When laying electrical wiring in an apartment, the main task is to protect the home from current leakage. The best option is to install an RCD. This abbreviation refers to a small device that prevents electric shock to residents. This element cuts off electricity if an emergency occurs. It happens that the RCD knocks out too often. In this case, it is necessary to find out what the essence of the problem is, where the possible breakdowns lie. It is important to correct the problem in a timely manner.
How does a residual current device (RCD) work?
RCD is needed to be able to automatically disconnect the electrical circuit. Such actions are necessary when the current indicators exceed the permissible norms in a certain area.
The mechanism of this device is quite simple. To find out why the RCD knocks out,you need to understand how it works. It is necessary to connect the phase and "zero" to the terminals. The device compares conductors that differ in current strength. Most often the difference is insignificant, but there are exceptions. When the difference exceeds the norm, the system automatically turns off. You need to purchase a reliable device that will not work for no reason.
Knocks out the RCD in various situations. Perhaps there really was a leak, or it was a false alarm. If you have purchased a high-quality RCD and connected it according to all the rules, then it will work flawlessly. It is important to carry out diagnostics of the device in a timely manner, to find out the cause of failures in the system.
What does the RCD react to?
Before carrying out repair work, you need to find out for what reasons the RCD knocks out. These actions will help you choose the right way to fix the breakdown, if it really exists.
The system may work for certain reasons. These include:
- Current leakage, which is important to determine in a timely manner. The device is purchased to determine it, so it is important that the system works without failures. If the RCD knocks out for the first time, then you need to check the wiring. Insulation may eventually become unusable, in which case current leakage is not ruled out. There may be defects in the places where the connections occur. Insulation may be damaged in some places.
- Sometimes there is damage to the cables of electrical appliances. It is often found that the RCD knocks out when several devices are connected at once. If one of them has a broken cord,then the device should respond to the problem in a timely manner. It happens that the internal elements of the devices are faulty. For example, the heater breaks down at water heaters.
- If you touched a bare section of the wire, the RCD should prevent electric shocks. When it starts signaling danger, and at that time a person touches a cable without insulation, the device does its job perfectly.
- Wrong choice of RCD. It is important to consider all technical parameters when buying a device. It can knock out the RCD if the calculations are incorrect. It is often found that the device works for no apparent reason. The reason also lies in incorrect calculations. It is important to consult with a qualified electrician before purchasing an RCD, to find out with what characteristics you need to buy a device.
- If the device is connected incorrectly, a false alarm occurs. Some mistakenly choose a place in the electrical circuit where the device is installed. When carrying out installation work, you must strictly follow the instructions.
- A real breakdown of the system can occur if the trigger fails. In this case, even with slight vibrations, this device will knock out.
What mistakes can be made when connecting an RCD?
Even the most competent installers sometimes make mistakes. If it is incorrect to connect the ground to the neutral conductor, then a failure will occur. This cannot be allowed. This rule is known to all people who work with electricity, but allstill make mistakes. Violations will cost dearly to the person doing the work. You can die from electric shock. Grounding rules must be strictly followed. When the device is chosen with suitable characteristics and correctly installed in the right place in the electrical circuit, it will work without failure.
Complaints are often received from people that the Termex water heater knocks out the RCD. This happens when the device is connected incorrectly, or when a device with a different capacity is selected.
What affects the location of the RCD in the circuit?
An important task for the installer is to choose the right place for the location of the RCD in the electrical circuit. Its functionality will directly depend on its location. When the device is placed outdoors, it may falsely trigger due to bad weather conditions.
What problems can arise when installing an RCD on the street?
Usually, after the rains, dampness remains for a long period of time. When the device is outdoors, moisture gets inside. Too much moisture also causes electrical leakage. The device is working. If the RCD is located low, then it can be affected by lightning. In this case, the leakage current may only increase.
When it's freezing outside and the temperature drops below zero, the RCD reacts worse to possible changes. Chips inevitably suffer from frost.
What difficulties can arise when repairing an RCD?
Indoors, the increasedhumidity. Such problems can arise when the strobes are covered with a layer of wet plaster or putty. The solutions dry for a long period of time, while the cables are in high humidity. Difficulties arise when checking the protective device.
It is important to remember that after the solution has been applied to the tracks, you should not check the RCD. You must wait until the moisture disappears. When the putty dries, it is not dangerous for the device, as it cannot provoke current leakage. In this case, the RCD should not knock out.
Wet plaster is considered to be a good conductor of electricity. When the wiring is isolated, invisible micro-holes remain. Through them, small particles of water enter the system. There is a risk of current leakage, to which the RCD immediately responds.
How is the device diagnosed?
To fix the problem, you need to correctly diagnose the system. It is checked whether the device circuit is connected correctly. Installation errors, unfortunately, are quite common. They lead to false alarms in the system.
Sometimes the RCD can knock out even when all devices are disconnected from the electricity network. In this case, it is worth considering that the person initially bought the wrong device. If you installed a model of 32 Amperes, then it is better to change it to a more powerful one, which will be 64 Amperes.
Usually, only a specialist with extensive experience in this field can calculate a breakdown. He may nottest the entire system. It will be convenient for him to find the malfunction, acting step by step. When the RCD knocks out on the water heater, you need to check whether the power of the device matches the heater itself.
Algorithm for finding out the cause of the breakdown
The following algorithm should be followed:
- The first step will be to turn off the electricity in the entire room. In the shield you can see the switch. If work takes place in an apartment, then the shield is usually located on the stairwell. You need to turn on the RCD. If there are no problems, then the machine turns it off. If this does not happen, then the entire mechanism will have to be replaced.
- It is necessary to check the correct operation of the "test" button. It is not necessary to turn on the central switch before this. From all terminals you need to disconnect the wires, only after that you need to raise the knife switch. If the system is functioning correctly, the device will show "on". In other cases, it will be necessary to troubleshoot the devices.
- The next step is to check whether the device complies with the consumed current. All electrical appliances must be turned off, leave the machine lever in the “on” position. After that, you can gradually connect the devices to the power.
- If one of the devices knocks out the RCD, then the cause of the breakdown was in it. It needs to be taken for repair or replaced with a working one.
- It happens that all devices are turned off from the network, but the RCD still knocks out. Then you need to start checking the wiring. To calculate the area with damage, you need to test all the wiring in the apartment with a specialappliance.
How do they fix problems?
A broken device is calculated by the verification method, it is repaired or replaced with a new one.
It happens that just the wrong RCD is installed, and it is replaced with another one that meets all standards.
When the RCD knocks out when turned on, all devices are turned off from the network. Then they test each, connecting to the network separately from the others. It happens that the RCD is knocked out when the washing machine is turned on. You can fix the breakdown with your own hands, but it is better to invite an experienced craftsman. The washing machine knocks out the RCD for various reasons. But mostly this happens due to an improperly selected protection device. It is worth trying to replace it with a more powerful one.
