RCD trip

2nd_time_buyer

Solarchaser said:

The 0.03a is the 30ma rcd, but I agree, according to your diagram, the solar isn't on the rcd circuit,  though you would need to remove the front cover WITH MAINS OFF to be sure if it's on rcd or not

Here is the inside @Solarchaser. To be honest, I have no idea what I am looking for. It looks quite "full". The solar is circled. Thanks for all the help, really appreciated.

Solarchaser

If you look below the rcd you see the thick copper strip, this is called a busbar, essentially it provides power to the trips, but you can see that the busbar for the rcd ends before your solar trip, so it's not part of the RCD, it's just off the mains switch on the right.

If you follow the brown (I've marked yellow) line that comes off above the solar, thats power out, going to your inverter (and power in when inverter is generating) and you can see where it meets its neutral counterpart (ive marked purple)and its earth (ive circled orange), live and neutral seem properly connected, but the earth seems to be just in the air(???)
You are definitely not connected to your rcd circuit with solar, so I don't see how it can be causing your rcd to trip, must just be a coincidence.

However if that earth really isn't connected, then your inverter earth is "floating" and that can cause some weird and wonderful things.

With mains power off you should be able to touch anything, but insulated pliers is always a good idea, grab that earth and give it a fairly gentle tug, it should not move because it should be attached to the earth rail with the rest of the earth's, if its not attached, get your solar guys out pronto and point out their failing.

QrizB

2nd_time_buyer said:

Solarchaser said:

The 0.03a is the 30ma rcd, but I agree, according to your diagram, the solar isn't on the rcd circuit,  though you would need to remove the front cover WITH MAINS OFF to be sure if it's on rcd or not

Here is the inside @Solarchaser. To be honest, I have no idea what I am looking for. It looks quite "full". The solar is circled. Thanks for all the help, really appreciated.

The PV MCB certainly looks to be fed from the switched busbar, not the RCD-protected one.

Your circuits 3 & 4 both seem to have RCBOs already.

Solarchaser

shibli said:

Solarchaser said:

If the rcd is tripping, its detecting current leaking to earth. Thats bad news generally,  but I'd suggest the best way to find out which is causing the issue is to buy an rcd plug
Like this:-
https://www.screwfix.com/p/masterplug-13a-fused-plug-through-active-rcd-adaptor/63731
And plug the washing machine into it before plugging the washing machine into a socket.
If this rcd trips, then its definitely the washing machine causing it.

However to be honest it's much more likely the solar inverter is causing it, solar inverters because of their switching can cause a bit of earth current and trip a 30ma rcd, which is why, as Martyn said above, its common to have that replaced with a 100ma rcd to avoid nuisance trips.

2nd_time_buyer  I'd think it's highly likely yours is your solar, so I'd be contacting the install company.

Both, if you take a picture of the rcd I can tell you which earth leakage its rated at.
But usually you would see for instance 100A 30ma on the trip switch

Thanks so your suggesting the RCD should be swapped out for a 100A ? Fyi my consumer unit.

Sorry Shibli I missed your post.
You have a 63a rcd, this is standard, your main trip on right is 100a, again standard.
Your rcd is 30ma, so could be too sensitive as the solar is wired into this 30ma rcd circuit

shibli

Solarchaser said:

shibli said:

Solarchaser said:

If the rcd is tripping, its detecting current leaking to earth. Thats bad news generally,  but I'd suggest the best way to find out which is causing the issue is to buy an rcd plug
Like this:-
https://www.screwfix.com/p/masterplug-13a-fused-plug-through-active-rcd-adaptor/63731
And plug the washing machine into it before plugging the washing machine into a socket.
If this rcd trips, then its definitely the washing machine causing it.

However to be honest it's much more likely the solar inverter is causing it, solar inverters because of their switching can cause a bit of earth current and trip a 30ma rcd, which is why, as Martyn said above, its common to have that replaced with a 100ma rcd to avoid nuisance trips.

2nd_time_buyer  I'd think it's highly likely yours is your solar, so I'd be contacting the install company.

Both, if you take a picture of the rcd I can tell you which earth leakage its rated at.
But usually you would see for instance 100A 30ma on the trip switch

Thanks so your suggesting the RCD should be swapped out for a 100A ? Fyi my consumer unit.

Sorry Shibli I missed your post.
You have a 63a rcd, this is standard, your main trip on right is 100a, again standard.
Your rcd is 30ma, so could be too sensitive as the solar is wired into this 30ma rcd circuit

Would you recommend removing the solar off the rcd ?

QrizB

shibli said:

Solarchaser said:

shibli said:

Solarchaser said:

If the rcd is tripping, its detecting current leaking to earth. Thats bad news generally,  but I'd suggest the best way to find out which is causing the issue is to buy an rcd plug
Like this:-
https://www.screwfix.com/p/masterplug-13a-fused-plug-through-active-rcd-adaptor/63731
And plug the washing machine into it before plugging the washing machine into a socket.
If this rcd trips, then its definitely the washing machine causing it.

However to be honest it's much more likely the solar inverter is causing it, solar inverters because of their switching can cause a bit of earth current and trip a 30ma rcd, which is why, as Martyn said above, its common to have that replaced with a 100ma rcd to avoid nuisance trips.

2nd_time_buyer  I'd think it's highly likely yours is your solar, so I'd be contacting the install company.

Both, if you take a picture of the rcd I can tell you which earth leakage its rated at.
But usually you would see for instance 100A 30ma on the trip switch

Thanks so your suggesting the RCD should be swapped out for a 100A ? Fyi my consumer unit.

