Just a quick one…
So up here in Darwin we are ‘finally’ going into wet season now, it’s been a long time coming. Now is the time of year that Dunwrights seems to get more and more calls out to faulty RCD’s or nuisance tripping of circuit breakers.
While circuit breakers don’t have as many problems with nuisance tripping, they won’t protect you or your family near as well as an RCD. RCD’s are quite susceptible to moisture so if you do have a problem there are a couple of things you can do. At the end of the day, ‘if’ there is a problem with your internal wiring due to moisture or what have you, an early warning is a positive. Even if it’s a faulty appliance it’s easily rectified.
1) Try to record when the RCD trips and what appliances you are using, because then you might find it is a faulty appliance. Switch rcd back on and hopefully you’re all set.
2) After unplugging the appliance and the problem doesn’t go away, unplug all of the appliances in the circuit, whether that’s the fridge or pool pump. Make sure there can be no outside influence on the circuit. Reset the RCD and see what happens. If the circuit behaves the way it is supposed to and you have a faulty appliance, please don’t attempt to fix it yourself. Call an electrician.
3) If the RCD will not reset then it’s definitely time to call a local electrician. As mentioned already, don’t DIY. The cost is of a tradesman is cheaper than a trip to the hospital.
By Jon Story