RCD tripping for iron, laptop

ironwalk

Hi. Any advice appreciated please.
10 y.o. house. About 2 months ago the iron tripped the kitchen sockets from one particular socket. Working fine elsewhere, so just left that one socket as a dud.

In the last few days, laptop has tripped all the sockets in the house, regardless of where plugged in. New charger ordered.:-(

This morning, iron is now tripping all the sockets suddenly...no reason (ironed short, half way through pants...gone). Kettle works fine on the same socket.

I'm presuming it's a qualified electrician job in-house, but just want to be sure am I missing something obvious? Could iron and laptop be both (suddenly) faulty?

Thanks for any pointers.
ironwalk

ptogher14

If both laptop and iron are both consistently tripping the RCD regardless of the socket it's plugged into I'd say it's your laptop and iron that's the problem

hufpc8w3adnk65

Yup you'll need REC for this with the correct test instruments.

ironwalk

Thanks.

Am confused....are you saying the opposite?

If it's the house electrics, wouldn't the kettle/ microwave trip them too?

chrismon

Id think the iron and laptop charger are at fault here.
You won't know until you get it checked by an electrician.

ptogher14

Yes more than likely if it was the wiring other appliances would trip the RCD.

Maybe bring the iron and laptop to a friend's house and test them

ironwalk

Thanks.

Am confused....are you saying the opposite?

If it's the house electrics, wouldn't the kettle/ microwave trip them too?

ironwalk

Thanks all. Very helpful.
I'll test them over weekend. I'll come back if it's obviously not a device problem.

Bruthal

ptogher14 wrote: »

If both laptop and iron are both consistently tripping the RCD regardless of the socket it's plugged into I'd say it's your laptop and iron that's the problem

I would think the laptop has no earth connection to its switching adaptor/transformer. So its likely, or at least possibly anyway, the problem lies with the installation. Possibly the neutral-earth fault scenario again.

You never know though.

ptogher14

Bruthal wrote: »

I would think the laptop has no earth connection to its switching adaptor/transformer. So its likely, or at least possibly anyway, the problem lies with the installation. Possibly the neutral-earth fault scenario again.

You never know though.

But a laptop charger is usually double isolated

Bruthal

ptogher14 wrote: »

But a laptop charger is usually double isolated

Double insulated? Yea, that`s the point i`m making. Its an interesting one to see how it will be tripping an RCD with no earth connection to it.

ptogher14

A fault on the primary side maybe

Bruthal

ptogher14 wrote: »

A fault on the primary side maybe

They are usually switching mode transformers rather than windings.

But even if it was a wire wound transformer, Id say it would be a curious one if a fault on it tripped an RCD, when there is no earth connection to the adaptor/transformer for any fault current to cause an imbalance in L/N current.

Its a curious one anyway, if them two items only, are tripping the RCD. Possibly, the high loading of the iron, and the operation of the switching mode laptop transformer, are tripping the RCD through an intermittent neutral-earth fault within the installation.

Or perhaps there is indeed a problem with them 2 items. Id just say it would be unusual for a double insulated, non earthed item to cause trips on an RCD.

ironwalk

Gentlemen..thanks for the technical discussion-way over my head

Brought laptop to a friend's house...charged away lovely. Used it all evening without a hitch.

What's the advice on what to do now?

ptogher14

ironwalk wrote: »

Gentlemen..thanks for the technical discussion-way over my head

Brought laptop to a friend's house...charged away lovely. Used it all evening without a hitch.

What's the advice on what to do now?

Time to call an electrician:-D

2011

ironwalk wrote: »

Gentlemen..thanks for the technical discussion-way over my head

I will summarise: I am agreement with Bruthal, the problem is the wiring in your home not the laptop.

What's the advice on what to do now?

As ptogher14 said, call an electrician.
Should be a simple fix for a sparks.

marathont

Hi

I had a problem with the RCD tripping seemingly randomly. Often happened when someone plugged something in, any socket. didnt happen all the time only now and then.

I replaced the RCD and never had any more problems.

ironwalk

Thanks for advice on here. Had the electrician out....he was stumped but seems to think my iron is the source of the problem not the house wiring.
I'm not sure myself if we've solved the problem but I think it's wait and see if things start tripping again.
Thanks for the advice.

2011

ironwalk wrote: »

Thanks for advice on here. Had the electrician out....he was stumped but seems to think my iron is the source of the problem not the house wiring.

I would be surprised, time will tell

2011

marathont wrote: »

I had a problem with the RCD tripping seemingly randomly. Often happened when someone plugged something in, any socket. didnt happen all the time only now and then.

I replaced the RCD and never had any more problems.

