One of my circuit breakers is tripping out the mains electrics.

[nitkn]

My hookup was working fine until suddenly it wasn't! There are three circuit breakers, and I narrowed it down to the one that supplies the fridge and the battery charger. However it still trips out the electrics even when these are both turned off. When this circuit breaker is turned off the rest of the system works fine.

I'm wondering if the circuit breaker itself could be faulty? Or any other ideas for solving it!

 

[trevskoda]

My hookup was working fine until suddenly it wasn't! There are three circuit breakers, and I narrowed it down to the one that supplies the fridge and the battery charger. However it still trips out the electrics even when these are both turned off. When this circuit breaker is turned off the rest of the system works fine.

I'm wondering if the circuit breaker itself could be faulty? Or any other ideas for solving it!

Swap it for another to test.

 

[Lee]

From what you've said either the fridge or the battery charger is faulty.
If you turn the faulty circuit breaker on it is probably the charger and if you turn it on after a while there's a good possibility it's the fridge.
They both need checking with a multi meter to check for short circuits or connection with the earth.

 

[trevskoda]

From what you've said either the fridge or the battery charger is faulty.
If you turn the faulty circuit breaker on it is probably the charger and if you turn it on after a while there's a good possibility it's the fridge.
They both need checking with a multi meter to check for short circuits or connection with the earth.

He just said it still trips when both are turned of, hence maybe the trip may be faulty, stick a new one in or swap one of the others in its place to test.
Make sure you disconnect th 2 thought to be units as it could be a faulty switch within them.

 

[colinm]

It is possible that the MCB is faulty, but it's also just as possible that the wiring from MCB to switches for fridge/charger might be faulty.

 

[wildebus]

He just said it still trips when both are turned of, hence maybe the trip may be faulty, stick a new one in or swap one of the others in its place to test.

Turning off isn't sufficient. The devices need to be disconnected physically to be sure.

Breakers can for sure fail, but the testing done so far is not conclusive.

Make sure you disconnect th 2 thought to be units as it could be a faulty switch within them.

indeed so

 

[r4dent]

From what you've said either the fridge or the battery charger is faulty.

I disagree, OP says it still trips when both are switched off.

However it still trips out the electrics even when these are both turned off.

Which, to my mind, indicates that the problem is between (and inclusive of) and the breaker and the on/off switch on a device.
i.e. the breaker,
the cable from the PDU to the battery charger socket / the battery charger socket / the battery charger plug/ the cable from the battery charger socket to the battery charger / internal wring in the charger
as above for the fridge.

For me the first step in problem solving is to apply Kepnerr Trego logic and ask your self "As anything changed since there was no problem"
If so concentrate on this.

Next step is to ask yourself "Are there any easy cheap meaningful checks I can do, to eliminate probable causes?"
In your case, swap the breaker, because this is most likely cause of the problem; is relatively easy to and involves no expense.

Now it is a case of divide and conquer! (To give it the posh name this is "binary chop" trouble shooting, you keep reducing the possibilities and eventually identify the fault).

The easiest way to divide your problem is to decide if the problem is before of after the device plugs.
Un plug both devices from their sockets and see if things still trip.

Continue dividing the possibilities.

Good Luck

 

[r4dent]

.

 

[merl]

Just swap 2 of the existing breakers over, if the fault follows the breaker then the breaker is at fault and needs replacing. If it doesn't then the issue is somewhere else.
Next thing would be to separate the wiring to fridge and charger and remove/reintroduce them individually, this will narrow down the search further still.

 

[trevskoda]

Why do folk keep repeating me, why do folk keep on repeating me.

 

[yeoblade]

Why do folk keep repeating me, why do folk keep on repeating me.

 

[maingate]

I disagree, OP says it still trips when both are switched off.


Which, to my mind, indicates that the problem is between (and inclusive of) and the breaker and the on/off switch on a device.
i.e. the breaker,
the cable from the PDU to the battery charger socket / the battery charger socket / the battery charger plug/ the cable from the battery charger socket to the battery charger / internal wring in the charger
as above for the fridge.

For me the first step in problem solving is to apply Kepnerr Trego logic and ask your self "As anything changed since there was no problem"
If so concentrate on this.

Next step is to ask yourself "Are there any easy cheap meaningful checks I can do, to eliminate probable causes?"
In your case, swap the breaker, because this is most likely cause of the problem; is relatively easy to and involves no expense.

Now it is a case of divide and conquer! (To give it the posh name this is "binary chop" trouble shooting, you keep reducing the possibilities and eventually identify the fault).

The easiest way to divide your problem is to decide if the problem is before of after the device plugs.
Un plug both devices from their sockets and see if things still trip.

Continue dividing the possibilities.

Good Luck

Or just use a test meter.

 

[maingate]

Why do folk keep repeating me, why do folk keep on repeating me.

I'll tell you why Trev.

To be sure, to be sure.

 

[r4dent]

Or just use a test meter.

A little more detail about what and how you are testing would help.

No point checking continuity which tends to lead to non functioning rather than tripping.

 

[maingate]

A little more detail about what and how you are testing would help.

No point checking continuity which tends to lead to non functioning rather than tripping.

Overloads cause tripping. If 2 out of 3 are tripping, that would suggest a fault within the unit but the mains supply cable needs ruling out first. Easily traced with a meter. There is a very small chance that the motorhome wiring itself could be faulty after the unit.

 

[guerdeval]

Don’t crucify me but couldn’t it be a fault with the hook up plug? (I’ll get my coat

 

[r4dent]

Overloads cause tripping. If 2 out of 3 are tripping, that would suggest a fault within the unit but the mains supply cable needs ruling out first. Easily traced with a meter. There is a very small chance that the motorhome wiring itself could be faulty after the unit.

High current is the root cause of overloads. In turn high current can be caused by too many devices in parallel or by a single low resistance device (the ultimate example being a short circuit -i.e. zero resistance)

I'm not sure what you mean by "If 2 out of 3 are tripping, that would suggest a fault within the unit" but the OP reports that 1 breaker is tripping whilst the others are functioning correctly which indicates that all is OK up to and including the 230v going into the PDU.

I agree that a fault in the circuit proving power to the sockets is unlikely.
The sockets themselves and every thing thereafter are possible causes.
I suggested that the OP unplugs the fridge and battery charger to evaluate the circuit and sockets.,

 

[maingate]

High current is the root cause of overloads. In turn high current can be caused by too many devices in parallel or by a single low resistance device (the ultimate example being a short circuit -i.e. zero resistance)

I'm not sure what you mean by "If 2 out of 3 are tripping, that would suggest a fault within the unit" but the OP reports that 1 breaker is tripping whilst the others are functioning correctly which indicates that all is OK up to and including the 230v going into the PDU.

I agree that a fault in the circuit proving power to the sockets is unlikely.
The sockets themselves and every thing thereafter are possible causes.
I suggested that the OP unplugs the fridge and battery charger to evaluate the circuit and sockets.,

I never discuss hypothetical situations. It was my job to solve and correct electrical problems on equipment and I never ceased to be surprised at the weird and wonderful faults I encountered. Therefore I am out.

 

[colinm]

I never discuss hypothetical situations. It was my job to solve and correct electrical problems on equipment and I never ceased to be surprised at the weird and wonderful faults I encountered. Therefore I am out.

I never like diagnosing faults online, esp, electrical faults, it's bad enough sometimes face to face.

 

[marchie]

Why do folk keep repeating me, why do folk keep on repeating me.

My guess would be indigestion, but I don't have a meter to check and I can't remember the Beaufort Scale ...

Steve