RCD Tripping - Advice Needed

[Deleted member 9648]

Agree with all the comments about the way RCBO's have been used, and never a good idea to lump all power circuits.
Also check that the sockets for your IT equipment have separated earths - two separate earth terminals for each socket.
Get insulation and earth leakage test on hot tub.
And find a new electrician.

Really?
It's a house, hardly likely to have enough IT equipment for that to be an issue.

 

[telectrix]

If your in Northampton I’ll personally come round and tell you where to go

but don't forget to take pete back home. OP has enough problems without him stuck there.

 

[jakeevans]

Hi @sparksfly, thanks for your advice, so I had a word first thing this morning with the existing electrician ( I couldn't sleep) and he did say he thought he put the hot tub on the RCBO (but it wasn't), maybe a genuine mistake, maybe not, anyhow he said he'll rectify the issue by moving it to an RCBO at no charge. So you're probably right, might get him to get that sorted and then get someone else to do the testing.

I think i'll also get someone to change all the MCB's to RCBO's as well, it was a pain in the neck trying to find the culprit on this occasion, especially when the electrician said it isn't yet in the end it was.

Thanks for all your help guys as well, @camerabloke, @Murdoch and @Gasinspect.

 

[Gasinspect]

Really?
It's a house, hardly likely to have enough IT equipment for that to be an issue.

he said he runs his business from home, and gave a list of IT equipment he had. then a slight earth leak on hot tub might be enough to tip it. just a thought. had an issue once with a customer who had home office, a few computers and a server - and a dishwasher! We changed sockets for ones with dual earth terminals. Your raise an interesting point - how much IT equipment would you allow without separating the earths?

 

[westward10]

This thread is unbelievable. You have two problems, one finding a decent electrician in Northants, two the hot tub. Solution, contact Raybell skip hire to place the hot tub in the skip result, rcd tripping gone and street cred improved with the hot tub gone

 

[jakeevans]

@Gasinspect that's exactly what I thought, I think the hot tub is just touching the brim and causing it to trip. It explains the intermittence trips as its probably the hot tub just automatically turning on its pump/heater or blowers.

Just to confirm though, if I get all RCBO's for all circuits, that will mean that any earth leakage will remain on that single circuit and won't affect others right?

 

[Gasinspect]

I expect that your RCD trips at 30milliamps, so if earth leakage approaches that figure it will trip. Of course being electromechanical they can also occasionally be faulty. Some of the guys that have replied obviously know their stuff and have offered to come and sort it so go for it. Note the one who said he would fit a type c for a hot tub, worth considering.

 

[DPG]

@Gasinspect that's exactly what I thought, I think the hot tub is just touching the brim and causing it to trip. It explains the intermittence trips as its probably the hot tub just automatically turning on its pump/heater or blowers.

Just to confirm though, if I get all RCBO's for all circuits, that will mean that any earth leakage will remain on that single circuit and won't affect others right?

Yes, the 30mA RCD allows up to 30mA (less in practice) earth leakage in total from all the circuits fed from it. The RCBO fed circuits each have their own 30mA 'quota' of earth leakage.

 

[Octopus]

@Gasinspect

Just to confirm though, if I get all RCBO's for all circuits, that will mean that any earth leakage will remain on that single circuit and won't affect others right?

Hum ...... Randomly changing parts without competence and test kit is NOT ADVISED.

I note you haven't provided any details of what the certificate says .......

So op, is this your installation gone wrong?

 

[DPG]

I think I'm with Murdoch on this one.