Help - lights have tripped and cant flip trip switch

[BoBoo]

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We actually had a faulty trip switch on our board. We had the whole house in darkness and no power to anything!

Any joy finding out what is wrong?

Not turning off sounds like it has a leak to earth... so be careful touching anything metal on that light fitting.

Oh, the whole of the wiring in (at least) the kitchen is fucked. Another bodged job from the guy we bought the house from - every time something goes wrong we uncover a disaster. Gah.

Oh we just had a power cut! Master switch on fuse box just tripped but living room lights still on. Do you think our neighbours are paying for our electricity in that room (attached barn conversion). Oops

no, I think that you probably have a split-load (16th Edition) consumer unit.

Most likely (about) half the circuits are protected by an RCD, this will probably be the sockets and any outdoor or outbuilding supplies and electric showers, and the rest are just controlled by the main switch (probably the lighting, cooker, and possibly freezer).

Look at your CU carefully, and I expect you will find it has a main switch at one end, and a separate RCD. Or you might have two CUs.