URGENT HELP NEEDED !!!

karltimber

Hi folks,

I have no power to my kitchen at present.

The RCD tripped when the washing machine was spinning earlier.
This has happen before and I would just reset the RCD.

But this time, it tripped and I went to reset it and now one of the smaller ECD is tripping for the kitchen sockets !!!
The wash machine is on the utility room circuit.
The RCD keeps tripping if I put any load onto any socket in the house.
I replaced the RCD just a few mins ago with a new one but that did not fix it.
I have plugged out everything in the kitchen but it still trips when I turn the kitchen sockets "smaller ecd" on.


what can I try next ??
thanks
K

arse..biscuits

Maybe you should do an insulation resistance test on the socket circuits.
Could be a fault on one of your cables.

fishdog

OK, first dont panic!!

The procedure below will not always work, but it will most times.


Turn off all socket MCBs (breakers or trip switches same thing).

Now turn on the RCD, it should stay on.

Next switch the socket MCBs on one at a time.

When one MCB is switched on the RCD may trip. If this happens, congradulations, you have just identified the "problem" circuit.

Next, identify sockets on that circuit (see what sockets are not working). You can test sockets by pluging in a lamp.

Unplug everything from that circuit. The chances are it will then be possible to turn that circuit back on without the RCD tripping. If that is the case plug the items back in one at a time, each time checking the RCD to see if it has tripped.

Generally the RCD trips because a faulty item is plugged in.

Sometimes this fault is caused by water, so check your washing machine for a leak.

Maybe you should do an insulation resistance test on the socket circuits.

This would not be a good place to start. Always start with the most obvious first!

Could be a fault on one of your cables.

Generally cables do not just develop a fault. If work was being carried out on the house, or if the fault coincided with another event (eg. drilling a hole in the wall) then perhaps.

beer enigma

karltimber wrote: »

Hi folks,

I have no power to my kitchen at present.

The RCD tripped when the washing machine was spinning earlier.
This has happen before and I would just reset the RCD.

But this time, it tripped and I went to reset it and now one of the smaller ECD is tripping for the kitchen sockets !!!
The wash machine is on the utility room circuit.
The RCD keeps tripping if I put any load onto any socket in the house.
I replaced the RCD just a few mins ago with a new one but that did not fix it.
I have plugged out everything in the kitchen but it still trips when I turn the kitchen sockets "smaller ecd" on.


what can I try next ??
thanks
K

Plug out everything in the kitchen - I had a similar situation & turned out the kettle was faulty. Plug everything out, reset the breaker & if it works, plug everything back in one by one & power on & off until it trips...

karltimber

Hi lads,

tried a lot of things you mentioned but nothing worked.

asked an electrician to have a look and he isolated it to a ring circuit upstairs.

He made the ring circuit into two radial circuits and it's fixed now.
so he took out a section of cable where the problem was - under floorboards somewhere,

so fixed now thank God,

thx for the replies and help.

K

arse..biscuits

So the problem WAS a fault on a cable.
I thank you...

fishdog

So the problem WAS a fault on a cable.
I thank you...

It seems that it was, you were correct!

However my point is that insulation resistance resistance testing is not where you should start when trying to find out why an RCD is tripping. Sometimes it may be necessary, but not normally.

Generally individuals with no electrical experience, but with just a little guidance can identify the cause of an RCD tripping and either unplug the problem or isolate the problem circuit. These same people generally dont have a meggar about the house or the training to use it.

arse..biscuits

fishdog wrote: »

It seems that it was, you were correct!

However my point is that insulation resistance resistance testing is not where you should start when trying to find out why an RCD is tripping. Sometimes it may be necessary, but not normally.

Generally individuals with no electrical experience, but with just a little guidance can identify the cause of an RCD tripping and either unplug the problem or isolate the problem circuit. These same people generally dont have a meggar about the house or the training to use it.

I agree totally.
However I could tell from what the OP said that it was a cable fault.