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?? earth leakage

  • 30-11-2007 4:45pm
    #1
    Sandy2004
    Closed Accounts Posts: 120 ✭✭


    anyone any ideas - plug something into 1 specific socket and trips fuse... anything i can do to fix... not electrical way inclined... whats an earth leakage??


Comments

  • #2
    10-10-20
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,066 ✭✭✭10-10-20


    Earth leakage is when current more than the allowed amount (30mA in most circumstances) passes into the earth wire typically via the chassis or bare wiring. In other words, power is going to places it shouldn't be...
    It's a pre-warning that there is an equipment malfunction which may only get worse.

    If it's localised to one particular socket it could be more-so a sign of damage to the socket or to the wiring behind it.

    It's not usually possible to measure for earth leakage from a device at home unless there is a short between the live and earth wires. You could try using a multimeter on the live and earth pin of the disconnected device and wiggling the casings/wiring etc to see if you can locate the source of the issue.

    Do not try to measure the short on the socket itself!


  • #3
    fishdog
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,113 ✭✭✭fishdog


    This could be the RCD tripping or an MCB tripping.

    For most houses in general:

    1) If the RCD trips, all sockets in the house go off.
    Possible cause- earth fault, often caused by water.

    2) If an MCB trips, just the sockets on that circuit go off.



    Look for burnt marks, melting around the socket and plug.

    Did this socket work OK before?? Perhaps the neutral & earth are reversed in the socket. If it is just that socket I would suspect that it is an earth fault.

    Have another look at it and see what you find. Let me know what you see.


  • #4
    congo_90
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,339 ✭✭✭congo_90


    perhaps somebody could help me. We are living in a house since new (2 years). in the hall there is a socket. All we plug in there is a lamp and also in the living room at one of the sockets is also another lamp. Both were always working fine.But since we moved. We've replaced bulb after bulb and fuses constantly. Any ideas?

    Heard a little story the wiring is done bad in my estate (name not given).

    It is quite worrying to think about. any lamps plugged in, in our house just seem to give up. What worries me is that the fuse board isn't tripping and all sockets are actively working.


  • #5
    Tech3
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,010 ✭✭✭Tech3


    congo_90 wrote: »
    perhaps somebody could help me. We are living in a house since new (2 years). in the hall there is a socket. All we plug in there is a lamp and also in the living room at one of the sockets is also another lamp. Both were always working fine.But since we moved. We've replaced bulb after bulb and fuses constantly. Any ideas?

    It looks like there could be noise in the electrical line. This is usually the cause of the problems like these.


  • #6
    Stoner
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,952 ✭✭✭✭Stoner


    tech2 wrote: »
    It looks like there could be noise in the electrical line. This is usually the cause of the problems like these.

    Can you expand on that tech2 please? :)


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  • #7
    fishdog
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,113 ✭✭✭fishdog


    Heard a little story the wiring is done bad in my estate (name not given).
    Perhaps this is true, but I dont think this is your problem.

    I have found this happening alot with the standard BC type lamp. Sometimes it is because you are using a 100 watt lamp when the fitting is rated for 60 watts. Other times the light fitting just gets a bang that you are unaware of. It could be that the lamps you are using are from the same batch that got shaken/dropped etc. by a delivery man!

    Lamps are like fuses, generally they last a reasonble lenght of time, but other times you may get a week.
    It looks like there could be noise in the electrical line. This is usually the cause of the problems like these.

    This is a strange statement. It reminds me of father Jack's "That would be an ecumenical matter! ...". It answers most electrical questions asked.:D:D

    Noise normally means unwanted interference on a cable carrying an electrical signal.

    Perhaps he means that the ESB supply may have a few spikes or instead of 230 volts you are getting something higher at certain times of the day and this means that a higher current flows through the filiment causing the lamp to fail.

    You can get the ESB to do a test to see if this is the case. As far as I know it is free. Ring ESB Networks and ask them.

    The simple solution is put an energy saving lamp in!:)
    What worries me is that the fuse board isn't tripping and all sockets are actively working.

    I would not expect anything to trip at the board just because a lamp blows. The MCB does not operate because the current being drawn has not exceeded the rating of the MCB. The RCD does not operate because there is no earth fault.

    Having said this I have no way of knowing what standard your wiring is. If you are worried get it proffessionally tested.

    When was your house wired??


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