Occasionally RCD's have been know to fail (sometimes they are over sensitive).

ironwalk

Ok. If there was a grrrrr emoticon, I'd have it here.

Interesting last comment by 2011 re RCD being sensitive, as I was comparing it to a stroppy teenager this morning.
No problem all week. New iron. Laptop charging fine.
This morning I turned on laptop ....have work to do for Monday morning.

Tripped immediately. Now phone charger is tripping it too....all while kettle is happily boiling on same circuit.

Do electricians work Saturdays....need to get work done for client.

hufpc8w3adnk65

ironwalk wrote: »

Ok. If there was a grrrrr emoticon, I'd have it here.

Interesting last comment by 2011 re RCD being sensitive, as I was comparing it to a stroppy teenager this morning.
No problem all week. New iron. Laptop charging fine.
This morning I turned on laptop ....have work to do for Monday morning.

Tripped immediately. Now phone charger is tripping it too....all while kettle is happily boiling on same circuit.

Do electricians work Saturdays....need to get work done for client.

Where in Ireland are you?

ironwalk

Waterford

hufpc8w3adnk65

ironwalk wrote: »

Waterford

Sorry i dunno anyone out that way.

http://www.reci.ie/ConsumerServices/FindanElectrician.aspx

had a quick look here and theres 28 REC in Waterford who do domestic works so SURELY one of those can sort it out today. Even if its just too tide you over till Monday and rectfy it then!

Bruthal

ironwalk wrote: »

Ok. If there was a grrrrr emoticon, I'd have it here.

Interesting last comment by 2011 re RCD being sensitive, as I was comparing it to a stroppy teenager this morning.
No problem all week. New iron. Laptop charging fine.
This morning I turned on laptop ....have work to do for Monday morning.

Tripped immediately. Now phone charger is tripping it too....all while kettle is happily boiling on same circuit.

Do electricians work Saturdays....need to get work done for client.

Did it trip immediately you actually switched laptop on, or when you plugged it into the wall socket? Did you notice the trip switch tripping, or only notice it because laptop didnt start?

tomdempsey200

you should have had some definite answers after the electrician called..

you should know if there was a earth fault in the iron (not hard to check)

and if the rcd is operating correctly and if there's faults showing in the rcd protected circuits

it could happen then that you have you some intermittent problem at a socket wiring

ironwalk

Thanks mrmac, bruthal & tomdempsey.

Have an electrician who says he'll call later. On phone, he says he should be able to work something over weekend to keep me going (so I can work done for Mon morning client at least).

I plugged laptop into socket, turned socket on, switched laptop on. 15 seconds later desk lamp beside laptop went off so I knew RCD had gone.

I've replaced the iron, after advice from last week's electrician.
If it was a socket problem, would that cause RCDs to trip, even when laptop plugged in on a different circuit?

tomdempsey200

sounds like you're back to square 1 ...the iron should been tested and a fault showing



you'll have to test rcd and circuits for faults anyhow

Bruthal

ironwalk wrote: »

Thanks mrmac, bruthal & tomdempsey.

Have an electrician who says he'll call later. On phone, he says he should be able to work something over weekend to keep me going (so I can work done for Mon morning client at least).

I plugged laptop into socket, turned socket on, switched laptop on. 15 seconds later desk lamp beside laptop went off so I knew RCD had gone.

I've replaced the iron, after advice from last week's electrician.
If it was a socket problem, would that cause RCDs to trip, even when laptop plugged in on a different circuit?

Iron should have been tested, rather than guessed at.

If you have an immersion, switch it off at its immersion switch, and see if problem persists.

For an electrician, RCD needs to be tested. If ok, a neutral to earth test on the RCD neutral bar. If it shows a fault, unplug everything, switch immersion off. Test again. If still showing a fault, then all neutrals removed from RCD neutral bar and tested individually to earth. If a neutral shows a problem, identify circuit and locate problem by splitting the circuit and isolating sections of it and testing.

Neutral to earth faults can trip RCD from items on a different circuit, but in this case, when the RCD trips, it wont be known which circuit, if any, has the problem.

If it was a Live to earth fault, it would trip without anything plugged in. These things are usually neutral to earth faults.

Another thing an electrician could try, is fitting a second RCD, and splitting the socket circuits over the existing and new one. That might get closer to reducing the circuits that need to be checked, or it may stop tripping problems either.

tomdempsey200

and how big is the installation(house) btw?

zom

Just if I can have some similar question - room of 10 old PC's (office). RCD tripping every first working day after weekend or longer break. I have to disconnect half of machines and let another half work for few hours - then I can connect the others and everything works fine. I checked RCD, cables, wiring - no fix. I am about to check all power supplies (PCs and screens) but maybe someone have better idea?