rocky500 Posted June 28, 2014 Posted June 28, 2014 The power went out to all the power points in the house but the lights are still on, I have been around the house and started turning off everything. Do I need to physically unplug everything from the wall or is switching them off at the PowerPoint at the wall enough. The rcd will not stay in the on position.
betty boop Posted June 28, 2014 Posted June 28, 2014 yep something has shorted and earth leakage detected. unplug things one by one. start with the obvious…toaster, fridge…after unplugging each item try the safety switch…that way will slowly identify the culprit. keep in mind it also can be a/c or heater…hot water unit etc. so don't just check whats in the house and obvious. there is also a chance you have a failed RCD. but only will know that once everything is unplugged and still won't engage 3
Addicted to music Posted June 28, 2014 Posted June 28, 2014 Keep in mine that current hot water service even though they are gas, especially the gas boasted Solar hot water are also connected to the mains. It took us five days before I found out the 240V gas relay was faulty after it tripped the RCD and the main relay on the switch board. How we found out was that the garage door would not operate, then 5 days later when the sun wasn't out we had no hot water.... 1
rocky500 Posted June 28, 2014 Author Posted June 28, 2014 I have now physically inplugedf everything except one extension cable that is not easy to get to. I have unplugged the power board that was plugged into it though. All 3 aircons are split systems and are still working. I think like al has mentioned it could possibly be a failed rcd. We only have one in the meter box for the whole house incl the back shed
rocky500 Posted June 28, 2014 Author Posted June 28, 2014 We have an electric 3 phase hot water system and that is still working.
Sub Sonic Posted June 28, 2014 Posted June 28, 2014 Hi Rocky, RCD faults are my specialty, but distance could be a problem :-) You've done the first step in unplugging all the appliances. I have a few questions/comments: - Has it be raining over there? Water could be a problem. - Is your lighting circuit on the RCD? - Try turning off all the circuit breakers that are on the RCD, then try to reset it. Let me know how you go, I may have further suggestions from there. Cheers! SS 2
rocky500 Posted June 28, 2014 Author Posted June 28, 2014 Hi Rocky, RCD faults are my specialty, but distance could be a problem :-) You've done the first step in unplugging all the appliances. I have a few questions/comments: - Has it be raining over there? Water could be a problem. - Is your lighting circuit on the RCD? - Try turning off all the circuit breakers that are on the RCD, then try to reset it. Let me know how you go, I may have further suggestions from there. Cheers! SS Will have a look now. I started drinking the beer before it gets a chance to go off. The only thing the Rcd is for is the power points. 1
rocky500 Posted June 28, 2014 Author Posted June 28, 2014 (edited) Ok turned off every fuse in the meter box not related to the power points and no joy. How do you reset the Rcd? It has this on it. a Hpm an 30mA 40A H6XEL30-240 Edited June 28, 2014 by rocky500
rocky500 Posted June 28, 2014 Author Posted June 28, 2014 Thankyou SS I turned the main switch off and back on and I take it that reset the Rcd It worked!!!!!
Sub Sonic Posted June 28, 2014 Posted June 28, 2014 Good to hear :-) Turn the circuits on one at a time, if they stay on, all good. If not, try to leave the faulty one off and get it looked at. Gotta go, back in a few minutes...
LogicprObe Posted June 28, 2014 Posted June 28, 2014 Yeah............sometimes they trip and then after a reset, everything is OK. 1
Addicted to music Posted June 28, 2014 Posted June 28, 2014 Good point that SS brought up is the moisture issue especially if you have cheap electic quartz heaters. I have had them at the old place tripping the a rcd on a power strip...
