RCD trip

[camerart]

Hi,
I have an RCD that tripped, that covers the kitchen.
I read other similar posts, and eliminated the boiler, outside socket, shower, as they are on a different RCD.
The toaster has a touchy heat switch, could this have cause it. (I don't think it was used at the time, but not sure) Is there a test for it?
Any ideas please?
C

 

[pete01]

Has it reset or does it keep going off?

Unplug everything reset it then plug everything back in until you find what appliance is causing it.....well that the first thing to try anyway

 

[EFLImpudence]

A toaster is a possible suspect - full of burnt crumbs.

No tests without special electrical equipment and even with it random trips are very difficult to find.

 

[camerart]

Has it reset or does it keep going off?

Unplug everything reset it then plug everything back in until you find what appliance is causing it.....well that the first thing to try anyway

Hi P,
At first it wouldn't switch back on, then did switch on. I've used the toaster since, no problem.
C

 

[camerart]

A toaster is a possible suspect - full of burnt crumbs.

No tests without special electrical equipment and even with it random trips are very difficult to find.

Hi E,
Ok, thanks, I'll empty the crumbs
I have different types of radio, and may be able to hear noisy switches, I suppose this may do it.
This has reminded me about the light switches, when the re-wiring electrician used lower quality switches, which sometimes feel lazy when switched, I suppose this may do it also, and would fit the bill.

My concern is leaving the house and the Fridge and freezer going of for too long. There are nearby sockets that didn't trip, so I could put them on an extension, for these times.
C

 

[Murdochcat]

If your RCD trips once in a blue moon accept it

If your RCD starts tripping irregularly the best thing to do is record what was being used when it trips

One thing that people don’t realise is that cumulative leakage can be a factor when you have an RCD protecting many circuits

 

[camerart]

If your RCD trips once in a blue moon accept it

If your RCD starts tripping irregularly the best thing to do is record what was being used when it trips

One thing that people don’t realise is that cumulative leakage can be a factor when you have an RCD protecting many circuits

Hi M,
I didn't before today!
I have a socket tester, but this 'see' cumulative leaking?
C

 

[Murdochcat]

Hi M,
I didn't before today!
I have a socket tester, but this 'see' cumulative leaking?
C

No

 

[pete01]

In the past few weeks rcds have given me nightmares, I hate them

 

[ericmark]

No tests without special electrical equipment and even with it random trips are very difficult to find.

In the past few weeks rcds have given me nightmares, I hate them

There was a RCD with a built-in warning light to say when near the tripping limit, think it was called the X-pole, but google seems to find non-electrical items when I feed that in to the search engine.

Today there is a move from a RCD feeding many MCB's to the use of RCBO's which combines the function of RCD and MCB, if anything it makes fault-finding harder, but does limit what one loses with a trip.

So three tools, the clamp-on shows what is leaking, there is always some leakage, due to using AC, which means some capacitive and inductive linking, but it will only help if it has not tripped, the insulation tester will test when no power, but it uses DC, so it can give false sense of security, and of course the RCD can be faulty so the last one tests the RCD, and shows at what point it trips, your looking at £200 worth of test gear, and also some skill is needed to use it, I have all shown, and I did have the RCBO which covers front kitchen sockets trip, I did the normal unplug all I could, of course it was the last items, which included the dish-washer, I assumed that was the faulty item, so tested it, not fault found, so tested RCBO no fault found, and tested total leakage as you can see just 8 mA, plugged it back in, and it has now been running at least 2 months with no further trips, so even with the equipment and skill, I have no idea why the RCBO tripped.

I have 14 x RCBO's and 2 RCD sockets (latter for UPS supply to freezers) so the trip was inconvenent, but it did not really cause much of a problem. And the previous trip was traced to balcony leaking and a socket had swollen due to arcing inside it, so trip likely stopped a fire, but again with all RCBO protection was easy to turn off that circuit until leak stopped and socket changed. So all in all I like the RCD protection.

 

[camerart]

There was a RCD with a built-in warning light to say when near the tripping limit, think it was called the X-pole, but google seems to find non-electrical items when I feed that in to the search engine.

Today there is a move from a RCD feeding many MCB's to the use of RCBO's which combines the function of RCD and MCB, if anything it makes fault-finding harder, but does limit what one loses with a trip.

So three tools, the clamp-on View attachment 401453 shows what is leaking, there is always some leakage, due to using AC, which means some capacitive and inductive linking, but it will only help if it has not tripped, the insulation tester View attachment 401451 will test when no power, but it uses DC, so it can give false sense of security, and of course the RCD can be faulty so the last one View attachment 401452 tests the RCD, and shows at what point it trips, your looking at £200 worth of test gear, and also some skill is needed to use it, I have all shown, and I did have the RCBO which covers front kitchen sockets trip, I did the normal unplug all I could, of course it was the last items, which included the dish-washer, I assumed that was the faulty item, so tested it, not fault found, so tested RCBO no fault found, and tested total leakage as you can see just 8 mA, plugged it back in, and it has now been running at least 2 months with no further trips, so even with the equipment and skill, I have no idea why the RCBO tripped.
Hi E,
Interesting, but as I'm not an electrician, and this has only happened once, I'll forget it till next time.
Thanks, C

I have 14 x RCBO's and 2 RCD sockets (latter for UPS supply to freezers) so the trip was inconvenent, but it did not really cause much of a problem. And the previous trip was traced to balcony leaking and a socket had swollen due to arcing inside it, so trip likely stopped a fire, but again with all RCBO protection was easy to turn off that circuit until leak stopped and socket changed. So all in all I like the RCD protection.

 

[camerart]

Hi,
As a matter of interest, say an RDC bank trips, leaving an untripped RCD bank, is it possible to make a extension lead with two plugs, each from its own RCB conteolled socket, with one socket, so a freezer could be plugged in, and one RCD bank could drop out but the freezer would still be one?
C

 

[JohnD]

Hi,
As a matter of interest, say an RDC bank trips, leaving an untripped RCD bank, is it possible to make a extension lead with two plugs, each from its own RCB conteolled socket, with one socket, so a freezer could be plugged in, and one RCD bank could drop out but the freezer would still be one?
C

Yes, but it would be extremely dangerous, and would not work if both plugs were inserted at the same time.

 

[EFLImpudence]

They are called 'widow-makers' - sexist, I know, but there you go.

 

[camerart]

Yes, but it would be extremely dangerous, and would not work if both plugs were inserted at the same time.

Hi J and E,
Good job I asked, thanks.
C