Sorry Shibli I missed your post.
You have a 63a rcd, this is standard, your main trip on right is 100a, again standard.
Your rcd is 30ma, so could be too sensitive as the solar is wired into this 30ma rcd circuit

Would you recommend removing the solar off the rcd ?

All your circuits are RCD-protected so you don't have a straightforward way to move it.

If you wanted to move your solar, I think it would need a separate consumer unit (or some surgery on your current one).

Solarchaser

shibli said:

Solarchaser said:

shibli said:

Solarchaser said:

If the rcd is tripping, its detecting current leaking to earth. Thats bad news generally,  but I'd suggest the best way to find out which is causing the issue is to buy an rcd plug
Like this:-
https://www.screwfix.com/p/masterplug-13a-fused-plug-through-active-rcd-adaptor/63731
And plug the washing machine into it before plugging the washing machine into a socket.
If this rcd trips, then its definitely the washing machine causing it.

However to be honest it's much more likely the solar inverter is causing it, solar inverters because of their switching can cause a bit of earth current and trip a 30ma rcd, which is why, as Martyn said above, its common to have that replaced with a 100ma rcd to avoid nuisance trips.

2nd_time_buyer  I'd think it's highly likely yours is your solar, so I'd be contacting the install company.

Both, if you take a picture of the rcd I can tell you which earth leakage its rated at.
But usually you would see for instance 100A 30ma on the trip switch

Thanks so your suggesting the RCD should be swapped out for a 100A ? Fyi my consumer unit.

Sorry Shibli I missed your post.
You have a 63a rcd, this is standard, your main trip on right is 100a, again standard.
Your rcd is 30ma, so could be too sensitive as the solar is wired into this 30ma rcd circuit

Would you recommend removing the solar off the rcd ?

It would probably be easier to change the rcd to be honest.
You could shunt the box along and put solar right beside the main trip and before the rcd's, bit that's a fair undertaking, maybe an hour for a spark and alot more for DIY

Whereas changing out the rcd is pretty straightforward, 10 mins for someone reasonably competent with electrics
https://www.screwfix.com/p/british-general-fortress-80a-100ma-dp-type-ac-rcd/5948p

dil1976

Solarchaser said:

shibli said:

Solarchaser said:

shibli said:

Solarchaser said:

If the rcd is tripping, its detecting current leaking to earth. Thats bad news generally,  but I'd suggest the best way to find out which is causing the issue is to buy an rcd plug
Like this:-
https://www.screwfix.com/p/masterplug-13a-fused-plug-through-active-rcd-adaptor/63731
And plug the washing machine into it before plugging the washing machine into a socket.
If this rcd trips, then its definitely the washing machine causing it.

However to be honest it's much more likely the solar inverter is causing it, solar inverters because of their switching can cause a bit of earth current and trip a 30ma rcd, which is why, as Martyn said above, its common to have that replaced with a 100ma rcd to avoid nuisance trips.

2nd_time_buyer  I'd think it's highly likely yours is your solar, so I'd be contacting the install company.

Both, if you take a picture of the rcd I can tell you which earth leakage its rated at.
But usually you would see for instance 100A 30ma on the trip switch

Thanks so your suggesting the RCD should be swapped out for a 100A ? Fyi my consumer unit.

Sorry Shibli I missed your post.
You have a 63a rcd, this is standard, your main trip on right is 100a, again standard.
Your rcd is 30ma, so could be too sensitive as the solar is wired into this 30ma rcd circuit

Would you recommend removing the solar off the rcd ?

It would probably be easier to change the rcd to be honest.
You could shunt the box along and put solar right beside the main trip and before the rcd's, bit that's a fair undertaking, maybe an hour for a spark and alot more for DIY

Whereas changing out the rcd is pretty straightforward, 10 mins for someone reasonably competent with electrics
https://www.screwfix.com/p/british-general-fortress-80a-100ma-dp-type-ac-rcd/5948p

What would you swap the RCD for? it hasn't been proven to be defective so doesn't need swapping does it?

ispookie666

@2nd_time_buyer if you have emergency backup power from your inverter you will need another source for earth. 
My knowledge on RCD trip is minimal other than having blamed victron for 6 months only to find the connected equipment was dodgy 🙈

2nd_time_buyer

Thanks again @Solarchaser. I have checked the earth, it doubles back on itself and is connected - the photo is just not very clear.

The electrician has done checks on the the cooker circuit (and the cooker) and hasn't found any faults. I guess it could be something else other than the solar on the RCD causing the cooker circuit to trip(?). I think he is a bit stumped now.

So it sounds like there are a few options.

1) Swap the cooker off the RCD with one of the other currently non-RCD circuits

2) as above but put the cooker on a RCDO so at least it doesn't trip all the circuits

3) replace the 30ma RCD with a 100ma RCD.

... Any other suggestions?

My gut feeling is that (3) would be easiest and most likely to solve the tripping problem. However, the electrician was sceptical on whether it was allowed to use a 100ma RCD. 

What do you think?

@QrizB yes those 2 circuits seem to be the loft circuit and one of the lighting circuits. I notice that the non RCD circuit on the far right is labelled "water heater". However, as we have a combi boiler I suspect this is an overhang when there was probably an immersion heater. So potentially I could ask the electrician to move the oven to there on a RCDO i.e. (2) above.

@ispookie666 the inverter does not have emergency backup. It is Solaredge. 

Thanks all. I am leaning a lot.