tripping RCD when I use motors

[Alcapone]

Hi,
I cannot use any motor in my house, vacuum cleaner etc.
the RCD trips all the time.
I have had 3 electricians in, one replaced my whole board, still no difference.
they have tested all plugs, everything seems to be in order.
no problems with the lights
I do have 1 plug in the house that I can run the vacuum cleaner on, it still trips the RCD where the other plugs in the house are connected, I think this plug must run to the lighting RCD. But how can that still trip the RCD for the plugs, but still keeping working.
This is costing me a lot of money and no one seems to know what is wrong
PLEASE PLEASE HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

 

[telectrix]

sounds suspiciously like a borrowed neutral. any proper sparks could find that without too much trouble. maybe a member local to you will see the thread and be able to arrange to call.

 

[dan86]

borrowed neutral mate.get a decent spark in!

 

[dan86]

damn you Tel!

 

[dan86]

can't actually believe one spark you had replaced the whole board! what did the others do? did none of them test to see if the fault was still there?!

 

[telectrix]

hehehe. if you don't God will.

 

[tommy.dale]

3 sparks, seems a awful lot for a reasonably fault from what you have described mate, when you say replaced your board are you saying it was rcd protected before? Something sounds a bit funny!

 

[telectrix]

typycal Electrical Trainee. can't find fault so change CU, get £350 in arse pocket, run away. having said that, recently had same from a well known NICEIC company. couldn't find the fault that was tripping the RFC MCB, so they quoted £900 to replace the CU. fortunately, the elderly couple declined the offer and called me in.

 

[Des 56]

I have had 3 electricians in, one replaced my whole board, still no difference.


No, you have had 3 people who work on electrics and use the term electrician
An electrician would sort this problem in no time

You need to make sure you employ an "electrician"

 

[DNS1]

Would say borrowed neutral without doubt, but why does the fault only occur with a load drawn by a motor?

Did you get any certification from any of the "electricians"? If someone has done a board change and it's still tripping, you need to be in touch with whichever scheme that "electrician" was a member of...

 

[MDJ]

Hi,
I cannot use any motor in my house, vacuum cleaner etc.
the RCD trips all the time.
I have had 3 electricians in, one replaced my whole board, still no difference.
they have tested all plugs, everything seems to be in order.
no problems with the lights
I do have 1 plug in the house that I can run the vacuum cleaner on, it still trips the RCD where the other plugs in the house are connected, I think this plug must run to the lighting RCD. But how can that still trip the RCD for the plugs, but still keeping working.
This is costing me a lot of money and no one seems to know what is wrong
PLEASE PLEASE HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

3 electricians in? I doubt they were sparks scar face

 

[telectrix]

it's not certain to be a borrowed N, could be something else. a proper spark with MFT should suss it out in an hour.

 

[markythesparky]

but why does the fault only occur with a load drawn by a motor?

I was wondering the same.

Still, if you are not happy with the work that the registered sparks has done with the fuseboard (i presume he is registered as that would of course have been silly not to employ a non registered 'electrican') then you could get in touch with his registered body and complain that the job is substandard. they will make him sort it or get another registered firm to sort it and get him to pay.

either way you are protected.

happy days.


Wait for it..........

 

[lofts]

can a faulty piece of equiptment cause an rcd to trip. The decorator was using a steamer today and when I got to site he said hes having problems with it and can I test it to see what up. Did I have a clue what to do did I ....

I grabbed my continuity tewster anyway and said I dont really know how to test stuff to see what wrong with it and luckly it decided to work again lol. I probably couldnt even find out what was wrong with it with just a continuity tester and would no doubt need a MFT to do so. Any one willing to tell me what they would do to see what was up with it.

It continued to work for the rest of the day but right at the end of the day it tripped the RCD. I would like to know why. I know RCDS work on earth to neutral fault. What goes out on the live doesnt come back on the neutral and therefore the RCDS notices an imbalance and kicks into action. Anyone willing to tell me whats actually going on.

 

[Des 56]

Could this be yet another phantom spark thread :juggle2:

 

[MDJ]

Happy Friday

edit or Thursday haha

 

[Alcapone]

3 sparks, seems a awful lot for a reasonably fault from what you have described mate, when you say replaced your board are you saying it was rcd protected before? Something sounds a bit funny!

it was rcd protected before, but the sparky said it was a very old board and not up to spec, that was where he said he should start, he also checked each plug point, they were all wired correctly.
I didnt get that sparky back, because I didnt trust his ability.
the second sparky tested all the plugs, said he could not find a fault, he said that he would have to charge me an hourly rate, 50 pounds per hour, but that he didnt think it would be useful, he spoke about re-wiring the whole house. Needless to say I didnt get him back.

the third sparky has just started, he is comming in on Saturday, he is a qualified electrical engineer, in your opinion, would that make him qualified to find the fault?

 

[telectrix]

can a faulty piece of equiptment cause an rcd to trip. The decorator was using a steamer today and when I got to site he said hes having problems with it and can I test it to see what up. Did I have a clue what to do did I ....

I grabbed my continuity tewster anyway and said I dont really know how to test stuff to see what wrong with it and luckly it decided to work again lol. I probably couldnt even find out what was wrong with it with just a continuity tester and would no doubt need a MFT to do so. Any one willing to tell me what they would do to see what was up with it.

It continued to work for the rest of the day but right at the end of the day it tripped the RCD. I would like to know why. I know RCDS work on earth to neutral fault. What goes out on the live doesnt come back on the neutral and therefore the RCDS notices an imbalance and kicks into action. Anyone willing to tell me whats actually going on.

steamers make wet steam. decorator directs this wet steam into the electrical side of the steamer. RCD trips. and they all live happily ever after.

 

[markc123]

Did you recieve an EIC with your (probably)pointless board change?

 

[dan86]

the third sparky has just started, he is comming in on Saturday, he is a qualified electrical engineer, in your opinion, would that make him qualified to find the fault?

does he know you have had 2 others in for same fault? if not, tell him YOU think it's a borrowed neutral and make yourself look good