rcd tripping?

[goldie]

Hi guys. slighty baffled by this one.
Rcd tripping intermittently when 3x 16watt 2d lights are switched off at the wall switch. Carried out ins res tests... All ok. Lights turn on fine and only trips 2 out of 10 times when turning switch off. possibly inductance causing earth leakage??

 

[malcolmsanford]

1) Ramp Test
2) Check earth leakage
3) Could be the electronics in the lights themselves causing surges/spikes that is affecting the RCD

After Ramp test if it's border line on low 20mA I would change.

If you do have High Protective currents then it becomes a little more complcated, you could move the lights circuit onto a seperate RCBO.

Try for a temporary measure replace the light/lights with another type

 

[polo1]

I had a similar issue with a low energy lamp in a Class 1 fitting. Tripping the RCBO intermittently. All tests were ok; removed & replaced the lamp and no tripping in the last two weeks. TBH, not entirely clear what the problem was within the lamp, but presumambly the electronics leaking to earth for some reason.

Regards

 

[Octopus]

What else is connected to the same RCD? TV's, computers? Fridges? Could be a build up of leakage?

 

[goldie]

Thanks guys.
At the mo i have replaced the fittings to gls type. Trail n error. tried ramp test rcd wont trip with 15 ma fault current at full load so dont think its a build up of leakage. also wondered obout capacitance from two way switch wire onto cpc. have had a similar problem with two way switching showing shimmering l.v lamp on landing.

 

[malcolmsanford]

Thanks guys.
At the mo i have replaced the fittings to gls type. Trail n error. tried ramp test rcd wont trip with 15 ma fault current at full load so dont think its a build up of leakage. also wondered obout capacitance from two way switch wire onto cpc. have had a similar problem with two way switching showing shimmering l.v lamp on landing.

Not sure what you mean their Goldie, but a ramp test is not that.

The ramp test will trip the RCD and it will show you how many mA it as taken to do so. So you hopefully get a reading as close to 30mA as possible, but normally anything between 22-27 mA would be expected.

That why on my original post I said if you get something like 20 mA you can think about changing it

 

[goldie]

Ah right. My test meter isnt as good as yours then.
The settings i have are: x half x 1 and x5 so i put x half set at 30 ma = 15 ma.

 

[malcolmsanford]

What meter are you using Goldie?

That is the tripping time tests, a ramp test is a different function that measures not the time, but the mA, your meter may not have that function

 

[goldie]

Its an old robin. i know what test u mean but yes mine doesnt have that function only does one half of sine wave too. i had to compramise by running full load and putting 15 ma fault current to sre if there was any sign of leakage to earth.

 

[malcolmsanford]

Right mate got you.