RCD Help

[jonathanlee]

Hi was after some info.

I have a log cabin that has a 32 amp ring main installed on a RCD with two outdoor floodlights, (Other lighting circuits are on RCBO). As a regular check on pushing test button on RCD this works fine but i also have a fluke circuit tester which i test sockets regulary. The other day they Socket tester which is also a rcd tester is failing to trip the RCD when i test?
As a matter of course i changed the ring main over to a RCBO and tested again and the RCBO triped when tested is this a definate fault with the RCD or is there a possible fault devolped with the outside lights?
As i had a electrican look at this and he said all the MCB's,RCBO will need changing to make sure they all work surely by doing what i done will in dicate the RCD as the Culprit.
ANy advice on this would be helpful as not sure if i am being done over here considering that he is trying to charge me £800 to complete.

 

[swampy2]

Was your ring main the only circuit on rcd?, better if your outside lights weren`t on socket circuit.

Rcbo`s for me are the best options, but tell the customer the cost of consumer full of them, versus the price of dual board they see on various websites.

Forget the electrician.

Rcd should be tested to see if is operating within spec with no loads connected to it.

Rcd`s do fail.

 

[jonathanlee]

yes there are only 2 circuits on that rcd both with the own MCB one 6AMP and 1 32AMP. If that makes a differnce or not they are out side flood lights

 

[slippyr4]

Is the earth in the socket ok?

 

[jonathanlee]

yes all earth connections coming up green and ok

 

[slippyr4]

Personablly, I wouldn't be trusting a socket tester to very the earth.

 

[aesmith]

I'm not clear on the relation between the circuits you describe. Is this a separate consumer unit in (or for) the log cabin, or are these separate circuits from a consumer unit elsewhere? Once you changed the ring main over to an RCBO, is there anything now reliant on the suspect RCD?

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Is the RCD 30mA and have you got the MFT on the right setting?

 

[jonathanlee]

sorry that i am not being clear this is a CU all by its self in the log cabin has been there for a about 18 months so farely new, it is a split load board with the following

Rcd side=2 MCB's one 6 amp feeding oustide flood lights, and one 32amp MCB feeding ring main.

Non RCD side = has one RCBO 6 amp feeding all lights in cabin.

It was all installedwith a certificate etc and all was ok just what im picking up as a check.

I removed the connection from the 6amp RCBO and connected the ring main to it just as a check with no laod obviously the tester tripped the RCBO.
But it will not trip when the ring Main is connected to the Main RCD so i have had to turn off sockets for the time being its just through process of elinenmation i thought i narrowed it down to the RCD as the tester tripped the RCBO and wont trip the RCD. Yet the wiring in the circuits has not changed Between the two.

 

[jonathanlee]

and to reply to PrenticeBoyofDerry yes it is a 30 ma 60 amp RCD