Tripping the switch

Waterman

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Subject:

Tripping the switch

· Posted: 18.11.2013 · #1

Folks I'd appreciate any advice on this:

When I plug the camper into the mains it is tripping the switch on the house/shed fuse board. This has just started to happen for no apparent reason. (The van has not been idle for more than two weeks.)

I've tried different cables (and different connectors) into different sockets (which are on separate fuse boards). There is nothing electrical on in the van and nothing plugged in to any of the sockets. However, when running off the leisure batteries everything works normally. I have not introduced any new electrical equipment into the van. I also had my Electro Block serviced before the summer.

This may help in the diagnosis:
When connected at the garden shed when I reset the trip switch all will be fine for anything from 5 to 90 mins and then it trips again.

When connected to a socket in the house it will trip immediately.

(All tests conducted with nothing on (or plugged in) and no change to the power draw.)

Thanks in advance

Viktor

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Re: Tripping the switch

· Posted: 18.11.2013 · #2

Tripping usually means a short. You might have a problem where your cable connects to the van.

Blag

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Re: Tripping the switch

· Posted: 18.11.2013 · #3

Is the fridge shut off?

Waterman

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Re: Tripping the switch

· Posted: 18.11.2013 · #4

Thanks guys.

Blag
Yes the fridge is definitely off.

Viktor
Yes evidence would point towards a problem at the connector. I just went out and disconnected the main connector (the one on the van itself). No visual sign to indicate what might be causing the short. Inside is dry as bone, wires securely connected, no sign of any damage or fraying to the wires.

Viktor

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Re: Tripping the switch

· Posted: 19.11.2013 · #5

Weird. Mouse chewed on the wires further in perhaps? It sounds like it's going to be a difficult solve.

Blag

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Re: Tripping the switch

· Posted: 19.11.2013 · #6

What confuses me is when Marty plugs the camper into the shed it doesn't trip for 5-90 minutes? that's weird. That's why I was wondering maybe the fridge thermostat was kicking in if it was missed.

With everything confirmed to be turned off and unplugged in the camper then you may have a little furry friend dining on your wires alright or some corrosion on a connection block ... If it's the RCB that's tripping then there's current leaking to ground somewhere. Hard one to solve without a flashlight and a phase tester.

...

Subject:

Re: Tripping the switch

· Posted: 19.11.2013 · #7

What happens whe you plug into someone elses house or a campsite?

Blag

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Re: Tripping the switch

· Posted: 19.11.2013 · #8

Marty,

Is it the RCB that's tripping or is it the individual MCB for each group of sockets?

And is there a separate RCB for the shed panel?

...

Subject:

Re: Tripping the switch

· Posted: 19.11.2013 · #9

have you checked the adapter between your cable and your house socket?

Waterman

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Re: Tripping the switch

· Posted: 19.11.2013 · #10

Thanks for the comments guys. I think Viktor has hit the nail on the head - "Sounds like it's going to be difficult to solve."

Spent some time at it today with little progress.

In the van I have a master RCD with two slaves (photo below). The slaves are marked 'sockets' and 'Lights, Charger, Fridge' (LCF from now for short). I've isolated the problem to the LCF slave. In that with the LFC slave off I can have power to the sockets with no tripping.

Fridge has been off the whole time and I don't know what lights could be connected to the slave. (As far as I know all the lights are 12v only.) So the next step was to unplug the kettle lead to the EBL. Now I was really expecting that the power would now stay on. But no. So the good news from that is that the EBL or Batteries are not to blame. The bad news is I have no idea what is.

When I try to connect the power now it will either trip immediately or trip within 5 to 15 mins.

To be clear it is the RCD in the shed that is tripping. The shed has it's own fuse board. And I had an electrician fit an external connector for the camper. I have tried connecting to a socket in the house with an adapter and it tips the RCD immediately. I've tried different cables and I have dismantled and reassembled the connector on the van. That and the fact that I can have power in the van with the LFC slave tripped proves that the problem is definitely somewhere in the van.

Furry friend is a possibility but I don't see any of the usual tell tail signs.

I'm actually considering opening the fuse box and disconnecting everything from the LCF slave and then connecting them back one by one. I can't think of an easier way to isolate the problem.

Thanks for the comments so far.

Martin

Blag

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Re: Tripping the switch

· Posted: 19.11.2013 · #11

Quote by Waterman

I'm actually considering opening the fuse box and disconnecting everything from the LCF slave and then connecting them back one by one. I can't think of an easier way to isolate the problem.

I'd be thinking the same.

eirebus

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Re: Tripping the switch

· Posted: 19.11.2013 · #12

Furry friends will leave there deposits so you will see them but maybe put in some rat-kill around electrics and see if it is taken ,its the time of year for the buggers
Good luck with the electric end hope you can sort it soon

Waterman

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Re: Tripping the switch

· Posted: 19.11.2013 · #13

Quote by Blag

I'd be thinking the same.

Well with that vote of approval I set off on that path. To my surprise when I opened the fuse box there were only two wires going into that slave

. One is obviously heading off to the the EBL but which one? The other proved easier to follow and was the feed for the Dometic AC unit on the roof. So I loosened the connectors and took out that wire.

Reconnected the power and

Or at least all has been fine for the last 40 mins or so. Fairly confident now that it is the AC unit that is causing the trip. Standby power goes to it when the 240v is connected.

Fortunately, I don't have high demand for the AC at the moment so it's not an urgent fix. But I will have to try and figure out why the unit would suddenly start causing this issue. In the meantime, everything else can function normally.

Roll on the weekend.

Blag

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Re: Tripping the switch

· Posted: 19.11.2013 · #14

Fingers crossed.

Waterman

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Re: Tripping the switch

· Posted: 19.11.2013 · #15

Quote by Blag

Fingers crossed.

Looking good. About 2 hours now and has not tripped.

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Re: Tripping the switch

· Posted: 19.11.2013 · #16

Waterman

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Re: Tripping the switch

· Posted: 19.11.2013 · #17

I'd like to add that Allan from http://www.aandncaravanservices.co.uk/ was very helpful to me. He had repaired my EBL earlier in the year so I contact him about this and he put me on the right path. Also did a great job on the EBL turing it around in less than 24 hours (it wasn't charging the batteries).

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