Washer dryer tripping electrics!

loobyloo0302

Hi all, came back home tonight to find my electric was off. I'd set the washer dryer to wash then auto dry, got home and the clothes were washed but they were still wet. Went to turn on the dryer and then realised the electric had tripped. Turned the switch back on, put the dryer on and I'd say about half a minute later when it began to turn, the electric went off again. Opened the hose and a fair bit of water came out and a hair clip which looked a little burned. Put the hose back, turned the dryer on and it tripped the electric again... any advice anyone? I have people out to repair it every month and its only a year old :money:

planemad

Is it the RCD tripping (one with yellow test button) or the actual circuit breaker (MCB)?

loobyloo0302

Ohhhh god, I'veno idea.. It's not the one that trips just the fusey bits, its the one that cuts out the whole lot... that's completely useless I know

planemad

(Electrician Advice)

Do you click it back in or change the fuse wire?

I imagine its the RCD tripping.

Rarely does a washing machine blow back to the main board and leave the plug fuse in-tact.

Best get it looked at, the hair clip could be black due to friction in a spinning part and not to do with the electrical fault
The electrical short will more than likely be water dripping onto an electronic board.
Very common on washing machines and iron.

I would not use it until its check out, its blowing under fault condition for a reason and best to get rectified.

loobyloo0302

cheers, you're a star! All I've done is just flick the switch back up, have done so about 3 times now, so will leave it.. no fuses blown etc, just literally the tripped switch Thanks for your quick replies!

macman

Plug it into another socket on the same ring main, if all is then OK that tells you it's a socket fault. If not, plug it into a different ring main (using an extension lead). If all OK then it's a fault on the first ring main. If not OK on either, it's either an appliance fault or (less likely) a more general fault on your electrical system.
It's tripping for a reason (to protect you). don't just keep resetting it if it continues to trip.

planemad

macman wrote: »

Plug it into another socket on the same ring main, if all is then OK that tells you it's a socket fault. If not, plug it into a different ring main (using an extension lead). If all OK then it's a fault on the first ring main. If not OK on either, it's either an appliance fault or (less likely) a more general fault on your electrical system.
It's tripping for a reason (to protect you). don't just keep resetting it if it continues to trip.

I would advise you against doing this, by what you are saying this sounds like an appliance fault.
Playing around with this in other sockets and extension lead puts you at more risk of shock especially if you happen to touch the appliance under serious fault condition.

If you plug it in via an extension lead then that circuit might not be protected by RCD if you have a 1 RCD split load board.

Get the repair man / electrician to take a look.

muckybutt

planemad wrote: »

(Electrician Advice)

Rarely does a washing machine blow back to the main board and leave the plug fuse in-tact.

Pants ! An RCD will trip much quicker than a fuse will rupture thus often not blowing the plug top fuse at all.

planemad wrote: »

The electrical short will more than likely be water dripping onto an electronic board.

Again not always the case, could easily be a neutral /earth fault in which case the fuse wouldnt blow but the RCD would trip, could also be worn brushes causing an imbalance in the RCD which is making it think there is a fault, if its tripping at the start of the drying cycle then more likely to be an element on the dryer thats causing the fault.

birkee

Open all circuit breakers, and reset the main one.
Turn on the other circuit breakers one at a time, and see which one trips the main breaker.
Turn off the faulty one again, turn the main breaker back on, and then all the other breakers EXCEPT the one that tripped the main breaker.

If the washer /drier is the problem. just unplug it until sorted, to allow the use of the rest of the sockets on the circuit.

planemad

muckybutt wrote: »

Pants ! An RCD will trip much quicker than a fuse will rupture thus often not blowing the plug top fuse at all.



Again not always the case, could easily be a neutral /earth fault in which case the fuse wouldn't blow but the RCD would trip, could also be worn brushes causing an imbalance in the RCD which is making it think there is a fault, if its tripping at the start of the drying cycle then more likely to be an element on the dryer thats causing the fault.

Thats why on the sentence above the area you quoted I said I think its and RCD tripping as an MCB rarely blows back to the board leaving the plug fuse intact.

Read me few posts mate, the OP had no idea what and RCD or MCB was!

As for the other post, by reading the OPs response's I would not say she is competent to carry out the fault finding tasks explained and could put herself at danger.

muckybutt

planemad wrote: »

(Electrician Advice)
I imagine its the RCD tripping.

Rarely does a washing machine blow back to the main board and leave the plug fuse in-tact.

planemad wrote: »

Thats why on the sentence above the area you quoted I said I think its and RCD tripping as an MCB rarely blows back to the board leaving the plug fuse intact.

Where in that sentence does it mention MCB ?