Strange RCD Problem

[EWebster]

Stated by a member of 4.5 years and a mere 57 posts!

So posts and years mean status now?


The reason behind this forum, and please do correct me if I'm wrong, is to help members with issues that other members may have experienced before. To flame or shoot down a member with a first reply just shows me what an egotistical and elitist member you are, and not worthy of any respect whatsoever.


Instead of berating and belittling those with issues, how about actually posting something useful? If you can’t do that, then why post at all? To start a reply with “How about calling a competent sparks”, or words to that effect, has absolutely no value. And yes, I am a competent sparks, thank you. You are welcome to form an alternative opinion, if valid, once you have known me personally and worked with me for a while.


I have no doubt you have contributed and helped many members over the years. I also have no doubt that I could run rings around you in several aspects of electrical, electronic or networking subjects, but I would hope that if you posted a question that you were having issues with, I’d reply with a sensible, helpful and mature response.


Wirepuller: I am very aware of how to test electrical installations. I also know how an RCD works. I posted to get other members view, and to help sort out a muddled head. If you have never had an issue where you need to bounce ideas off your peers and then the answer turns out to POSSIBLY be relatively simple, then you are obviously a better man than most.


To all those who have posted sensible and helpful comments, I thank you and will try out suggestions tomorrow.


Yours sincerely,


E

 

[Deleted member 9648]

So posts and years mean status now?


The reason behind this forum, and please do correct me if I'm wrong, is to help members with issues that other members may have experienced before. To flame or shoot down a member with a first reply just shows me what an egotistical and elitist member you are, and not worthy of any respect whatsoever.


Instead of berating and belittling those with issues, how about actually posting something useful? If you can’t do that, then why post at all? To start a reply with “How about calling a competent sparks”, or words to that effect, has absolutely no value. And yes, I am a competent sparks, thank you. You are welcome to form an alternative opinion, if valid, once you have known me personally and worked with me for a while.


I have no doubt you have contributed and helped many members over the years. I also have no doubt that I could run rings around you in several aspects of electrical, electronic or networking subjects, but I would hope that if you posted a question that you were having issues with, I’d reply with a sensible, helpful and mature response.


Wirepuller: I am very aware of how to test electrical installations. I also know how an RCD works. I posted to get other members view, and to help sort out a muddled head. If you have never had an issue where you need to bounce ideas off your peers and then the answer turns out to POSSIBLY be relatively simple, then you are obviously a better man than most.


To all those who have posted sensible and helpful comments, I thank you and will try out suggestions tomorrow.


Yours sincerely,


E

OK, perhaps you would be good enough to post up the outcome.

 

[EWebster]

OK, perhaps you would be good enough to post up the outcome.

I'd be glad to. And knowing sod's law it will be something quite simple, but happy to share my experiences and hopefully it will help someone else.

 

[Octopus]

So posts and years mean status now?


The reason behind this forum, and please do correct me if I'm wrong, is to help members with issues that other members may have experienced before. To flame or shoot down a member with a first reply just shows me what an egotistical and elitist member you are, and not worthy of any respect whatsoever.


Instead of berating and belittling those with issues, how about actually posting something useful? If you can’t do that, then why post at all? To start a reply with “How about calling a competent sparks”, or words to that effect, has absolutely no value. And yes, I am a competent sparks, thank you. You are welcome to form an alternative opinion, if valid, once you have known me personally and worked with me for a while.


I have no doubt you have contributed and helped many members over the years. I also have no doubt that I could run rings around you in several aspects of electrical, electronic or networking subjects, but I would hope that if you posted a question that you were having issues with, I’d reply with a sensible, helpful and mature response.


Wirepuller: I am very aware of how to test electrical installations. I also know how an RCD works. I posted to get other members view, and to help sort out a muddled head. If you have never had an issue where you need to bounce ideas off your peers and then the answer turns out to POSSIBLY be relatively simple, then you are obviously a better man than most.


To all those who have posted sensible and helpful comments, I thank you and will try out suggestions tomorrow.


Yours sincerely,


E

Maybe you should read the post again in full, pausing to take in the second sentence!

 

[vernam616]

Circuit will have picked up a earth via another circuit

 

[skydog23]

Any outside lights ?
Any other trades been in.
Plumbers don't mind running hot pipes close to cables, IR may show clear untill they heat up and touch.
Or is it lecky's that run cables too close to pies lol.
Did you take all neutrals out of the bar except the circuit at fault, or just open the MCB s to the others ?

