Battery charger keeps tripping the main RCD in the house Swift challenger 580, 2010yr, powe supply EC 400

[Malx]

include computers in the list of items with Earth leakage. Electric Cookers, immersion heaters and kettles All leak to Earth, more as the elements age. I agree double insulate items shouldnt have Earth leakage. Have a look at you tube videos on this subject. I was surprised.

 

[Dustydog]

Thanks for that Prof, clearly supporting my comment in post 13.

One point: RCBOs as often used domestically nowadays are usually only single pole - they isolate the live but NOT the neutral.

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If the trip needs to go in a microsecond, why is the spec 30mS, or was that a typo Dusty?

I took it from the web😜
Here it is :-
In fact, an RCD when tested at its rated sensitivity must trip in 300 ms. When tested at five times, ie, 150 mA for a 30 mA device, it should trip in 40 ms. A 10 mA device must always trip within 40 ms regardless of the test current.

 

[Malx]

What a load of rubbish there should be no leakage current whatsoever from any electrical appliance.

The specification of RCD devices is such that they are designed to trip when greater than 30mA of current flows to earth. This current could be flowing through you. If this is the case the RCD trips in a very short space of time, a fraction of a heartbeat, And you are saved from electrocution. There are many devices that leak current to earth, it might only be a few mA. heating elements in kettles, cookers, ovens are all known to leak current. As they get older they tend to leak more. A cooker we had regularly, but not always, used to trip the RCD when cooling down.

 

[Malx]

...which is what I said at the start but I got shouted down.

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Predominately PAT testing is to check that the earth is good, connected, and low resistance. That is why I always argued over why the PATman should test a wall-wart with a plastic earth pin - but he always did and passed the unit!

PAT testing must be a nice little earner, that’s why they test everything in sight. How much do they charge per item now. Interesting to see PAT stickers on items that are not portable, such as hand dryers. Desktop Computers in schools were tested every year, not really necessary, they can be moved but are not portable devices.

 

[bertieboy1]

Then why did we have to carry out PAT testing.

Because you have a fault

 

[bertieboy1]

The specification of RCD devices is such that they are designed to trip when greater than 30mA of current flows to earth. This current could be flowing through you. If this is the case the RCD trips in a very short space of time, a fraction of a heartbeat, And you are saved from electrocution. There are many devices that leak current to earth, it might only be a few mA. heating elements in kettles, cookers, ovens are all known to leak current. As they get older they tend to leak more. A cooker we had regularly, but not always, used to trip the RCD when cooling down.

Is that correct ?,the greater the earth fault current the faster the RCD will trip, Every electrical device can leak to earth - if there is a fault.

 

[Malx]

Then why did we have to carry out PAT testing.

Portable Electrical Appliance test is designed to check the safety of portable devices. It’s designed to check the safety of the items primarily the earthing. Devices frequently moved such as vacuum cleaners will need testing annually. Devices infrequenlty moved can be tested less frequently. Double insulated
items every 4 years. All items must have 13A plug. This info comes from my wife who did a course run by a schools organisation. The school had 100s of electrical items, many stored in cupboards around a large site. If a contractor had done the work ten many items would have got missed, year after year.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Any one who tells me an appliance has zero leakage current is clearly does not understand the reality of insulation and electricity. Put simply there is no such thing as a perfect electrical insulator that stops all current leakage.

However and whilst there are branches of electrical and electronics engineering where Picoamps (0.0000000000001A) of leakage might be considered a fail normal domestic systems are permitted to have a few milliamps (0.001A of leakage - dependant on the nature of the appliance or circuit and its operational current rating.

 

[Woodentop]

Portable Electrical Appliance test is designed to check the safety of portable devices. It’s designed to check the safety of the items primarily the earthing. Devices frequently moved such as vacuum cleaners will need testing annually. Devices infrequenlty moved can be tested less frequently. Double insulated
items every 4 years. All items must have 13A plug. This info comes from my wife who did a course run by a schools organisation. The school had 100s of electrical items, many stored in cupboards around a large site. If a contractor had done the work ten many items would have got missed, year after year.

Vacuum cleaners have been made of plastic and double insulated for decades so only have two-core flex.

 

[PeterC]

May be it’s time for a qualified engineer to look at it. It may cost a pound or three but better that than costing a burned out caravan or worse, a life?

 

[xtrailman]

This thread started with a charger tripping a RCD, chargers can have leakage to earth, my swift one is metal cased and earthed.

During its first year switching it on would trip site bollards randomly, not just one site.

Once this was established and the fact that I'm an electrical technician, after a discussion with Sargent who supply Swift, they immediately sent out a new one and arranged collection of the faulty one.

No trips since 5 years later.