Problem with rcd protection - fridge

[LukeScotty]

Hello, I've got a problem. My house is semi detacted and has a garage which is down the garden. Currently theres a socket inside the garage which is not RCD protected coming from the house. My thought is that it is dangerous and want to change it. but the problem is that we have a fridge-freezer connected to it and don't want to put it on RCD protection incase it trips and all the food will go bad. How can I overcome this problem?


regards Admin

 

[cavester]

hi,

i have just read about rcd's and unwanted tripping, it may be possible to purchase a socket outlet to replace your current one in the garage, replace it with a rcd socket 's' type. the 's' type has a time delay built in for surges and ignores the fault for a short period so it does't trip out immediately.

hope that has helped

daz

 

[LukeScotty]

Thanks for the info matey!!!

 

[EasyFox]

hi,

i have just read about rcd's and unwanted tripping, it may be possible to purchase a socket outlet to replace your current one in the garage, replace it with a rcd socket 's' type. the 's' type has a time delay built in for surges and ignores the fault for a short period so it does't trip out immediately.

hope that has helped

daz

I've never come across an S type t/d srcd, if there is one you may find you wouldnt meet .4s dissconection time for a socket

What I think you may be on about are latching & non-latching srcd's

Latching = the rcd will stay closed once it has been set, it will only trip when a earth fault is detected . In the event of a power cut the rcd will stay latched in the closed position, hence the reason they are used in the commercial enviroment on such things as controlling refrigeration units.

Non-latching = The rcd will also trip in the event of a fault or when the power supply is lost, but will need to be reset when power is re-energised. so they are useful in applications where the sudden restoration of power would pose a safety issue with machinery/power tools are plugged in.

One way round the problem of the freezer & rcd would be to change the socket for a switch fused connection unit (SFCU) remove plug & hardwire freezer into SFCU, freezer now becomes fixed appliance & there will be no requirment for rcd protection to a socket .

 

[Cirrus]

It is an S type you need. Basically it operates on a delay so the main board does not trip.

 

[electricman]

if the fridge trips the rcd , buy a new fridge .

 

[walshy911]

The problem is simply solved by firstly making the 'GARAGE' an independant radial circuit!!! Then put the circuit on 30Ma 'RCCBO' Instead of an 'RCD' This will eliminate the problem of nuisance tripping. The only way your fridge freezer would trip than is if it had a major fault, which would cause the breaker to trip anyway!!!!!!!!!! I know 'RCCBO' Are more expensive but their a lot better than a 'RCD'. The Future of Consumer Units is every circuit on a 'RCCBO' Even lighting Circuits

 

[TonyM58]

i may have missed the point here, how will a 30ma RCBO eliminate the problem of nuisance tripping? Its just a 30ma rcd with an integral overcurrent/overload protection element. it still has to meet 200ms at IdeltaN, and 40ms at 5IdeltaN.

I'm not being 'arsy' but do you know something i dont?

 

[LukeScotty]

cheers guys, i'm learning alot off you lot

 

[MING]

Buy er new fridge. . . .this is the problem we all encounter fit a new board to a hoose comply wiff all the regs bla bla bla. . . . .but the owners have old electrical bits they have had for years and never had any problems [tight gits have never ad em tested] then its ,oh the rcd keeps tripping every time our dorris puts on the 1950's washing machine, well sorry but yer get ma drift, the rcd detected a fault ,its doin wot its pose ta do . . . .goin down the pub. . . . .

 

[Minky]

think it would be good practice to install an RCD on the circuit supplying the fridge,therefore providing protection to the wiring and accessories not just the load connected to it.As for nuisance tripping i really dont consider this an issue.In the reality of things all equipment outside the equipotential zone should be protected by the RCD,and more often than not you will in the shed taking or place food into the freezer and would be able to monitor the effectiveness of the RCD,i.e. whether or not it is still in circuit or not.Overall if the power were to fail due to operation of the RCD for whatever reason then surely it is best to isolate the supply to circuit in use at the source of the supply.Making it harder to re-energize,giving more time to isolate and repair then re-energize.

 

[gazzam]

it 300ms for an rcbo not 200 btw
regards gazzam

 

[ian.settle1]

Hello, I've got a problem. My house is semi detacted and has a garage which is down the garden. Currently theres a socket inside the garage which is not RCD protected coming from the house. My thought is that it is dangerous and want to change it. but the problem is that we have a fridge-freezer connected to it and don't want to put it on RCD protection incase it trips and all the food will go bad. How can I overcome this problem?


regards Admin

Why not change the socket for a Fused Spur then not protected by RCD but can't be used for anything else.

 

[adamh]

Buy er new fridge. . . .this is the problem we all encounter fit a new board to a hoose comply wiff all the regs bla bla bla. . . . .but the owners have old electrical bits they have had for years and never had any problems [tight gits have never ad em tested] then its ,oh the rcd keeps tripping every time our dorris puts on the 1950's washing machine, well sorry but yer get ma drift, the rcd detected a fault ,its doin wot its pose ta do . . . .goin down the pub. . . . .

well said!

 

[LukeScotty]

Why not change the socket for a Fused Spur then not protected by RCD but can't be used for anything else.

what about when the new regs come out, will this still be acceptable to do?
thought everything will have to be put on RCD??

 

[TonyM58]

Luke, not everything will HAVE to be on RCD

Cables installed less than 5 cm from the surface must be protected by earthed metallic covering OR be protected by 30mA RCD - iff installed in the safe zones (vertical/horizontal from sockets etc etc) Outside the zones they have to have earthed metalic covering.

So it IS possible to have non-RCD circuits, just unlikely!!!!