rcd keeps tripping

[The apprentice]

hi there there split rcd board with rcd keeps tripping maybe once twice sometimes 3 times a day turned the washing machine on tripped straight away got rid got another’s one now it’s tripping jus now and then

 

[buzzlightyear]

tests are in order me thinks .op with out the correct testing it could be anything.

 

[M4rtyj]

Do you mean you got a new Rcd or a new washer? Lol

 

[Deleted member 105166]

What else is on the RCD side? If you turn all the other MCBs off and just turn on the washing machine circuit, does it still trip?

 

[The apprentice]

as soon as the washing machine is turned on it was tripping the rcd so we got rid of that the rcd still trips now it can trip up to 3 times a day at various points of the day what is on the rcd side is up stairs sockets downstairs sockets shower oven/grill combined appliance just trips at various times could be an appliance maybe fridge when compressor kicks in? can’t just turn off a fridge freezer to see if it’s that there was a leak coming from shower down pipe box through kitchen ever roof not a bad leak just a little one but can see mark on kitchen roof where is has bn

 

[Deleted member 105166]

So you got rid of a perfectly decent washing machine, which it turns out wasn’t the cause of the problem, as your RCD still trips. I recommend you contact a local spark, this should be a fairly simple job with the right tools and knowledge. It could be a cumulative earth leakage problem, seeing as it is erratic.

 

[The apprentice]

no as soon as the washing machine was turned on it would trip straight away now it’s just tripping now and then and for your information tony it’s in the garage iam an apprentice don’t have a megger for testing or stuff so hard find for me

 

[Deleted member 105166]

That’s why I recommended you call a local spark, he/she will likely find the fault in half an hour and if something simple, fix it in similar time.

 

[Dustydazzler]

My heart always sinks when I get a call which starts by saying ‘my electrics keep turning off / tripping out when I turn XYZ on’

It could be a 15 minute job or a 3 hour job , you just never know how much time to allow in the diary....

I have a job tomorrow where someone has no hot water in their all electric flat. Could be the fuse , could be the stat , could be the element burned out.
Have allowed a 2 hour call but could end up half a day...

 

[M4rtyj]

You say you have a leak from shower down to the kitchen ceiling which is showing as watermarks, could any if this water got into a downlight/light fitting by any chance?

 

[EricMark]

May not even be an installation fault, back in 1995 I fitted a pair of RCD's one to each fuse board, now has MCB's in old boards, but now been fitted for some 30 odd years, every so often we get a run of tripping, do nothing, and it stops again, I will assume spikes on the supply. Resetting one RCD can trip the other, no real reason why it should, but it does.

In the main RCD tripping problems are down to a neutral to earth fault. So a fault with the toaster means using kettle will trip RCD when there is no fault with the kettle, cheap insulation testers can be bought for £35 today, far cheaper than new washing machine, so that's way to go.

After all the problems with RCD tripping for no apparent reason, this house is all RCBO it also means 4 more slots in the board, but not all RCD's are equal, there are makes and models designed not to be affected by spikes and not to trip until at 90% of earth leakage, and have a warning light built in, think they were called Xpole which is a problem as internet seems to show woman dancing not RCD's.

But at end of day, testing is only way, one may find a faulty appliance by trial and error, but you may also be lead astray, specially if the appliance which seems to cause the trip draws a heavy current.

 

[Dustydazzler]

My heart always sinks when I get a call which starts by saying ‘my electrics keep turning off / tripping out when I turn XYZ on’

It could be a 15 minute job or a 3 hour job , you just never know how much time to allow in the diary....

I have a job tomorrow where someone has no hot water in their all electric flat. Could be the fuse , could be the stat , could be the element burned out.
Have allowed a 2 hour call but could end up half a day...

Well that was interesting , got to the flat to be confronted with a foreign make immersion cylinder that I have never seen.
Rang around 3 electrical wholesalers and 2 plumbers merchants and none had heard of the make.
Flats were built less than 2 years ago.
I am guessing the builders / plumbers / electricians were all foreign or brought aload of gear 'job lot' from abroad to fit in the flats.
A quick goggle search kind of points to France or Poland as being the place of origin for this immersion heater.

 

[davesparks]

no as soon as the washing machine was turned on it would trip straight away now it’s just tripping now and then and for your information tony it’s in the garage iam an apprentice don’t have a megger for testing or stuff so hard find for me

Have you asked the electrician you are apprenticed to for help with this?
Without test equipment it is not possible to locate a fault like this

Tripping when the washing machine is turned on doesn't necessarily mean that the washing machine is faulty, there could be a N-E earth fault which is diverting neutral current to earth.

 

[MarkyMark]

It could be an accumulation of fault currents which turning on the washing machine just tips over the top.
First step disconnect everything and IR test the circuit. Ensure the wiring is electrically sound first.

 

[The apprentice]

thanks everyone really appreciate the help