Water pump - RCD tripping

[z00ber1979]

Hi All

Thanks in advance for the help and advice that forums like this provide, I appreciate everyone taking the time to read and respond.

I have a water butt that I want to pump from, and I’d like to put the pump on a timer.

I have two pumps - one is a dirty water pump, and has an RCD on the plug. The other is a specific “water butt pump”, and doesn’t have an RCD. I understand that having an RCD is for the best when mixing water with electricity.

I’d prefer to use the dirty water pump (more power, newer, safer?) but every time the power is switched off, the RCD trips. Using a timer would mean then that it would trip off every time the schedule ends.

Trying to find the best solution.

-Should I replace the dirty water pump on the assumption that it’s faulty?
-Could I replace the outdoor socket with one that has an in-built RCD and change the plug to a normal one plugged into a timer?
-Do we think the water butt pump is ok without an RCD?
-Any other bright ideas?

 

[ericmark]

There are two types of RCD plugs, active and passive, the active type will always open with loss of power.

The problem is the plug RCD needs a voltage over a set limit to work, in a consumer unit we can guarantee it will have enough voltage, but at the end of a long extension lead it may not.

But swapping the plug from active type to passive type is not likely to cause a problem. The risk is low. There may be another reason. With something like a grinding wheel, if one has a power cut, one does not want it to auto start when the power is returned, so the active RCD may be to stop you leaving the pump so it will auto start if power returns.

 

[z00ber1979]

Excellent, very helpful. Know exactly how to proceed now, thanks

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I understand that having an RCD is for the best when mixing water with electricity.

Not best, but an essential - that the circuit is protected by an RCD!

 

[z00ber1979]

Not best, but an essential - that the circuit is protected by an RCD!

Quite. Weird that the pump made specifically for water butts had nothing, but I did buy it second-hand so maybe the instructions specified otherwise.
In any case, I’m going to change the outdoor socket to one with an in-built timer, change the active RCD plug to a normal plug, and install an in-line passive RCD rated for outdoor use.
Thanks folks

 

[jj4091]

Quite. Weird that the pump made specifically for water butts had nothing, but I did buy it second-hand so maybe the instructions specified otherwise.
In any case, I’m going to change the outdoor socket to one with an in-built timer, change the active RCD plug to a normal plug, and install an in-line passive RCD rated for outdoor use.
Thanks folks

Perhaps it should be controlled by a float switch. Leaving the RCD activated