Frequent tripping of ELCB 1

[gary071]

There is a problem that the ELCB is tripped very frequently especially in the heavy raining day.Can someone please explain the cause of this tripping and any procedure/ step to trace out the causes of the problem?

Thanks for giving your comments.

 

[ScottyUK]

Assuming that the RCD is working corrctly, the liklihood is that you have a fault to ground from one of the live conductors. The fact that the fault occurs only when it is raining leads to several conclusions: the RCD is probably ok; the fault is probably caused by a conductive path through water; the fault is probably outdoors. Trace the route of the circuit and find out where the water is getting in. It could be at a junction box, or through damage to the sheath of the cable.


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I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy it...

 

[gary071]

Thanks for your valuable comments.i'll check it out.

 

[gary071]

First of all, any short-cut way or fastest solution to trace out which circuit cause the problem?Visual check is a hard work because the outgoing circuit is buried underground and there are many outgoing cirucits.

Thanks.

 

[ScottyUK]

Divide and conquer: is there anywhere you can split the circuit? A junction box or accessory such as a socket would be the likely places? You should be able to localise the fault using this method. Once you know which cable you have a fault on, you can either dig it up, or use something like a TDR test set to locate the fault more precisely - the latter is not a desperately cheap option and it will depend on how long the cable is and what it is buried beneath as to whether it is economical. TDR is time domain reflectometry and basically transmits a pulse down the cable and 'listens' for the reflection coming back. A fault will *usually* give an 'echo'. Think of it as sonar for cables!

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I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy it...

 

[gary071]

Hi,ScottyUK,

It is possible that water entering the circuits??The situation is after the tripping during rainny day, the ELCB is reseted the next day and all is functioning properly again.
If what u have mean that the water entered the circuits /junction box and make the ELCB to trip, the water might be cant go out and still causing the leakage.Therefore,ELCB might not able to be reset and function properly.
Plz comments.Thanks.

 

[gary071]

anyone else can comment on these?

 

[Skogsgurra]

No. Probably not. We can't solve your problems from remote and you don't seem to care to look yourselves.


Gunnar Englund

http://www.gke.org