Steinel spot one led problem

[JohnW2]

Thanks John, Im clutching at straws now.

You're not alone.

However, as has been said/implied, "something must be wrong with this story", since what you are describing would appear to be essentially impossible!

Is there an earth connection to the Steinel unit?

If it does have an earth connection and if, as I understand it, you connected the unit to a plug and it 'worked' when plugged into a socket (without tripping anything), did you then connect the earth ... and, silly question though it may be, do I take it that, for that test, it was plugged in to an RCD-protected circuit (and that RCD on that circuit has been tested)??

Kind Regards, John

 

[ptarmigan]

Yes the light does have a earth and it was connected when i tried it on a plug but the sockets are on another rcd to the one that trips, i think you call it a split cu? although i have never tested either of the rcd's
The circuit that trips has lower lights,cooker and the washing mc which uses the cooker socket whilst the other half that did not trip with the light plugged in has sockets, upstairs lights and a immersion heater that is not connected and terminates in a choc block in the wall box which is blanked off.
We have never had nuisance trips with the cu which was installed about 31/2 years ago and i have the eicr for it somewhere.

 

[EFLImpudence]

I think you will need a specialist (earth leakage) meter to find the fault for certain.

Without one, if you are not fed up with it, what about connecting the new lamp in place of a light on the same circuit?

 

[JohnW2]

Yes the light does have a earth and it was connected when i tried it on a plug but the sockets are on another rcd to the one that trips, i think you call it a split cu? although i have never tested either of the rcd's

Hmmmm.

I suppose it would be as well to 'tick the box' by pressing the test button (on the RCD which hasn't tripped) - just to make sure that we are not missing something silly!

Can you tell us the model number of the Steinel unit?

Kind Regards, John

 

[ptarmigan]

Yes it's led spot one sensor,although will have to test the socket circuit rcd tomorrow once swmbo has finished watching something called Hollyoaks!

 

[JohnW2]

Yes it's led spot one sensor,although will have to test the socket circuit rcd tomorrow once swmbo has finished watching something called Hollyoaks!

Fair enough

If you were comfortable to do it, there is one other thing which could be done to confirm our understanding of the situation - namely to put the Steinel back in its original position but without the earth connected. If you did that, you must not touch the unit whilst the power is on since, if there is an 'earth leakage', the casing of the light could be 'live' when there is no earth connection.

If you did that and confirmed that the situation is that:
(a) with the Steinel its intended position, the RCD trips when earth is connected, but not when there is no earth connected, and
(b) with it plugged into a sockets circuit, the (different) RCD does not trip even with earth connected, and
(c) the sockets circuit does trip when you press its test button

... then that would presumably indicate that there is an 'earth leakage' in the unit but of a magnitude that is sufficient to trip one of the RCDs but not the other. In that situation, as EFLI has said, you would need an electrician with appropriate test kit. For a start, as EFLI said, one could measure the actrual leakage current (using the sockets circuit). Also, the 'trip thresholds' of the two RCDs could be measured, to make sure that one had not become 'too trigger happy' and/or the other 'not trigger happy enough'.

One obviously would not expect a brand new light which was 'fit for purpose' to have enough leakage to result in a correctly-operating RCD to trip.

Kind Regards, John

Kind Regards, John

 

[ptarmigan]

John/Elfi,
Thank you both for your time and will post results of the above tomorrow pm.

 

[ptarmigan]

Tested the rcd on the upstairs circuit and that was ok and whilst fitting the spot having checked for no voltage the n+e touched and i heard the rcd trip, problem now is it will not reset b*&**r on a bank holiday weekend.
Have tried turning off the 3 circuits protected by the rcd and will still not reset.

 

[JohnW2]

Tested the rcd on the upstairs circuit and that was ok and whilst fitting the spot having checked for no voltage the n+e touched and i heard the rcd trip, problem now is it will not reset b*&**r on a bank holiday weekend. .... Have tried turning off the 3 circuits protected by the rcd and will still not reset.

Oh dear!

It's starting to sound as if that RCD may well be iffy.

I presume that your 'turning off all the circuits' means switching off the MCBs. They will presumably only be single-pole ones (i.e. do not switch N) so, in theory, a N-E fault on any of the circuits will persist even when the MCB is 'off' - although it seems hard to see how such a fault could have suddenly have arisen. The only way to be absolutely certain about that would be to disconnect the neutrals of those circuits at the CU.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ptarmigan]

I would put a new rcd in but the cu does not have an isolator switch so that only leaves pulling the company fuse, Either way if disconnecting the neutrals or replacing the rcd will still involve pulling the fuse so not sure how to proceed.

 

[JohnW2]

I would put a new rcd in but the cu does not have an isolator switch so that only leaves pulling the company fuse, Either way if disconnecting the neutrals or replacing the rcd will still involve pulling the fuse so not sure how to proceed.

Does the CU have a Main Switch (i.e. covering both RCDs)?

Kind Regards, John

 

[333rocky333]

could it be one of those Rcds you need to push off further before resetting

 

[ptarmigan]

Yes but do not know if it it covers both, it's red and is a bg cusw100, i have put that as not sure links are allowed.

 

[ptarmigan]

Rocky, sorry did not see your post but no it's not.

 

[EFLImpudence]

it's red and is a bg cusw100, i have put that as not sure links are allowed.

That sounds like the Main Switch which will isolate the CU apart from, of course, the supply cables to it.