RCD tripping when planer turned on?

[Billandben]

Hi, I recently bought a new planer. When I switch it on the RCD in the garage board trips. The machine doesn't try to start, the power trips as soon as the ON button is pressed. It has a 16 amp plug. I plugged it into an existing 16 amp outlet that I use with my welder. The planers info plate says it is 13.5amp.
My other machines that all run fine.
Any ideas what may be causing the problem?

 

[Avo Mk8]

Hi, I recently bought a new planer. When I switch it on the RCD in the garage board trips. The machine doesn't try to start, the power trips as soon as the ON button is pressed. It has a 16 amp plug. I plugged it into an existing 16 amp outlet that I use with my welder. The planers info plate says it is 13.5amp.
My other machines that all run fine.
Any ideas what may be causing the problem?

First thought - is the plug wired correctly and the same as your outlet!?
If it's RCD, and not MCB, it's tripping because there's an imbalance between the L and N currents, probably due to leakage to earth, which could be because the planer has got very damp, eg in the motor, or the interference suppressor in it is faulty, or any other reason that could cause earth leakage current, or possibly a fault between N and E after the switch/ contactor.

If it's new I'd take it back.
If it's not, or that's impossible, it will likely need test equipment (eg IR tester) to determine exactly what's wrong.

 

[Tom256]

First thought - is the plug wired correctly and the same as your outlet!?

Brand new Kitchen Extractor that was tripping the RCD for some reason.
They also wern't over concerned about the cable restraint

 

[brianmoooore]

Hi, I recently bought a new planer. When I switch it on the RCD in the garage board trips. The machine doesn't try to start, the power trips as soon as the ON button is pressed. It has a 16 amp plug. I plugged it into an existing 16 amp outlet that I use with my welder. The planers info plate says it is 13.5amp.
My other machines that all run fine.
Any ideas what may be causing the problem?

Inrush current. I had something similar a few years ago when a local agricultural merchant started selling Chinese radial arm chop saws (mounted angle grinder). These came with 13A plugs, but would trip a 16 or 20A Type B MCB with their inrush current.
Where appropriate, a type C MCB fixed the problem.

 

[Bluetit]

Inrush current. I had something similar a few years ago when a local agricultural merchant started selling Chinese radial arm chop saws (mounted angle grinder). These came with 13A plugs, but would trip a 16 or 20A Type B MCB with their inrush current.
Where appropriate, a type C MCB fixed the problem.

OP said it trips the RCD though, not MCB. Possible there is some confusion, but inrush would take out an MCB as you say.

Type C only if it still hits Zs requirements though.

 

[brianmoooore]

Type C only if it still hits Zs requirements though.

That's what I mean by "where appropriate."
If it's an RCD tripping out, I'd start looking for N - E leakage somewhere on the circuits protected by it.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Switch off all the MCB's except the one supplying the 16amp circuit you are going to plug into, unplug all of your other machines in the garage supplied by that CU, plug in the new planner and see if it trip when you turn it on, if the RCD trips then you have possible isolated the problem to the new machine, if it does not trip and the planner starts then the problem is elsewhere.

"unplug" not sufficient to just turn off at the socket outlet or machine.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Build up of Earth leakage from multiple machines and the planner just tipped it over the edge?