UNUSUAL RCD SWITCH TRIP

[Johanna1]

Everything you left unplugged could probably be eliminated from the enquiry, unless the problem is cumulative leakage from more than one source, but it could still be a problem with the actual wiring.
Unfortunately, washing machine especially, and fridge are two of the most likely candidates to be the problem.

i was told it wasnt a leakage because everything came back clear from the tests they did. Hopefully when i plug out everything tonight nothing will trip and if i does ill know its defnitely the kitchen. Also, i dont want to run out and buy a new washing machine and fridge, id be afraid nothing would change with the tripping and id be out nearly 1400euro.

 

[Johanna1]

Hi- sorry to hear that your RCD is tripping. It does indicate there is a fault, either with the appliances, the wiring or the RCD itself. The good news is RCDs rarely fail and they can easily be tested with the right equipment.

Sorry to say but this is not correct, in my opinion. You resetting the RCD in the morning would not in any way affect or hinder me from finding the cause of the trip .

Perhaps have the Electrician verify the incoming earth to your property. It’s likely you have an earth provided to you and this needs to be in good shape. I have seen random tripping vanish when the DNO earth was improved.

the electricians did fairly extensive tests and they told me it came back all clear, they could just be saying that to shut me up though as i keep questioning if everything is truly clear then why does it keep tripping? Also the wiring in the fuse board is clear from some test i saw them do with a machine? (not sure what its called) and they replaced the RCD switch twice. It didnt make a difference because it still tripped when they left.

 

[Wilko]

they replaced the RCD switch twice. It didnt make a difference

Ha, makes me chuckle. I call that playing spare parts roulette .

 

[Johanna1]

Ha, makes me chuckle. I call that playing spare parts roulette .

i know, it didnt need to be replaced, it wasnt broken it was still tripping so it was doing what it was meant too. The electricans that come to my home arent great.

 

[brianmoooore]

the electricians did fairly extensive tests and they told me it came back all clear,

As did all the tests on the incident with the freezer I mentioned earlier in the thread. You likely have a true intermittent fault, rather than the normal case where a fault exists, that is easily detected with the right equipment, but occasionally trips the RCD as a result of a surge or cumulative leakage from more than one source.
I totally agree with your electricians trying a new RCD once. There was a MEM RCD many years ago that would go faulty and trip out occasionally for no genuine reason. Changed several with no other fault present.
If it's still tripping with most things unplugged, the next step I would take is to fit a temporary s/socket beside the fusebox, protected by its own RCD and MCB, and plug your fridge and washing machine into them in turn, using an adequately rated extension lead.

 

[Darkwood]

You say you do not use the immersion heater, let's assume then you have a combi boiler, if this is spurred off that affected circuits then it could be a pump or the boiler itself breaking down and leaking to earth, I would do a visual check in and around the boiler to see if there are any leaks. Under test conditions from the Electricians it could be the case the system isn't running/calling for heat so may not be detected.
Other causes of intermittent tripping is often external equipment that has a degraded IP rating and will only be an issue if the weather conditions are suited. (log the tripping times and the weather to see if there is a correlation)

I would expect both are things an experienced electrician would consider but like any job it is often the case that a fault that an electrician may have never experienced before may not be considered and thus overlooked.

 

[Johanna1]

Everything you left unplugged could probably be eliminated from the enquiry, unless the problem is cumulative leakage from more than one source, but it could still be a problem with the actual wiring.
Unfortunately, washing machine especially, and fridge are two of the most likely candidates to be the prob

You say you do not use the immersion heater, let's assume then you have a combi boiler, if this is spurred off that affected circuits then it could be a pump or the boiler itself breaking down and leaking to earth, I would do a visual check in and around the boiler to see if there are any leaks. Under test conditions from the Electricians it could be the case the system isn't running/calling for heat so may not be detected.
Other causes of intermittent tripping is often external equipment that has a degraded IP rating and will only be an issue if the weather conditions are suited. (log the tripping times and the weather to see if there is a correlation)

I would expect both are things an experienced electrician would consider but like any job it is often the case that a fault that an electrician may have never experienced before may not be considered and thus overlooked.

my gas boiler heats up my water, there is no need for the immersion to be turned on. The electricans tested all the fuses in the fuse board and replaced the RCD all working fine. I plug out everything at night, except obvious appliances like the washing machine and fridge. It didnt trip last night, which was unusual as im so used to it tripping so often. I had my sockets replaced from metal to plastic so that might be the reason but i doubt it.

 

[brianmoooore]

As I've said earlier, the immersion, or any other appliance does not need to be turned on to cause problems, if it is switched 'off' by interrupting the live wire only. Both single pole and double pole switches are available in GB, but I don't know what's used in Eire.
If it didn't trip with appliances unplugged, leave them disconnected for a few days when not needed and see if the RCD continues to misbehave. If it does, plug everything back in again, and see if the problem starts again. If it does, repeat the whole experiment again.
If this confirms that an appliance is the problem, repeat the experiment again with only half of the plugs disconnected, and eventually you'll nail the culprit.
It may take weeks, but it's free.

 

[Johanna1]

As I've said earlier, the immersion, or any other appliance does not need to be turned on to cause problems, if it is switched 'off' by interrupting the live wire only. Both single pole and double pole switches are available in GB, but I don't know what's used in Eire.
If it didn't trip with appliances unplugged, leave them disconnected for a few days when not needed and see if the RCD continues to misbehave. If it does, plug everything back in again, and see if the problem starts again. If it does, repeat the whole experiment again.
If this confirms that an appliance is the problem, repeat the experiment again with only half of the plugs disconnected, and eventually you'll nail the culprit.
It may take weeks, but it's free.

Thankyou for your advice. After hours of figuring it out and keeping my appliances out for 24 hours we worked out that it was the fridge causing the problem. A bit annoying as it was only 2 years old but i was advised to buy a new one.