- Reaction score
- 5,607
Hello everyone..
I have a job tomorrow tracking down a tripping RCD fault.
This would have panicked me a year ago, now I'm looking forward to it and cant wait to get there!
However, from the phone conversation I have discovered the following:
1. No recent DIY work or professional work has been carried out recently.
2. One of the RCD's (dual board) trips every 5-40 minutes, this RCD feeds the kitchen ring, all lights and one other circuit (forgotten which)
3. It does not trip at any regular time of the day (so possibly fridge or other irregulary timed power source)
4. It started approx 3 days ago, nothing 'different' happened at that time. No new fridge, cooker etc.
5. Sometimes trips when different appliances are switched on, sometimes just spontaneously.
Basically the prelimanary detective work has given me little insight into the problem so I will be relying on IR testing and earth leakage clamp meter. I expect/hope that the global IR test will show a poor reading so then it will be a simple job of narrowing the fault down. However..
I do like to try and have a plan for any eventuality, so this is my question:
1. If the IR tests show no fault then where do you go from there?
I know I'm being a bit ----, but I like to play it a bit like a game of chess and think many moves ahead!
My thoughts are (given good IR results):
- homeowner could leave one of the affected circuits switched off and see if RCD stops tripping.
- Check all items that get plugged in for earth leakage.
- Visual inspection of O/S lights for poor IR.
- continuity tests between neutrals of differing RCD's (highly unlikely given fault has only just started occuring)
- RCD tests, including ramp.
- Check for loose connection upstream of RCD.
Have I missed anything that you guys would automatically do/think?
I have a job tomorrow tracking down a tripping RCD fault.
This would have panicked me a year ago, now I'm looking forward to it and cant wait to get there!
However, from the phone conversation I have discovered the following:
1. No recent DIY work or professional work has been carried out recently.
2. One of the RCD's (dual board) trips every 5-40 minutes, this RCD feeds the kitchen ring, all lights and one other circuit (forgotten which)
3. It does not trip at any regular time of the day (so possibly fridge or other irregulary timed power source)
4. It started approx 3 days ago, nothing 'different' happened at that time. No new fridge, cooker etc.
5. Sometimes trips when different appliances are switched on, sometimes just spontaneously.
Basically the prelimanary detective work has given me little insight into the problem so I will be relying on IR testing and earth leakage clamp meter. I expect/hope that the global IR test will show a poor reading so then it will be a simple job of narrowing the fault down. However..
I do like to try and have a plan for any eventuality, so this is my question:
1. If the IR tests show no fault then where do you go from there?
I know I'm being a bit ----, but I like to play it a bit like a game of chess and think many moves ahead!
My thoughts are (given good IR results):
- homeowner could leave one of the affected circuits switched off and see if RCD stops tripping.
- Check all items that get plugged in for earth leakage.
- Visual inspection of O/S lights for poor IR.
- continuity tests between neutrals of differing RCD's (highly unlikely given fault has only just started occuring)
- RCD tests, including ramp.
- Check for loose connection upstream of RCD.
Have I missed anything that you guys would automatically do/think?