First Stupid Question

[Gavmundo]

I'm also not an Electrician so excuse the lack of knowledge here if this comes across as a particularly stupid question but wanted to find an answer online before ringing an electrician and asking stupid questions

We've lived in our house for almost a year now and the meter was installed by the previous owner who did the house up in order to sell it. We have a Wylex meter and as far as i know it hasn't been checked since it was installed. We've never had a problem until yesterday. The washing machine seems to be tripping it on the drying cycle. This sounds a bit strange to me as there is no problem until it goes onto the drying cycle and we've had the washing machine since we move din with no problems. I thought maybe the power supply was just being overloaded but turned everything off except for the washing machine and tested it and it only seems to trip when the washing machine is running it's drying cycle. We've dried stuff before obviously it just started happening last night....

Does anyone have any idea what this might be? I don't want to ring up an electrician and ask if they can look at our meter because the washing machine's drying cycle trips it as .. well it sounds a little strange to me.

We tested it again this morning and as soon as the drying cycle started it tripped.

 

[MING]

Yup Gayfing. . . .er yer meter is called a consumer board [fuse board in old days ,titter] . . . .reet the trip or rcd is only doing wot its spose ta do [thats wot its there for] so you've got a fault that needs fixing in your appliance, get it fixed asap. . . . . . .

 

[Gavmundo]

So it's the washing machine that has the fault rather than the meter yea?

 

[Grae79]

guessing by 'meter' you're referring to Consumer Unit/Fusebox, yeah? What's actually tripping an MCB or RCD??

 

[Gavmundo]

Yea sorry I mean't the fusebox. It's the RCD that trips....

 

[TonyM58]

Presume you've got a combined washer drier? I have seen this before, basically one of the drier elements has probably got broken down isulation. As soon as it goes to the drying cycle, the RCD sees the fault and does what it supposed to!

Be aware, that there is a fraction of time between the fault occuring and the RCD tripping where the frame of your washing machine is actually live. So keeping on trying it can be, well, dangerous!

Incidentally, I have also seen a similar fault on 'condensor' tumble driers (the ones where it has a container at the bottom to collect the water) wwhere they have been moved with the water in the container, and the water has just sploshed over the electrics. They can sometimes be recovered without lots of kitchen roll and a good drying with a hair dryer - BUT you must know what you are doing - washers and driers contain capacitors which BLOODY HURT!

I would suggest a trip to Comet or Currys with your little plastic friend!

 

[Grae79]

must be an earth fault somewhere if the RCD's tripping....strange how it only trips when it switches to the drying cycle tho....will be drawing considerably more current when it switches to drying...but that shouldn't affect the RCD.

as has been said already, points to a problem with the appliance. is it plugged into a socket?? if so, could try plugging it into a socket elsewhere see if you get the same result..

 

[Gavmundo]

Thanks for all the help it's much appreciated. It is plugged but I have tried it in another socket with the same results. I have no itention at looking at the washer (which is a washer/dryer) myself as I value my life If it were upto me we just wouldn't use the dryer anymore ... man thing ... the boss wouldn't allow that though. Sounds like it's going to be expensive. Damn if only I was single

Again thanks for all the help.

 

[Girlyspark]

Hey Gav - don't let 'the boss' see your entries here, or your last wish could be granted!

 

[Gavmundo]

She won't don't worry