 

[EWebster]

Maybe you should read the post again in full, pausing to take in the second sentence!

Re-read, noted, and opinion reinforced.

 

[EWebster]

Any outside lights ?
Any other trades been in.
Plumbers don't mind running hot pipes close to cables, IR may show clear untill they heat up and touch.
Or is it lecky's that run cables too close to pies lol.
Did you take all neutrals out of the bar except the circuit at fault, or just open the MCB s to the others ?

Plumbers ran pipes right next to my cables come to think of it!
As for neutrals, put the device on its own RCBO, so some cross contamination happening somewhere, whether earth (as mentioned in previous posts), or with neutral. Will investigate further tomorrow.

 

[uksparks]

If the live is connected and and trips, it's finding it's way to earth somewhere to trip the rcd if the neutral and earth are disconnected, I would have though. I'd pay very close Trenton to every fitting upstairs and faceplates etc.

 

[Broken handle]

Have you carried out your insulation resistance tests with the cpc connected to the means of earthing.

Your line conductor may be shorting to a piece of earth metalwork.

I go with this.

 

[skydog23]

Good luck tomorrow,
Please let us know wen you sort it.
Not like that guy with the voltage in the shower. If you/we remember that one

 

[Octopus]

Re-read, noted, and opinion reinforced.

Precisely - your fault finding is haphazard.

 

[DPG]

Any outside lights ?
Any other trades been in.
Plumbers don't mind running hot pipes close to cables, IR may show clear untill they heat up and touch.
Or is it lecky's that run cables too close to pies lol.
Did you take all neutrals out of the bar except the circuit at fault, or just open the MCB s to the others ?

NEVER run cables next to pies. This should be a given. Daz

 

[telectrix]

steak pies will be OK though as they're earthed ( staked ).

 

[DPG]

Brill

 

[southsea1201]

I sympathise with anyone who has a tripping RCD. To question the ability of anybody's failure to find a fault is d*ck waving of the highest order. I had a problem last early last year that went on for 6 months, and I didn't find the answer, but the customer did.

I had replaced 2 x fuseboards (3036) with RCD protected CU's. I did a complete PIR before even starting the job, that included full readings for each circuit. After I'd done the board changes I was asked to run electrics for a power shower to the 3rd floor guest bathroom.

I had this whole floor to myself so I set up complete with radio whilst I worked. It was then the RCD problem began, manifesting itself by my radio suddenly stopping. I would run down to the ground floor reset the RCD then maybe an hour or 2 later it would trip again.

Anyway I tested and commissioned the circuit and began to delve into the nuisance tripping. I retested every circuit on the board and everything looked good...separation of cicuits good, RCD characteristics good. There was no rhyme or reason for this constant tripping.

I told the customer about the problem and asked him to make a log of times it tripped. It was about a week later that I got a phone call that the RCD tripped again, in fact multiple times. There was no pattern to it. Sometimes nothing for a week and then half a dozen times in a day.

The solution was found by a young lady staying in guest bedroom of the top floor. The customer called me and said we've found the problem come over. We went upto the 3rd floor guest bathroom and my customer turned to the young lady and said "OK show him your trick"!!! She put her feet together jumped forward a foot and as she landed the lights tripped.

No doubt you've all guessed the problem. It was cable run in a joist notch held in place by a clout. Over the year the clout and eroded the neutral insulation so any pressure tripped the RCD. Now I must have tripped that RCD so many times, but I was more aware of my radio going off and the circuit it was plugged into rather than where I was walking or standing.

I read this forum often but I must say that senior posters must seem intimidating to some, as they often doubt peoples' abilities and are dismissive and disparaging to many. Oh but of course I forgot they have their fountains of wisdom from the day they were born, and never had mishaps or bad days along the way. If you've never had a carp day in your life where you been?

Yeah I get banter and all that....but please be aware that being to aggressive drives new posters away. I have no doubt Webster knows exactly what he is doing, and bouncing of peers is a great way to go. Sometimes we all have senior moments. To those superior condescending sparks on here..remember you were a tinhorn once...but at the same time we respect your knowledge...please feel free to share!!

 

[Richard Burns]

steak pies will be OK though as they're earthed ( staked ).

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!
Good one though!

 

[GLENNSPARK]

steak pies will be OK though as they're earthed ( staked ).

so i guess its all TTbone then round Wigan way...