Sensitive RCD - 30m

[dazzlerpalmer]

Is there a plug in RCD that will trip before the main board RCD.
The only ones I have seen are 30m and all the ones I have tried are slower than the main board.

We have a dody Iron that only occasionally trips. Obviously I could change the iron but a more sensitve RCD would work better.

cheers

 

[salem2000]

If you know that the iron is at fault, why try to bypass what your electrical system protection devices are trying to tell you.

For the sake of the price of a new iron, is it really worth messing around. Replace the iron if its faulty, end of story.

Salem.

 

[dazzlerpalmer]

You are correct although immersions are often bypassed the RCD for this reason. Nuisance tripping.
By putting a more sensitive (or faster) rcd on the iron I would not be by-passing the safety aspects. It would just mean that rather than whacking out the whole house it would just hit the iron. Safety not compromised.

This fault only occurs maybe once a month. It also happens with an older iron we have. (I have tried both irons in different sockets).

When we get the new iron I suspect I will have exactly the same issue - occasional trips.

 

[salem2000]

I understand why you want to go this route, but a plug in RCD will not solve the problem only limit its effects.

Please do not confuse my comments, I didn't imply that you wanted to bypass the safety features of your system, only the warnings.

RDC's can be prone to nuisance trippings, however it would be prudent if it occurs too often to assume that a fault has occurred and have it investigated, especially on an older installation. do you know how old the wiring is, and when it was last inspected.

Salem.

 

[dazzlerpalmer]

I think I will sling the irons out and see if a new one solves the problem.

The existing irons blow the rcd on all sockets we have tried them in.

If the new iron blows the rcd then I gues it is a problem with the installation of the ring or consumer unit.

Cheers

 

[slippyr4]

A new iron would be cheaper than a new rcd surely?

 

[mapj1]

Beware- the system could be close to tripping anyway, you need to check the RCD headroom if you can.
This is done with a box of mains rated resistors which are switched in L-E to gradually increase the earth leakage until the trip just pops. If the headroom is not at least 10ma, then it may well be that the iron is not itself faulty, but is simply tipping a marginal system over the top.

PS, and I only mention this but advise not to try it unless you fully understand the implications. If you are sure your socket polarity is correct, and not otherwise you can measure the earth leakage of any one applience, by interrupting its earth core, and returning it to NEUTRAL via a meter with an AC mA range, and then switching on and watching the meter. This is not an intrinsically safe test, as now any earth leakage will not trip the RCD, and therefore it is only a confidence check to be applied with great care, and not recommended unless you are confident with live working methods.