RCD tripping same time every night

[grahaml23]

Hi everyone,
I've been reading this forum and was hoping I might be able to get some advice!
The RCD switch for my sockets has been tripping every night for the past week between 4 and 5am. I haven't changed anything in the flat in the last week, I got a new hob oven and fridge in Feb so over a month ago. After the second night in a row, I switched off literally every socket in the flat, including the heated towel rail, water heater, lamps, all kitchen appliances, didn't even plug in my phone, and I ONLY left the fridge freezer on. I read about people saying appliances with timers are the cause hence why I unplugged everything bar the fridge freezer. But, the RCD keeps tripping at the same time every morning. It might seem silly to ask but, I've made the assumption it could possibly be my fridge freezer causing the trips? It's a month old so I'm really hoping it's not got a fault!! Why would it do this, and what can I do about finding out what's wrong with it? Or is there another common cause that could be the culprit which I have missed out on? Its getting so annoying waking up and the fridge has been off, the WiFi has to fully rebook etc.
Thanks in advance for any tips and advice!

 

[brianmoooore]

First point: Unless you have double pole switched sockets (which aren't that common) you need to physically remove the plus from the sockets, not just switch them off.
What kind of consumer unit (fusebox) do you have? One with a RCBO for each circuit, or one where a RCD serves several MCBs?
Do you have electric water heating with a hot water cylinder?

 

[littlespark]

Check for outside lights fed from same rcd.

Moisture in the lights, sensor controlled, only coming on when it’s dark enough AND senses movement (foxes etc)

As suggested, actually remove plugs from sockets to completely isolate appliances.

 

[grahaml23]

First point: Unless you have double pole switched sockets (which aren't that common) you need to physically remove the plus from the sockets, not just switch them off.
What kind of consumer unit (fusebox) do you have? One with a RCBO for each circuit, or one where a RCD serves several MCBs?
Do you have electric water heating with a hot water cylinder?

Sorry I should have specified, the plugs were out of the sockets. The water tank, heated towel rail and hob and oven were switched off by their respective switches too since I can't unplug them they wired in. My water heater is electric yes but this was switched off overnight, and timer set to off.
I'm not sure what the proper name is for my fuse box but it's just got a bunch of switches for each room, then there is one switch labelled RCD which trips the sockets only, lights stay on, and another main RCD switch (which trips everything in the flat sockets and lights included but this has only happened once ages ago). The whole unit is only 3 months old as I got the whole thing modernised (used to be fuse wires or whatever they're called)!

 

[grahaml23]

Check for outside lights fed from same rcd.

Moisture in the lights, sensor controlled, only coming on when it’s dark enough AND senses movement (foxes etc)

As suggested, actually remove plugs from sockets to completely isolate appliances.

Hiya, I live in a block of 6 flats and I'm on the top floor so don't have any external lights connected to my property, nothing on a timer or a sensor or anything I unplugged everything bar the fridge freezer and the trips were still happening so I'm guessing this points to the fridge freezer possibly having some sort of fault? So weird that it happens at the same time every morning though, I don't know enough about fridge freezers to know why it would trip on a schedule lol!

 

[brianmoooore]

Fridge freezers often have a timer for the auto defrost function, but we're not condemning it just yet.
We're still not certain exactly what's turning off. A pic of the fusebox would be useful, clearly indicating what turns off.

 

[grahaml23]

Fridge freezers often have a timer for the auto defrost function, but we're not condemning it just yet.
We're still not certain exactly what's turning off. A pic of the fusebox would be useful, clearly indicating what turns off.

Hiya, here is a picture of the switch down. This only affects sockets in the flat, then the one labelled RCD on the right hand side seems to trip the whole flat (lights and sockets). However this switch is still going down between 4 and 5am ? Hopefully that helps!

 

[SJD]

Your description seems to be saying that the left hand RCD will trip the sockets, but also the right hand RCD will trip the sockets as well as everything else. If installed correctly, I'd expect only the left hand RCD to be tripping the sockets.

 

[grahaml23]

Your description seems to be saying that the left hand RCD will trip the sockets, but also the right hand RCD will trip the sockets as well as everything else. If installed correctly, I'd expect only the left hand RCD to be tripping the sockets.

Yeah that is a good point, I remember the right hand side one tripping when I used my hob (old and faulty when I moved in which has since been replaced) so I'm like totally lost, can't think what's causing the left switch to go though ?

 

[grahaml23]

Your description seems to be saying that the left hand RCD will trip the sockets, but also the right hand RCD will trip the sockets as well as everything else. If installed correctly, I'd expect only the left hand RCD to be tripping the sockets.

I tell a lie I've tested it again now, left side one does all the sockets
Right side does the lights and my hob insolation switch

 

[Lister1987]

Get a white goods engineer on to check over the fridge freezer, as mentioned some have very particular cycles and it may be at a set point in time that it leaks enough current to earth to activate the RCD.

My money is on excess leakage current., Possibly due to a condenser coil issue

 

[grahaml23]

Get a white goods engineer on to check over the fridge freezer, as mentioned some have very particular cycles and it may be at a set point in time that it leaks enough current to earth to activate the RCD.

My money is on excess leakage current., Possibly due to a condenser coil issue

Thanks so much for the advice! Luckily /annoyingly it's new so I've got a year of free engingeer visits etc. with the warranty so fingers crossed they can come and look at it soon!

 

[Lister1987]

Thanks so much for the advice! Luckily /annoyingly it's new so I've got a year of free engingeer visits etc. with the warranty so fingers crossed they can come and look at it soon!

Iirc it is often traced back to the condenser coils, excess generation of moisture/moist air, which then give an earthpath and trips the RCD

 

[brianmoooore]

You may have free engineer visits for a year for the fridge/freezer, but find out if they are still free if it proves to be blameless, and the fault is elsewhere.

 

[grahaml23]

Iirc it is often traced back to the condenser coils, excess generation of moisture/moist air, which then give an earthpath and trips the RCD

Thanks so much, I'll get someone in to have a look at it!