be rated too high, you can even have a 100A there, it wouldn't have any adverse effect.

63A is generally the standard for most houses, do you perhaps live in a low cost area where the supply is less than 60A?

What happens when the cable between the meter and the DB is rated at 63A and you fit a 100A breaker?

 

[TheChamp]

What happens when the cable between the meter and the DB is rated at 63A and you fit a 100A breaker?

Nothing, if the cable is rated at 63A and the breaker at the meter is rated for 63A absolutely nothing will happen if you fit a 100A breaker at your DB, so it all depends on the breaker fitted at the meter, it will have the same effect as fitting a massive tap when you water flow is limited.

Having answered that I still don't understand the problem his electrician is trying to solve by fitting a smaller breaker at the DB.

Of course I am not saying he should fit a 100A breaker, I am just making a point of it's effect compared to a smaller breaker.

 

[wingnut771]

Nothing, if the cable is rated at 63A and the breaker at the meter is rated for 63A absolutely nothing will happen if you fit a 100A breaker at your DB, so it all depends on the breaker fitted at the meter, it will have the same effect as fitting a massive tap when you water flow is limited.

Having answered that I still don't understand the problem his electrician is trying to solve by fitting a smaller breaker at the DB.

Of course I am not saying he should fit a 100A breaker, I am just making a point of it's effect compared to a smaller breaker.

If the breaker at the meter is 120A then it will be a problem. Yeah, fitting the 50A seems counter productive. The sparky should know the cable size coming into the DB and size the breaker accordingly. 63A is normal for a house in durban at least. iirc, the breaker at the meter was 80A, and the one on the pole 120A in my case.

 

[soulie]

Nothing, if the cable is rated at 63A and the breaker at the meter is rated for 63A absolutely nothing will happen if you fit a 100A breaker at your DB, so it all depends on the breaker fitted at the meter, it will have the same effect as fitting a massive tap when you water flow is limited.

Having answered that I still don't understand the problem his electrician is trying to solve by fitting a smaller breaker at the DB.

Of course I am not saying he should fit a 100A breaker, I am just making a point of it's effect compared to a smaller breaker.

i personally think the eskom breaker is a lower amp than what is in the house so that trips instead if the one in the house .thats why they have to determine from eskoms side the c/b size in the eskom box .it may only be a 45amp .they may have split a 3 phase 45 amp supply to 3 houses and hes overloading it .it also may be a single joined 3 phase breaker and the load is unbalanced

 

[thehuman]

Fitting a smaller breaker that he have access to reset is not counter productive

Eg breaker at eskom pole is 100A
You fit an 80A breaker that hopefully will trip before the 100

6.7.1.3 section c

Do circuit breakers need to be SABS APPROVED - The Forum SA

Hi. The company just quoted me to redo all my electrical switches on my DB board. And they bought new CBI circuit breakers . however when I expected them I don't see sabs stamps anywhere. My old one do have. Apparently manufactures were in boksburg, but now are in lesotho. Should I be worried...

www.theforumsa.co.za

 

[wingnut771]

Fitting a smaller breaker that he have access to reset is not counter productive

Eg breaker at eskom pole is 100A
You fit an 80A breaker that hopefully will trip before the 100

6.7.1.3 section c

Do circuit breakers need to be SABS APPROVED - The Forum SA

Hi. The company just quoted me to redo all my electrical switches on my DB board. And they bought new CBI circuit breakers . however when I expected them I don't see sabs stamps anywhere. My old one do have. Apparently manufactures were in boksburg, but now are in lesotho. Should I be worried...

www.theforumsa.co.za

View attachment 1410779

Why would eskom fit a smaller breaker than the house in the first place? The spend all this time and energy laying a cable for a house that is only rated for 40A? He also mentions no load on the house when it trips.

 

[soulie]

Why would eskom fit a smaller breaker than the house in the first place? The spend all this time and energy laying a cable for a house that is only rated for 40A? He also mentions no load on the house when it trips.

eskom only gives the supply to the top of the breaker .the original installer installs the circuit breakers and cable to the house .he then issues a coc to eskom and seals the breakers .eskom then comes and turns the power on .what happens after the breaker isnt eskoms problem unless they supplied everything which ive never seen them do .their linesman are also not allowed to test on the outgoing side of the breaker .thats not their job .this whole story is going round in circles author doesnt have any info on what matters and is firing blind

 

[soulie]

Why would eskom fit a smaller breaker than the house in the first place? The spend all this time and energy laying a cable for a house that is only rated for 40A? He also mentions no load on the house when it trips.

someone also asked if its a low cost development .but got no reply .there you can choose a 30 amp supply or higher depending on how much you want to spend for youre supply each month.

 

[wingnut771]

eskom only gives the supply to the top of the breaker .the original installer installs the circuit breakers and cable to the house .he then issues a coc to eskom and seals the breakers .eskom then comes and turns the power on .what happens after the breaker isnt eskoms problem unless they supplied everything which ive never seen them do .their linesman are also not allowed to test on the outgoing side of the breaker .thats not their job .this whole story is going round in circles author doesnt have any info on what matters and is firing blind

Oh ok, so way different to how durban works then, the municipality owns the cable up to the meter in the house.

 

[wingnut771]

someone also asked if its a low cost development .but got no reply .there you can choose a 30 amp supply or higher depending on how much you want to spend for youre supply each month.

What about it tripping with no load?

 

[Adrian15]

UPDATE:

I don't live in a low-cost development. I'm in the Northern suburbs of Cape Town.

I've attached images of my breaker below as well as the breaker outside in the street (this one Eskom swapped out for a new one today). Eskom also inspected the metre box inside my house and found no faults.

In case you can't see, from left to right:
1. Mains - Schenker 63A
2. Stove - Schenker 32A
3. Geyser - Schenker 25A
4. Earth Leakage - Lear 63A
5. Plugs x2 - Shcenker 20 A each
6. Lights - Shcenker 10A



The breaker outside my house is rated at 63A

 

[TheChamp]

Hopefully the breaker was faulty and a new one sorts out the issue.

 

[thehuman]

UPDATE:

I don't live in a low-cost development. I'm in the Northern suburbs of Cape Town.

I've attached images of my breaker below as well as the breaker outside in the street (this one Eskom swapped out for a new one today). Eskom also inspected the metre box inside my house and found no faults.

In case you can't see, from left to right:
1. Mains - Schenker 63A
2. Stove - Schenker 32A
3. Geyser - Schenker 25A
4. Earth Leakage - Lear 63A
5. Plugs x2 - Shcenker 20 A each
6. Lights - Shcenker 10A

View attachment 1410835

The breaker outside my house is rated at 63A
View attachment 1410837

You have no access to eskom 63a to reset ?
We have a lever we could pull to reset it on our sealed meter box

 

[Adrian15]

You have no access to eskom 63a to reset ?
We have a lever we could pull to reset it on our sealed meter box

We have no access to the box. We have to call Eskom to reset it themselves and that could take a few days for them to come out.