Is it a major problem if I cannot reset the RCD? Is there an easy fix or it needs replacing? and is it a DYI job or electrician?
Jaahn said
07:04 AM Apr 14, 2022
Hmm you should get a qualified person to look at it and see why it tripped and if the fault is still there. Possibly a continuing fault is just causing it to instantly trip when reset.
It is a safety device for your protection so do not ignore it. Hot water heaters do develop earth leakage and trip them. As well as other items or wiring faults.
Get an electrician.
Jaahn
The Travelling Dillberries said
07:19 AM Apr 14, 2022
mgtlat wrote:
Is it a major problem if I cannot reset the RCD? Is there an easy fix or it needs replacing? and is it a DYI job or electrician?
You can turn everything 240v OFF. Reset the breaker, then turn things on one at a time.
Whenarewethere said
07:47 AM Apr 14, 2022
If the RDC does not reset, you actually have an electrical issue.
As said above, turn absolutely everything off, pull plugs out. Turn on one by one checking RCD.
I had this issue at home recently. Eventually found issue with last item!
Whenarewethere said
07:51 AM Apr 14, 2022
You will need an electrician to replace the RCD if it is at fault. The electrician will also get one from a known source. There are a lot of fake RCDs out there.
erad said
08:20 AM Apr 14, 2022
A RCD trips when the leakage current exceeds a certain value - say 30 mA. Now, you might have a permanent 26 mA leaking all the time and when you plug in another appliance (with, say 6 mA leakage) the RCD will trip because the total leakage current exceeds its trip value. So, before you get an electrician, unplug everything and see if it stays on. If it does, then progressively plug in more items eg the fridge first, then other appliances later, and see when it trips. Even then it does not mean that the last item tripped the RCD, because its leakage current may have been the one which caused the total to exceed the limit. But it gives you an clue as to where to start looking.
One time, I plugged the electric frypan in and the RCD tripped. No matter what I did, it kept tripping. So I took it outside and plugged it into another pole (no RCDs on the poles - only in our van) and left the frypan run for a few minutes. I brought it back into the van and it worked fine after that. The heat had dried out whatever fault there was in the appliance and reduced the leakage current to a level where it didn't trip the RCD.
As said above, do not try to replace the RCD yourself - electricity bites hard, One flash and you're ash!
Aus-Kiwi said
08:53 AM Apr 14, 2022
Turn things off till it re- sets . Chances are its condensation in
something like the range hood or elect jug etc may have water on elect cord ?
-- Edited by Aus-Kiwi on Thursday 14th of April 2022 08:55:01 AM
PeterD said
10:34 AM Apr 14, 2022
Disconnect the power cord from the van. If you can reset the breaker then you have a problem in the van. If you can not reset the breaker then the breaker is buggered. You will need a sparkie to replace it.
If you can reset the breaker with the mains power removed, then remove everything from the power points and switch off all the 230 V devices that do not plug in (eg 230 V lights.) If the breaker does not reset when you reapply the mains power, you have a fault in the vans wiring. If there is no problem with all appliances disconnected, reconnect them as described above to find the crook device.
It is a safety device for your protection so do not ignore it. Hot water heaters do develop earth leakage and trip them. As well as other items or wiring faults.
Get an electrician.
Jaahn
You can turn everything 240v OFF. Reset the breaker, then turn things on one at a time.
If the RDC does not reset, you actually have an electrical issue.
As said above, turn absolutely everything off, pull plugs out. Turn on one by one checking RCD.
I had this issue at home recently. Eventually found issue with last item!
You will need an electrician to replace the RCD if it is at fault. The electrician will also get one from a known source. There are a lot of fake RCDs out there.
One time, I plugged the electric frypan in and the RCD tripped. No matter what I did, it kept tripping. So I took it outside and plugged it into another pole (no RCDs on the poles - only in our van) and left the frypan run for a few minutes. I brought it back into the van and it worked fine after that. The heat had dried out whatever fault there was in the appliance and reduced the leakage current to a level where it didn't trip the RCD.
As said above, do not try to replace the RCD yourself - electricity bites hard, One flash and you're ash!
Turn things off till it re- sets . Chances are its condensation in
something like the range hood or elect jug etc may have water on elect cord ?
-- Edited by Aus-Kiwi on Thursday 14th of April 2022 08:55:01 AM
If you can reset the breaker with the mains power removed, then remove everything from the power points and switch off all the 230 V devices that do not plug in (eg 230 V lights.) If the breaker does not reset when you reapply the mains power, you have a fault in the vans wiring. If there is no problem with all appliances disconnected, reconnect them as described above to find the crook device.
Happy hunting.