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Hi All, quick question before bed.
Just come back from an emergency callout


  1. No Earth in property
  2. 6 double sockets on a 15A Radial (over 2 floors)
  3. 3036 CU with big hole out of R/H side
  4. Bonding to mains Water - 16ohms through this means
  5. No Bonding to Gas
  6. Pre RCD covering 4 x 3036 CUs
  7. Pe-RCD not holding on circuit 6 (point 2) - all appliances are class 2
  8. All IRs are >150Mohms

Full installation isolated - customer re-energized when I walked out of the door due to medical conditions

Thoughts please with particular attention to point 2! - will pick this up in the morning
 
start isolating each board...till you find the offender...

then narrow it down to the final on that board...
there...identified the circuit/s causing it....and that without any test gear...

it could of course also be a case of accumilated leakage....
 
Like i said found the issue in circuit 6, well customer did before I got there.
all irs are good on everything.

the RCD only trips after about 1 min of circuit 6 being turned on, all appliances plugged in are class 2.
no tripping when nothing plugged in

this is the same circuit that had 6 double sockets on a radial

i have put it in for remedial work so just a wait and see now - out of my hands
 
... but circuit 6 isolated at MCB the RCD held for over 30mins

could lack of earth cause this? Or the high load on circuit 6???

No and no.

And there's nothing unsafe about 6 double sockets on a 15A radial, provided that the current rating of the cable is suitable. The worst that's going to happen is the fuse blowing on overload and having to be rewired.
 
Thanks all

I work for British gas home assist, and this was one of the call outs last night

i have put the work forward now to be done, and will await their response.

circuit 6 has 2.5mm T&E off a 15A radial. I know its safe as fuse is less than CCC of cable, but was not sure if circuit is being overloaded.

thanks for the advise on leakage, I am trying to get myself a clamp, any recommendations?
 
Im still lost with regards to how this circuit can leak current when IR is >150Mohm with items plugged in and not (N/E).
Also all items plugged into this circuit are class 2 so there cant be any leakage there????????
 
If it holds with nothing plugged in and pops when something is plugged in and switched on, accessory fault. If it pops when just plugged in, accessory fault and polarity issue at socket (has customer been fiddling before you arrived). Is there an immersion heater or something similar on this circuit.
 
no Immersion Heater or anything like this
From my memory:
  • 2 house phone chargers (class 2)
  • oxygen machine (class 2)
  • 3 bedside lamps (class 2)
  • 2 floor lamps (class 2)

IH on its own circuit - IRs over 500Mohm with on and off

What got me was it would hold for 1 min but then trip, but first time I turned it back on after main IR Testing, it held for around 30mins then tripped - everything plugged in at this stage and turned on

only thing I can think of is slightly warming the cables and POP
 
ramp the RCD off load...then ramp it again with everything on...the difference is leakage...

You're never to old to live'n'learn on this forum! Ive always used a clamp meter and hadn't even thought about using the RCD on ramp, thats one up my sleeve for the time my clamp runs out of battery power .....
 
Oxygen machine - one tactical solution would be to run a non-RCD Protected circuit for this, dedicated for that machine.

Can you check they are all definately class two? Have you checked they are wired correctly in the plug top.

as already said check things other have suggested. Something will show up as an alert!


oxygen Machine is standing out as an odd one to me though.....
 
I recommended further investigation after main issues sorted - no earth and replace CU (which will replace the up-front RCD)
Oxygen machine was plugged into another circuit and worked fine - machine PAT Tested on site all clear - no earth in plug so only IR and visual check - all passed fine

Im wondering if the lack of earth (only through the water pipe) could cause the RCD to trip, but dont know how considering this gave an earth of 12ohms with is better than most earth rods
 

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