Sub Sonic Posted June 28, 2014 Posted June 28, 2014 OK, I'm back LP is correct, occasionally they will go off and then can be reset with no problems, for no apparent reason. If so, good. Normally though, something trips the RCD. The first thing to do is physically unplug all appliances, including fridges and freezers. Most RCD faults (if they are appliance related) tend to be on appliances that have water (kettle, iron etc), or that have heating elements, particularly if there is also water in the appliance. Fridges and freezers are another one as they have things like defrost elements that can fail or get damp, and also compressors which can fail. If your RCD goes off again, unplug everything again, and try to reset it. If it resets, plug the appliances back in again until something trips it. If it resets OK, fine. If it doesn't reset, turn off all the circuit breakers, and try to reset it again. Turn on the breakers one at a time until you find the faulty circuit, and leave that one off, as it will need a sparky to look at it. If it still doesn't reset, it may be a faulty RCD (fairly unlikely, but it does happen), or a neutral fault in the house wiring, both of which will need an electrician. If it's been raining, water may have found it's way into something that it shouldn't have. Sometimes after an RCD trips, for some reason they won't reset with the full load of the house on them, so you may need to turn on the breakers one at a time. Hopefully it stays on for you, but if it doesn't, let us know. I'll send a PM with a phone number. Cheers! SS 2
rocky500 Posted June 28, 2014 Author Posted June 28, 2014 (edited) There was one power board that looks suspect. In the bedroom wedged under the bed that had some green goo on it and the cable plugged into it is oily. Will do some vacuuming and replace that one before I pug it in again. Did have a cat recently......., I wonder. Edited June 28, 2014 by rocky500
Sub Sonic Posted June 28, 2014 Posted June 28, 2014 The green goo looks like something that comes out of some older mains cables (house wiring) from maybe around the 70's. It was apparently a reaction between the copper and a powder that was put in between the copper/insulation to assist with stripping the wire, or something like that. It is commonly noticed around switches in some older houses but also at power points. Was the plug possibly plugged into a power point like this at some stage, not necessarily in your house? It may have transferred the green goo to your power board. I have tested the green goo with an insulation resistance tester (1,000V) and not found it to be a problem but if anyone does see it at their switches or power points it might be a good idea to get the switch or power point (power board?) replaced, just to be on the safe side. Cheers! SS 2
betty boop Posted June 28, 2014 Posted June 28, 2014 in some ways its great have found a likely suspect ! we have had an intermittent issue at our place. and am still on the hunt ! subsonic I wish you were in melb, I'd have you over to pick your brains in our case its always when we get up...ie 5:30am-6am the power has tripped and it happens spuratically... with weeks between the occurrence... 3 occasions so far... been keeping a log. 28 may...8june ... 25th june cant blame the heater...or ac... nothing much else is on before we wake up. only thing can think of so far is fridge going on a defrost cycle. if becomes too regular ...maybe we need a new fridge
rocky500 Posted June 28, 2014 Author Posted June 28, 2014 (edited) in some ways its great have found a likely suspect ! we have had an intermittent issue at our place. and am still on the hunt ! subsonic I wish you were in melb, I'd have you over to pick your brains in our case its always when we get up...ie 5:30am-6am the power has tripped and it happens spuratically... with weeks between the occurrence... 3 occasions so far... been keeping a log. 28 may...8june ... 25th june cant blame the heater...or ac... nothing much else is on before we wake up. only thing can think of so far is fridge going on a defrost cycle. if becomes too regular ...maybe we need a new fridge We had a problem like that at around the same time in the morning. We would wake up to no power. (Not that early of a riser) We had a older outside fridge for drinks and since we replaced that one, it has not reappeared! That was a good 5 or so years ago. Edited June 28, 2014 by rocky500 1
rocky500 Posted June 28, 2014 Author Posted June 28, 2014 The green goo looks like something that comes out of some older mains cables (house wiring) from maybe around the 70's. It was apparently a reaction between the copper and a powder that was put in between the copper/insulation to assist with stripping the wire, or something like that. It is commonly noticed around switches in some older houses but also at power points. Was the plug possibly plugged into a power point like this at some stage, not necessarily in your house? It may have transferred the green goo to your power board. I have tested the green goo with an insulation resistance tester (1,000V) and not found it to be a problem but if anyone does see it at their switches or power points it might be a good idea to get the switch or power point (power board?) replaced, just to be on the safe side. Cheers! SS It was the pins of the plug from a very vintage clock radio that were also going this green colour. I cleaned the pins with metal polish and have replaced the power board. 1
betty boop Posted June 28, 2014 Posted June 28, 2014 yeah I really am suspecting our fridge ! ours isn't that old. but they really don't make them like they used to and wouldn't be surprised if with defrost its drawing current and theres some earth leakage in it thats tripping the rcd I wish there was something I could hook up between the power point and the fridge so that would trip rather than tripping all the power in the house…that way I could narrow down that it is the fridge too. my worry is if we go away for a weekend or something and then come back and the fridge has been off for two or so days and everything has to be thrown out !
