RCD nuisance tripping.

FreeBear

Risteard said: You must not fit another manufacturer's parts into the assembly.

Pfffft.....

You'll be telling me I can't use a Mini oil filter on a BMW next....

Jeepers_Creepers

I presume when folks say that Hagar will fit, it is because they are actually physically identical? And obviously of similar specs.

(Mind you, Hagar is just as costly...)

Could anyone confirm which MEM/Eaton RCBOs will fit in my CU, please? And will they do so with having to modify the front panel? Thanks.

Risteard

Jeepers_Creepers said:

I presume when folks say that Hagar will fit, it is because they are actually physically identical? And obviously of similar specs.

(Mind you, Hagar is just as costly...)

Could anyone confirm which MEM/Eaton RCBOs will fit in my CU, please? And will they do so with having to modify the front panel? Thanks.

Memera 2000 is long discontinued. Any devices available will cost a fortune. I see a Memshield 2 device in there too, which are still available (though not cheap). I don't believe that these are compatible with Memera 2000 though - Memshield 2 is typically in commercial/industrial distribution boards, as can be seen with the 10kA rating of the device.

In spite of what another user might have implied you cannot mix and match circuit breakers/RCBOs/RCCBs/main switches etc. It is not permitted as I pointed out, unless you wish to become the manufacturer of the assembly (with all of the relevant duties, including type testing the assembly and certifying compliance with BS EN 61439-3).

Ectophile

Risteard said:

Ectophile said:

These days, all circuits in a house should be on RCDs.

Not strictly true.

Ok, there are ways to get away without an RCD for circuits that don't end in sockets, if you don't mind rewiring them in some kind of armoured cable.

Risteard

Ectophile said:

Risteard said:

Ectophile said:

These days, all circuits in a house should be on RCDs.

Not strictly true.

Ok, there are ways to get away without an RCD for circuits that don't end in sockets, if you don't mind rewiring them in some kind of armoured cable.

Plenty of other ways than armoured cable, including Earthed steel conduit or indeed anything surface run. It's not just for socket-outlets, however. All AC final circuits supplying luminaires in domestic (household) premises must have additional protection of an RCD with a rated residual operating current not exceeding 30mA, as an example. Likewise any circuit in or running through a bathroom.

fenwick458

Jeepers_Creepers said:

So, back to option one - replace the RCD with a switch, and fit RCBOs to the circuits most in need. :-)  

No, you can't do this. that would be making the installation worse by removing the RCD protection for the circuits that you don't upgrade to RCBO...
basically unless you need to buy 1 main switch 17 RCBO's to fit in there, do it all at once. still quite a job for a non electrician, and as mentioned you will technically be mixing and matching the types which you shouldn't do (although they are the same shape and size...)
thats kind of a moot point though as it would only really matter if something went wrong, and if something does go wrong someone might like to know which "competent" electrician did the recent electrical work,  and where the certificate is?

Jeepers_Creepers said:

Hence me not being bovvered about internal lighting circuits, doorbells, smokies - I'll focus on sockets, outdoors, kitchen in the first instance at least.

think about what you are saying here.... for all you know, the RCD might be operating because theres an actual earth fault in your bathroom next to the shower, and you're just going to remove that bit of protection because you're "not bovvered" about it, and could potentially fry yourself when you step out the the shower soaking wet and touch 2 bits of metal

Jeepers_Creepers

I get it, thanks Fen.

Chickereeeee

Your existing CU is almost exactly the same as mine was (except I had no RCD for the lighting circuits. About 17 RCDs as well. I had random trips - it could be OK for 6 months, then two trips in a week. I could NOT identify any common factor. I suspected all the phone etc charges that are around the house, but no evidence. I split off the heating and freezers to a separate RCBO, mainly to protect the food. Main RCD still tripped, but at least the freezer stayed on.

I decided to upgrade the CU to all RCBO, metal box etc according to current regs, which included RCBOs for all lighting circuits as well. I made sure I had a spare slot for electric car charger, in the future. I thought that, if it still tripped, it would at least identify the problem circuit.

I have had no trips since (only six months, but fingers crossed)

C

Scrounger

I agree with FreeBear, I would change the RCD.

Those Mem A100HE RCD's sometimes develop a fault where they become sensitive to spikes on the incoming mains causing nuisance tripping.  Sometimes even your neighbours' electrical activity will then induce the tripping.

Scrounger

fenwick458

Scrounger said:

I agree with FreeBear, I would change the RCD.

Those Mem A100HE RCD's sometimes develop a fault where they become sensitive to spikes on the incoming mains causing nuisance tripping.  Sometimes even your neighbours' electrical activity will then induce the tripping.

Scrounger

well I won't say it's not going to work, because there's a small chance it might. but in reality, it probably wont work. in all my years of faultfinding and electrical testing i've only found a faulty RCD once I've tested many RCD's that are twice as old as me and absolutely enormous in comparison to todays technology,  and guess what, they still work.  it's very common for a customer to phone up telling me that they need me to replace the trip switch that keeps on tripping and just assume that the trip switch is the problem (it's not that btw, its being caused by a fault)
an RCD is rated at 30ma, but by design most will trip at only 23ma when you ramp test them (this is because NO manufacturer wants to be liable when they DON'T trip at 30ma, so just keep erring on the side of caution and now it seems like they should just call them 23mA RCD's)
also most electronic device now leak a few mA of current to earth as standard. so lets say you have 17 circuits, and each one is leaking 1ma to earth, thats 17Ma already. you're 5ma away from the RC disconnecting already and there's not even a fault yet...
I've also lost count of the times I've been to faultfind a nuisance RCD tripping scenario, and after testing every circuit (with all loads disconnected) I've found no fault. but yet the RCD nuisance tripping persists later on. the customers always seem to think that they need a "better" electrician, one that can "actually find the fault", in reality the fault is somebody has put more that 5 circuits on one RCD!
thankfully I've also lost count of the amount of times I've been proved right too, and have changed many many 1990's upfront RCD consumer units to either dual RCD or RCBO's and *mysteriously* the problem has vanished
(as the earth leakage had been divided over multiple devices)