Storage Heater Puzzle?

[johnpt]

Hello. I have got a real mystery with a storage heater. In apt there is 2 storage heaters one hall one living room. Hall works fine problem is living room storage heater keeps triping the fuse. There brand new storage heaters. I changed fuse too no avail. It seems to trip when contactor initial energises. I have energised the contactor myself to test storage heater and sometimes it trips straight away and sometimes it works fine and storage heat works fine.
Would it be possible to change the fuse to a C type Mcb. I was thinking maybe the initial starting surge is causing fuse to trip?
Any advice would really be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

 

[alland1979]

are they on the same circuit? if not it could be a dodgy element, had this once before and took us ages to figure it out as it was intermittent. best of luck

 

[Paul P]

Have you tryed Meggering it? Also what size heater & MCB?

 

[Mac]

Hello. I have got a real mystery with a storage heater. In apt there is 2 storage heaters one hall one living room. Hall works fine problem is living room storage heater keeps triping the fuse. There brand new storage heaters. I changed fuse too no avail. It seems to trip when contactor initial energises. I have energised the contactor myself to test storage heater and sometimes it trips straight away and sometimes it works fine and storage heat works fine.
Would it be possible to change the fuse to a C type Mcb. I was thinking maybe the initial starting surge is causing fuse to trip?
Any advice would really be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Why would you want to change it to a C type breaker.Why doesn't the other one trip then.Are they on separate circuits or off the ringIf this one keeps tripping,you have a fault.Changing to a C type breaker won't sort the issue.Have you checked for a trapped/nipped cable inside the spur.Is the problem recent or ongoingStill

 

[johnpt]

Sorry for late replies. Thanks for replies.
No there on different circuits. The puzzle is when i energise the contactor myself the fuse 20 amp will trip first time. However when i do it second time the MCB dosent trip and it starts to heat up.

Would it be possible that it is drawn such a large current on initial start uo that it trips the MCB?
I cant understand why it dosent trip MCB every time.
How would i check if its a faulty element and would this not cause it to trip MCB everytime.

Both heaters are on seperate circuits.
I was thinking of changing to C type MCB as i thought maybe heater was drawn a large amount of current on initial turn on that it may cause MCB to trip.
If there was a fault with the wiring to the spur surely the MCB would trip every time?
Thanks for advice appreciate it

 

[Paul P]

Storage heaters dont have a high start current and a 20a type b should be ample. Do you have a megger and or clamp meter?

 

[Mac]

Sorry for late replies. Thanks for replies.
No there on different circuits. The puzzle is when i energise the contactor myself the fuse 20 amp will trip first time. However when i do it second time the MCB dosent trip and it starts to heat up.

Would it be possible that it is drawn such a large current on initial start uo that it trips the MCB?
I cant understand why it dosent trip MCB every time.
How would i check if its a faulty element and would this not cause it to trip MCB everytime.

Both heaters are on seperate circuits.
I was thinking of changing to C type MCB as i thought maybe heater was drawn a large amount of current on initial turn on that it may cause MCB to trip.
If there was a fault with the wiring to the spur surely the MCB would trip every time?
Thanks for advice appreciate it

Why doesn't the other storage heater trip if it's on the same type breakerHave you checked the connections at the CU.You didn't say if this problem started recently or ongoing

 

[johnpt]

There both on different MCBs
There new heaters in new Apt and not sure if the one in living room which is triping ever worked.
No dont have megger but i had clamp on meter and think its pulling 12 amps.
is my best bet to megger it? How much is a megger and is it hard to do.
How come it it only trip sometimes?

 

[Mac]

Have you tried the storage heater from the hall and try it in the living room.Try to eliminate every possible fault.Maybe a pain in the a**e.Just asking

 

[johnpt]

Ya good idea i suppose but it be alot of work as i screwed to the wall. Its defo not fault MCB as i changed it either. It really has me puzzled. As previous poster said it could be faulty element. Would this cause an intermitent problem and how could i check this?
The heater will work as energised contactor and also plugged it into a socket ant worked fine. It justs seems to trip switch at 11pm night when it initially starts when contactor becomes energised

Thanks for advice

 

[Mac]

Ya good idea i suppose but it be alot of work as i screwed to the wall. Its defo not fault MCB as i changed it either. It really has me puzzled. As previous poster said it could be faulty element. Would this cause an intermitent problem and how could i check this?
The heater will work as energised contactor and also plugged it into a socket ant worked fine. It justs seems to trip switch at 11pm night when it initially starts when contactor becomes energised

Thanks for advice

If it's plugged into a socket can't you run an extension lead from the storage heater that trips to the one that doesn't and leave it over night.

 

[johnpt]

Also not sure if this relevant but the heater is a combi heater but the original electrician never brought a 24 hour supply to them so they only work as storage heater. Also cant remember make but there is no knobs to control input or output it seems to be digital system but dosent work as no 24 hour supply.
However the heater in hall is same it only one supply to it and works fine.
Not sure if this is relevant

Thanks for all your replies.

If I left double pole switch of heater off and waited till 10pm until contactor was energised and it didnt trip the switch could i assume that the wiring from board to heater is ok and it has to be a faulty heater?

Thanks in advance

 

[Mac]

Also not sure if this relevant but the heater is a combi heater but the original electrician never brought a 24 hour supply to them so they only work as storage heater. Also cant remember make but there is no knobs to control input or output it seems to be digital system but dosent work as no 24 hour supply.
However the heater in hall is same it only one supply to it and works fine.
Not sure if this is relevant

Thanks for all your replies.

If I left double pole switch of heater off and waited till 10pm until contactor was energised and it didnt trip the switch could i assume that the wiring from board to heater is ok and it has to be a faulty heater?

Thanks in advance

It could be a faulty contactor,are the heaters still under guarantee

 

[johnpt]

Not sure if under guarantee.
If it was faulty contactor wud that cause MCB to trip?
It has me baffled.
Surely if cable to wire was faulty it wud trip MCB everytime?
So sounds like faulty element to me. But how can i test this as i works sometimes it just when turned on initially it dosent? What do u think.

Thanks for your time

 

[Mac]

Not sure if under guarantee.
If it was faulty contactor wud that cause MCB to trip?
It has me baffled.
Surely if cable to wire was faulty it wud trip MCB everytime?
So sounds like faulty element to me. But how can i test this as i works sometimes it just when turned on initially it dosent? What do u think.

Thanks for your time

If the contactor is sticking on start up it could cause the MCB to trip.Trying to work to hard to energiseCan't you just take the storage heater from the dining room and try that.If that doesn't trip then you'll know.Don't they just sit on brackets like radiators.How long has the problem been going on