rcd adaptor

[thanks in advance]

just a quick question about an rcd adaptor a portable device which is plugged into a 13 amp socket.
i recently had a cordless drill battery charger melt and start to go on fire,would this rcd cut power to the charger.
or on christmas tree lights.

thanks in advance.

 

[jj4091]

It depends on what the problem was, did you have the correct size fuse in the plug?

 

[thanks in advance]

3 amp plug top fuse.

 

[jj4091]

The rcd would only cut the power if there had been an inbalance in the load ie. if a component was shorting to neutral or to earth, but the fuse should have had the same effect, so I cannot say if the rcd would have tripped or not to be perfectly honest. Perhaps someone who is a bit brighter than me will come along later & give you a definitive answer.

 

[jj4091]

Just had another thought. Were you using the charger connected to the mains or a generator?

 

[Lectrician]

A charger is double insulated (no earth), so would only trip if some current managed to flow from the neutral or live to earth via some other means - Like the charger being sat on a metal table

The 3 amp fuse should have blow on overcurrent when the transformer began to go faulty. However, it may have been a component on the PCB failing, such as a capacitor, and these can just smoke and burn until they burn them selfs out.

Generally on a double insulated appliance, the current going into it equals the current going out both in normal service and during a fault. Therefore, an RCD can't trip

 

[jj4091]

Beat me to it I just thought about it again. I would still be interested to know if you were using a genni though.

 

[thanks in advance]

on mains voltage.
do rcd not work if no earth as charger has a plastic pin for earth pin.
i think the battery decided to over charge and melt it into the charger.
original de walt product,i think it was just getting old,had it for 5 years.
thanks.

 

[jj4091]

An rcd works with an inbalance between any of the conductors, lectrician was just refering to the fact that your charger would not have an earth because it is double insulated.The plastic earth pin is just to open the socket guard as you push the plug into the socket, not an electrical connection.It would not work in your case because it is supplying the primary winding of the transformer & the components in the charger are connected to the secondary winding which is electrically insulated from the primary & would therefore not cause an inbalance.

 

[Spark123]

Beat me to it I just thought about it again. I would still be interested to know if you were using a genni though.

Generators and RCDs? Little bit here: //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=55207

 

[securespark]

& would therefore not cause an inbalance.

Unless you were somehow connected to the lives of the charger & grounding it through your soft tissues....

 

[jj4091]

Beat me to it I just thought about it again. I would still be interested to know if you were using a genni though.

Generators and RCDs? Little bit here: //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=55207[/QUOTE]Thanks for that spark123, the reason I asked is that on three separate occasions, I have been asked to repair chargers used by tradesmen & on each occasion they were using them with a genni & on each occasion there was a large capacitor inside that had blown. I don't know enough about electronics nor generators to say that is the problem ,but it seemed rather a coincidence.

 

[jj4091]

& would therefore not cause an inbalance.

Unless you were somehow connected to the lives of the charger & grounding it through your soft tissues....

Do you just like to state the obvious, or is it personal?

 

[sm1thson]

as for christmas tree lights, i have a personal dislike for them and i would only ever use mains lights on an rcd as its quite easy to get a shock from the lights either by watering the tree (and missing, touching a broken bulb, or touching a wire thats pulled out -and these are generally accesable by children. there are some instances the rcd would help prevent a fire, but others where it wont, it helps prevent a shock though. I only use low voltage tree lights in my house.