Can a rcd trip....permanently!?

[Graeme]

Ive used a plug in type rcd for over a year for the garden lights, which recently started tripping. After inspecting every possible means of the cause, it still tripped. Only after I placed it in another plug and tried it with the toaster to find it tripped as well. I presume it is the rcd that is faulty, is this quite normal?

 

[breezer]

try plugging in a normal (if you have one) table light if the light is ok then I would suspect everthing you have plugged in.

Its funny that you should have a problem with a plug in RCD, I had one trip for no reason (saturday just gone), reset it, ok for a couple of hours, then no matter what i did it tripped, got a new one, pluged it in same place same thing on the lead, works.

The only thing i did notice it did seem to me to be too warm for an RCD, I think it is because they inbuild obsolecence to make you get a new one, i bought a different brand this time.

Tell me was yours warm (not hot) to the touch?

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

Also if used for outside lighting could it have got damp ?
I have an 8yr old 'plug-in' that's in an out house of which the door is never shut and it works fine, but the rain never hits it.

 

[Graeme]

The rcd was certainly warm to the touch Breezer, I do remember thinking that at the time. As per usual, once something breaks I love nothing more than to rip it apart and have a right good look inside but it had these 'anti vandal' type screws in it which even my collection never had a look in

It has been indoors by the back door at all times so no chance of it getting exposed to dampness I think. I'll get a new one this weekend which hopefully will sort the prob, I'll go for a different brand myself I think.

Thanks

 

[breezer]

Thanks Graeme, it must be in the design then, at first it never got warm at all, it must have been about just over a year old (typical) but it was plugged in 24 / 7

 

[Graeme]

Got a new one and all works fine again

Thanks for the advice

 

[Geof_t]

I recommend replacing the rcd, i have to replace them all the time at work, after several trips (cant remember exact number) they become unreliable, and give problems with "nuisance tripping". however if you cannot reset the trip at all you may have a short or earth fault, you can quite easily test this.

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

I recommend replacing the rcd, i have to replace them all the time at work, after several trips (cant remember exact number) they become unreliable, and give problems with "nuisance tripping". however if you cannot reset the trip at all you may have a short or earth fault, you can quite easily test this.

Please enlighten me on how to test for this Geof_t, I'd like to know as one of mine is starting to play up. TIA

 

[breezer]

Scoby_beasley, if it is a plug in type throw it away,as Geof-t says they seem to have a short life. Graeme and i both had the same problem (plug in rcd tripping), sorted by changing it


To test for an earth fault you should use a "meger" as this will pass up to 1000 volts across the device on test, where as an "ordainairy" meter will only pass a volt or two, and so can not be sure of detecting an earth fault (unless there is a dead short or close to it)

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

It's in the bin.