pond heater 2kw

[conradj100]

Hi I'm new to this forum.

My dads fish pond has a 2kw heater and recently wasn't working. When investigating into the problem I put it down to a faulty heater as when plugged in it trips the inline RCD. When the load switch line to the heater is not connected the rcd plug does not trip and there is 230v at the supply side. As soon as the load sw line touched the terminal it trips. This is how i worked out it was faulty.

However he purchased a new heater and that was faulty water dripping out the power on light.
We decided to plug the old heater into a separate circuit and filled it up with fresh tap water. This worked, didn't trip the rcd and heated up.

So we re-plumb the old heater back to the pond system and trips instantly.
I kept trying and for some reason the heater stayed on after few try's. I then plug pumps in one by one and found one pump causing the heater to trip.
I changed this pump for a new one thinking this was the problem but it still trips.
I have even run it off a different circuit and it still trips the rcd inline plug.
It trips when nothing is connected which makes me think its faulty but did it work with fresh tap water?

Anyone got any ideas on how to get this to work.

Thanks

 

[Barry White]

The heater is faulty (heaters can be funny things as they expand and contract as they heat)
Water and electric do not mix I recommend you get an electrician to look at this.

 

[telectrix]

also, the RCD has tripped so many times itmay be knackered.

 

[telectrix]

also, the RCD has tripped so many times it may be knackered.

 

[dmxtothemax]

Replace the heating element !
They can develope pin holes and leaks
Sometimes these will come and go for a while
but the cure is to replace the element
faults don't fix them selves

 

[conradj100]

Thanks he has ordered a new heater. I just thought it was strange that it worked with fresh tap water and not when plumbed into the pond system.

 

[dmxtothemax]

Thanks he has ordered a new heater. I just thought it was strange that it worked with fresh tap water and not when plumbed into the pond system.

How well water conducts electricity depends on how clean the water is and what impurities are in it . so your tap water is cleaner than your pond water.