Earth Leakage Detector

[TheBinarySheep]

A question. When the extension was built I remember the electrician performing some tests on the new circuit, it was three year ago, but would those tests have confirmed that the extension circuit was error free, and if that's the case I could rule out there being a problem with the extension circuit providing it hasn't generated a fault since?

The issue we're having with the treadmill isn't new, it's happened more or less since we got it a few year ago (purchased used).

 

[Jadele]

Those tests done should have proved the circuit good . Yes.

My advice bin the Treadmill stay fat and happy lol

 

[TheBinarySheep]

Those tests done should have proved the circuit good . Yes.

My advice bin the Treadmill stay fat and happy lol

I'll pass that on to my wife

Thanks everyone for their help.

 

[JohnW2]

... When the extension was built I remember the electrician performing some tests on the new circuit, it was three year ago ... The issue we're having with the treadmill isn't new, it's happened more or less since we got it a few year ago (purchased used).

How do those "3 years" and "few year" relate to one another? - i.e. did you have the treadmill, and were experiencing problems with it, before the extension circuit existed? If so, what circuit was the treadmill then using?

Kind Regards, John

 

[TheBinarySheep]

If I'm honest, I really don't know. We may have got the treadmill after the extension was built, but we could have gotten it before. I can't remember sadly.

As far as I can remember, it's never worked in the garage. My wife says it has, but I don't think it has, we've always had to run an extension out.

 

[endecotp]

Back on page 1 in message #14 I suggested that you try measuring live-earth and neutral-earth resistances at the plug with your multimeter. Have you done that?

 

[TheBinarySheep]

Back on page 1 in message #14 I suggested that you try measuring live-earth and neutral-earth resistances at the plug with your multimeter. Have you done that?

Would you believe I went to, and the battery in my multimeter is dead!! So I need to get a new one.

 

[SUNRAY]

I would have expected to see TYPE 1, 2 or B breakers in a dwelling house unless there are some unusual items in use.
In fact somewhere in the back of my grey matter I've got a feeling this used to be one of the proviso's for a ring final or am I barking up the wrong tree?

yes it's a residential property. The RCD was ordered off ebay as apparently they're old and hard to get hold of now, at least that's what he said.

So you replaced it with a second hand device of possibly unknown provenance?
Presumably he tested the old one to verify the problem and then tested the replacement.

I'm going to add more information which I missed out as I'm certain the issue is caused somewhere on the garage feed.

the workmen couldn't plug some of their equipment into the socket in the garage as it would keep tripping, so we had to leave an extension cable outside for them every day that was plugged into the kitchen. So I'm confident that the problem existed before the extension was built.

2) The treadmill trips the RCD when connected to a socket in the extension (on the same RCD as the garage)
4) Before the extension was built, certain things would trip the RCD when plugged into the garage

and you were quite happy to let your electrician leave a potentially unsafe installation and even extend it?

 

[stillp]

When I was working I used to get a lot of problem customers phoning because of 'high leakage currents' on treadmills - usually local authority-run gyms. They used variable frequency inverters and have capacitive filters to reduce EMI problems. Usual advice was to hard-wire them and to fit a Type B RCD.

 

[EFLImpudence]

The type doesn't make any difference as far as residual current is concerned, does it?

 

[JohnW2]

The type doesn't make any difference as far as residual current is concerned, does it?

If you believe that, what do you think the type (of an RCD) does "make a difference to"?

Kind Regards, John

 

[EFLImpudence]

Have I got the wrong end of the stick?
I thought it was referring to RCBOs - types 1,2,3,B,C,D.

The type is varying multiples of rating (Ia) for instantaneous disconnection.

They are all 30mA.

 

[stillp]

Good explanation here: http://www.doepke.co.uk/download/Techpub-08.pdf

 

[JohnW2]

Have I got the wrong end of the stick? I thought it was referring to RCBOs - types 1,2,3,B,C,D. The type is varying multiples of rating (Ia) for instantaneous disconnection. They are all 30mA.

I think it's probably more a question of the wrong stick than of the wrong end of it ... You are presumably talking about the 'types' of overcurrent curve for an MCB (or the overcurrent part of an RCBO). As for RCDs, or the residual current part of an RCBO, (from the MK Sentry Data Sheets)...

Sentry Type AC RCDs are suitable for situations where there are residual sinusoidal alternating currents, whether applied suddenly or rising slowly. This is the most commonly used type of RCD in the UK.

Sentry Type A RCDs (i.e. pulsating d.c. fault current sensitive) are suitable for situations where there are residual sinusoidal alternating currents, whether suddenly applied or slowly rising. These situations can occur with the use of semiconductor devices in modern electrical and electronic equipment, such as computers, printers, plotters, televisions, video cassette recorders and hi-fi equipment, is growing.

Type B RCDs are suitable for situations where there are residual sinusoidal alternating currents, residual pulsating direct currents and smooth d.c. and a.c. residual current of various frequencies, which would not trip Type AC or A RCDs.

... and when you wrote "I thought it was referring to RCBOs", the "it" (stillp) had specificaly referred to Type B RCDs.

Kind Regards, John

 

[EFLImpudence]

Yes, I know that and that is what Stillp mentioned but that's is not what's being talked about here, is it?

The type 3 in the picture (page 1) relates to the MCB part, surely.