Electric shower keeps tripping RCD (duplicate threads merged)

terryplumb · 29 Sep 2018

chrismullin1 said:
It is definitely the rcd. It tripped in the middle of the night last night so might not be the electric shower after all. I don't have anything on timer. The rcd won't go back up now.

Turn off the MCB that is dedicated to the shower. Then reset the RCD . if the RCD will reset ,and does not trip again ,whilst the shower MCB is left off then the shower /circuit needs checking out ,and the isolation switch needs replacing first.

dilalio · 29 Sep 2018

chrismullin1 said:
Thanks I'll try this. So even if shower is not in use it can still cause rcd to trip?

It can yes.
Now that you mentioned there is a pull cord switch, it could be this, or if you are talking about the RCD on a distribution board and not a dedicated unit for the shower it.could also be the mcb for the shower.

Process of elimination... And without a multimeter, you'll have to disconnect each in the stream to find the culprit. If it's on a multi way distribution board, how do you know its not another load on the installation that is causing the trip... That's why I think you have a dedicated RCD unit for the shower feed, as you haven't mentioned other devices.
So, assuming it's this setup, then disconnect the shower as I first suggested and then attempt same test by disconnecting the pull cord switch.

Be sure to make safe all open ends.

chrismullin1 · 29 Sep 2018

terryplumb said:
Turn off the MCB that is dedicated to the shower. Then reset the RCD . if the RCD will reset ,and does not trip again ,whilst the shower MCB is left off then the shower /circuit needs checking out ,and the isolation switch needs replacing first.

Thank you, I have done this now. The RCD has now reset.

chrismullin1 · 29 Sep 2018

dilalio said:
It can yes.
Now that you mentioned there is a pull cord switch, it could be this, or if you are talking about the RCD on a distribution board and not a dedicated unit for the shower it.could also be the mcb for the shower.

Process of elimination... And without a multimeter, you'll have to disconnect each in the stream to find the culprit. If it's on a multi way distribution board, how do you know its not another load on the installation that is causing the trip... That's why I think you have a dedicated RCD unit for the shower feed, as you haven't mentioned other devices.
So, assuming it's this setup, then disconnect the shower as I first suggested and then attempt same test by disconnecting the pull cord switch.

Be sure to make safe all open ends.

Thank you for your help. The rcd is on a distribution board, there isnt a seperate one solely for the shower.

I have bought another shower now, and the inlet pipe is on the opposite side and so going to need a plumber to do some pipework. I should have bought another triton as the inlet pipe would have been on the same side. Never mind.

dilalio · 30 Sep 2018

chrismullin1 said:
Thank you for your help. The rcd is on a distribution board, there isnt a seperate one solely for the shower.

I have bought another shower now, and the inlet pipe is on the opposite side and so going to need a plumber to do some pipework. I should have bought another triton as the inlet pipe would have been on the same side. Never mind.

If it's on a dist board then I would be checking for other causes before replacing the shower. Pull cord switch would be next suspect. Then other loads. You might want to get an electrician in to test.

PrenticeBoyofDerry · 30 Sep 2018

As it is a random trip, it would be hard to diagnose. I would say if shower trips after 3 minutes, to look at the pump. But if the shower RCD is shared with other circuits, the fault could be elsewhere.

JohnD · 30 Sep 2018

It might be water related.

Perhaps there is a leak somewhere round the shower and it drips onto an electrical part.

If you turn off the isolator for the shower, and it trips afterwards, it's not the electric shower.

chrismullin1 · 30 Sep 2018

It appears that it could be the pull switch as if has a slight brown mark on it. Possible burn mark?

flameport · 30 Sep 2018

This is duplicated in the plumbing forum with information missing from both:
https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/electric-shower-tripping-rcd.509670/

ban-all-sheds · 30 Sep 2018

chrismullin1 said:
I should have bought another triton as the inlet pipe would have been on the same side.

Not necessarily - I once replaced an electric shower with the same make (can't remember what it was) and same-as-possible model, and the inlet was in a completely different place.

They do it on purpose, to annoy.

It works.

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Electric shower keeps tripping RCD (duplicate threads merged)

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