RCD problem

[ogsvaldo]

Hi

I've recently had a new rcd fitted to my very old consumer unit( the old fuse wire type ) after the sparky tested the old one and said its not working.
After one week of being fitted it has tripped a number of times.
sometimes once per day sometimes more or even a full day being ok!
He came back out and tested all cercuits which were all ok. I've since unplugged everyting one by one but still no joy.

 

[Guest123]

Hi.

Sounds like you've got a bit of a problem on your hands. Can I ask did the spark offer to upgrade your consumer unit for you???, I feel he should have at least mentioned it.

Sounds like you have an intermittent fault on the circuit(s) which as any spark will tell you is our nemesis.

He should really have picked this up IMO by carrying out some testing prior to just changing the faulty RCD.


Without knowing the whole story it's difficult to say but I would certainly get him back to rectify.

 

[acat]

Hi

Just to expand on Lennys post an RCD operates by constantly monitoring the current flowing in the live and neutral wires supplying a circuit or an individual item of equipment. They should be equal at all times and the RCD will trip when they are not.

From your situation it could be an appliance that you are using that is causing the problem. Next time it trips remember what you were using at the time. For example if you were using a toaster. Re set the RCD and use the toaster again if it trips your toaster is destined for the bin.


Chris

 

[ogsvaldo]

Thanks guys

The biggest gripe with myself is I should have re-wired when I moved in 3 years ago prior to re-plastering the whole house! Isn't hindsight a wonderful thing

The thing is i've already unplugged all appliances and it still trips out however, what is a bit of a mystery is when the spark tested one of the circuits it gave a reading as if there was a fault and when he re-tested it, it showed it was ok. This was the boiler circuit so I switched it off but it still tripped.
One thing he did mention which had me racking my brains was when the old immersion switch was removed from the side of the fireplace, I'm not entirely sure what the plumber did, whether its still live in the wall or disconnected!
The new boiler is in the same cupboard as the old storage tank, connected to the origional switch that was already there!
Not sure if this could be the fault.
The rcd tripped twice yesterday but quite strangely it likes tripping in the middle of the night, my only concern is the fridge going off because of my bairn's bottle's.

 

[marty4]

Hi, does the rcd protect all circuits including the fridge?

 

[ogsvaldo]

yes Marty

 

[marty4]

the reason i ask is you can get a lot of unwanted tripping from a fridge if its on an rcd.

 

[Des 56]

Hi.



He should really have picked this up IMO by carrying out some testing prior to just changing the faulty RCD.

Sorry Lenny but that seems to be a rather harsh comment to make about the spark, given that it can be a situation that we have all had experience of I'm sure
Quote
after the sparky tested the old one and said its not working.
and
what is a bit of a mystery is when the spark tested one of the circuits it gave a reading

At the least he uses a test meter
We may all be aware that system faults are not as likely as appliance faults being the cause of the problem,given that the old Rcd was not monitoring the appliances for however long a period

As you rightly mentioned these faults can be a nuisance and the worst kind to track down
Correct testing of the whole of the installation should identify if its a system fault though

 

[LEO]

Hi Chaps,

My advice would be to I/R the circuits, prove the wiring is ok first. If you have got 1 RCD protecting all circuits and have proved all wiring is ok then the fault is definatly to do with earth leakage from the items attached to the circs - most likely the items plugged in. Obviously 2 split RCD's would be good to identify which circs that are causing it or even rcbo's, however you don't have this . Unfortunatly intermittent RCD tripping can be a pig to find exactly what item it is causing the problem as more often that not it is an a accumulative effect of earth leakage from various items at the same time.

 

[Guest123]

Sorry Lenny but that seems to be a rather harsh comment to make about the spark, given that it can be a situation that we have all had experience of I'm sure

Suppose we've all got our ways of doing things. Personally I wouldn't install any form of RCD protection without first checking for any existing faults.

Like I said all IMO.