Ask The Trades - Print Page

Ask The Trades
https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl DIY Forum >> Electrical Questions >> Trip question / extractor problems https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1453672612 Message started by Natedog on Jan 24^th, 2016, 9:56pm

Title: Trip question / extractor problems
Post by Natedog on Jan 24^th, 2016, 9:56pm

A mate of mine has bought a new build house, as he wanted something that wouldn't need stuff doing for a fair while.

So the latest problem he's had is that one night the trip for the upstairs lighting cut out. He was away at work, so asked me to have a look. After turning off all the lights and it still tripping as soon as you switched it back on I worked out that it was the bathroom extractor that was the problem.

is it normal for there to be a bright flash from inside the trip when it cuts out?

The extractor is a ceiling mounted one. Popping the cover off for a quick looky, the problem was immediately obvious. There was a fair bit of moisture inside, and there was signs of arcing around the connector block. Investigating a bit more, a good few gallons of water landed on me when I disturbed the pipe. My first thought was that this must be rain that is somehow found its way in, and has collected at a low point in the flexi pipe, and the weight has made it sag and let it collect more water until it has started dribbling back into the extractor.

The sparky who has come out to it has just replaced the extractor under guarantee, and made the pipe "more secure" and has blamed it on condensation building up at a low point. Does this sound feasible? The house has only been lived in for 11 months

Title: Re: Trip question / extractor problems
Post by CWatters on Jan 24^th, 2016, 11:38pm

Yes. Most likely warm humid air from the shower/bath is condensing in the cold flexible pipe. Might help to insulate the pipe and support it at an angle so anything that does condense drains to the outside.

Funny you should mention this as I've just come back from a trip to a relatives house to sort out a similar problem.

Title: Re: Trip question / extractor problems
Post by baz on Jan 25^th, 2016, 10:46am

It would be a good idea to install a condensation trap in the duct. Otherwise it will happen again.

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/BGCT.html for example