Fusebox Queries - tumble dryer tripped switch

Hippodrome Song Owl

To begin, please forgive these very basic questions - I have actually never lived in a house with a modern fusebox until this past year. My only previous experience is with screw-in fuses and I've always had someone else to handle these issues.

Today, my tumble dryer tripped one of the switches on the fusebox (the right-most mcb switch on the upper row in the picture below).

I have unplugged the dryer and flicked back up the switch. I am nervous as I have no knowledge, but am aware that tumble dryers are major risk for fires.

What is the correct thing to do in this situation? Do I just go ahead and see if it happens again and carry on if it works ok? Or should the sockets be checked by an electrician (newly installed last summer by a registered electrician)? Or should the dryer be examined (a one-year old heat pump dryer under warranty)? Dryer is only used 3 times a fortnight, lint filter is cleaned, and water reservoir emptied after every use.

In addition, I have a couple of other questions and concerns about the fusebox - my first time ever looking at it today.

This shower RCB (electric shower newly installed last year) has a thin piece of what looks like wire sticking out underneath!! (see second photo) Is this dangerous? Do I call an electrician for this?

There is a handwritten note to "check test button @ 3 months" on the shower RCB . Never knew anything about this before. Do I test this myself? What does this involve?

Thanks

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Sleeper12

Every 3 months you should push in the test button. If sometime in the future it doesn't trip when you push in the test button then you should call in an electrician

Doolittle51

The tumble dryer tripped an MCB, which is the modern equivalent of blowing a fuse. This occurs when the circuit which the MCB is protecting, becomes overloaded and draws more than the rating of the MCB. Tumble dryers will draw about 10 amps. Your MCB is rated at 20 amps. Was there any other high wattage appliance being used at the same time, which was plugged into the same circuit? i.e. kettle, washing machine, dishwasher, iron, hoover? If so, the combination of two high wattage appliances being used together could be the reason that the MCB tripped. If the tumble dryer alone caused the MCB to trip, it would most likely be a major fault, and so would keep tripping the MCB each time you used it. You're right to be cautious about it, but most fires are caused by a build up of lint, and poorly designed dryers.

It's hard to even see the strand of wire that you're concerned about. The strands in domestic electrical cables are not so small, so I'm not sure what it might be.

If you're concerned, have it checked out. Same for the tumble dryer. Google to see if there have been any recalls for that make & model. You could call an appliance service centre to arrange for it to be tested, but might be cheaper to buy a new dryer.

Hippodrome Song Owl

Thanks for the advice.

The dryer was the only thing plugged in, so it was not due to overloading from multiple appliances. I turned it on again this morning to see and it finished its cycle without issue.

Buying a new dryer being cheaper than getting it looked at is shocking since an equivalent replacement would be €600-700! And it's only a year old and has completed only around 70 drying cycles! It's a Bosch so I'd expect better than that. If it ever trips again I will contact Bosch.

Yes, the strand of wire is extremely thin and it's a silver colour. It is barely noticeable and difficult to get it visible in a photo. I'll try get an electrician to look at the fusebox anyway.

I'll know to check that test button in future - never heard of that before.

Doolittle51

In that case it'll be covered under warranty, so if it occurs again I'd be inclined to pursue a repair. Just be aware that they might charge a substantial fee if no fault is found.

My comment was more relevant to cheaper brands, i.e. not much point trying to get a 5 year old tumble dryer fixed as the repair cost could easily come close to the price of a new dryer.

Seth Brundle

Is the tumble dryer socket wired up separately to all other sockets? Would that be standard practice?

TheSunIsShining

The socket powering the dryer is almost certainly on a ring so there would be other devices on the same line. So when you say there was nothing plugged in, do you only mean in the same socket?

Hippodrome Song Owl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122156352#Comment_122156352

Last summer I had a new double socket installed in the kitchen especially so I could fit this dryer in. A second new double socket was put on the other side of the wall in the sitting room. The dryer was the only thing plugged in to these 4 sockets. When the switch tripped I checked and they seemed to be the only affected sockets. The TV continued working in the sitting room and all the original kitchen sockets still worked.

Three other new double sockets were also installed upstairs at the same time and I didn'tcheck these when the switch tripped so I don't know if they are also on the same circuit. But one has a Virgin box plugged in and if it loses power it goes through a lengthy reset when switched back on and it didn't last night, so I don't think those new upstairs sockets were affected by the tripped mcb.