rocky500 Posted June 28, 2014 Author Posted June 28, 2014 (edited) yeah I really am suspecting our fridge ! ours isn't that old. but they really don't make them like they used to and wouldn't be surprised if with defrost its drawing current and theres some earth leakage in it thats tripping the rcd I wish there was something I could hook up between the power point and the fridge so that would trip rather than tripping all the power in the house…that way I could narrow down that it is the fridge too. my worry is if we go away for a weekend or something and then come back and the fridge has been off for two or so days and everything has to be thrown out ! We were the same and put up with it for over a year before finally deciding to just replace the fridge. Couldn't think of anything else it could be. We brought a 2nd hand fridge but a lot newer than the one we had and never had the problem again until today. In the past though we would just flick the RCD back on and it would stay on. Edited June 28, 2014 by rocky500 1
betty boop Posted June 28, 2014 Posted June 28, 2014 We were the same and put up with it for over a year before finally deciding to just replace the fridge. Couldn't think of anything else it could be. We brought a 2nd hand but a lot newer than the one we had and never had the problem again until today. In the past though we would just flick the RCD back on and it would stay on. yep same with ours. flick right back on and no problem. and then some weeks later wake up and no power ! we've even stopped relying on the alarm clock to way up…incase not working in the morning 1
Sub Sonic Posted June 28, 2014 Posted June 28, 2014 Al, Do you have access to a plug in isolation transformer that will handle the current draw of your fridge? Be aware that the RCD will not protect you if you touch live wires in the fridge wiring, but it could help determine if the fridge is an issue or not. SS
betty boop Posted June 28, 2014 Posted June 28, 2014 Al, Do you have access to a plug in isolation transformer that will handle the current draw of your fridge? Be aware that the RCD will not protect you if you touch live wires in the fridge wiring, but it could help determine if the fridge is an issue or not. SS true probably don't want to touch the fridge while its playing up ! but would help "isolate the issue" but no don't have such transformer. SS would a plug in RCD work in the case of the fridge ? I know can get one built in a extension lead. I was thinking of one of such leads anyways and thinking it might help narrow down the issue with the fridge. as next time we have a trip I could check the rcd in the lead and see if its tripped feeding the fridge I could then move the lead around to check other devices that might be on standby, if turns out not the fridge.
Sub Sonic Posted June 28, 2014 Posted June 28, 2014 true probably don't want to touch the fridge while its playing up ! but would help "isolate the issue" but no don't have such transformer. SS would a plug in RCD work in the case of the fridge ? I know can get one built in a extension lead. I was thinking of one of such leads anyways and thinking it might help narrow down the issue with the fridge. as next time we have a trip I could check the rcd in the lead and see if its tripped feeding the fridge I could then move the lead around to check other devices that might be on standby, if turns out not the fridge. It would be worth doing. It may not trip before the main one depending on it's sensitivity, but then again it may. If it does then you have found your answer. If it doesn't, you are no worse off than before :-) Regards, SS 1
Recommended Posts