New RCD Tripping out

[TJ1]

My sister has just had a new fuse box fitted by a reputable company and now her 14 year old freezer trips out the RCD 4 to 5 times in 24 hours. Is this because the freezer is old and the fuse box new and sensitive?
Or, would it help to get a new freezer?
Any ideas please?

 

[sparkwright]

How do you know it is the freezer causing the RCD to trip?

It's very common for a fault to go unnoticed, only until an RCD is fitted, usually when a new consumer unit is fitted.

Presumably you've had the freezer unplugged for some time to decide it's the freezer at fault.

 

[phatboy]

Maybe there is a dedicated freezer circuit?

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

RCDs will trip when the earth leakage exceeds the trip rating of the device.
In a domestic installation this is generally 30mA.
On a freezer it tends to be a compressor/motor issue that cause an excessive earth leakage current.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Maybe there is a dedicated freezer circuit?

That is what I tend to do if practicable, either RCD protected or omitted if acceptable.

 

[TJ1]

Maybe there is a dedicated freezer circuit?

The freezer has been put on it's own circuit. She only moved into this house a week ago so the freezer was on the really old (30 years plus)consumer unit for a short while but ran o.k.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

As previously mentioned, if freezer is on dedicated circuit and installation is brand new, with documented evidence via test results that confirm the RCD is functioning correctly.
I would assume the freezer is responsible for high earth leakage, the problem is when installing a new CU with residual current devices, that it will detect earth leakage, many older appliance will produce high values of this.

If the freezer can be plugged into an extension lead to an socket outlet on a second RCD protected circuit (not the same as the one tripping) this could produce evidence that it is the freezer causing the issue, if the second RCD trips, if not further investigation would be required to both the circuit and the RCD currently tripping.

By dedicated circuit do you mean the freezer only is on this circuit and that RCD/RCBO is only protecting this circuit?

 

[TJ1]

As previously mentioned, if freezer is on dedicated circuit and installation is brand new, with documented evidence via test results that confirm the RCD is functioning correctly.
I would assume the freezer is responsible for high earth leakage, the problem is when installing a new CU with residual current devices, that it will detect earth leakage, many older appliance will produce high values of this.

If the freezer can be plugged into an extension lead to an socket outlet on a second RCD protected circuit (not the same as the one tripping) this could produce evidence that it is the freezer causing the issue, if the second RCD trips, if not further investigation would be required to both the circuit and the RCD currently tripping.

By dedicated circuit do you mean the freezer only is on this circuit and that RCD/RCBO is only protecting this circuit?

Yes only the freezer is on it. What you say makes sense, thanks for your help. Will try the extension lead idea.