A wiring puzzle

[happybus]

Any advice folks?
Having had a my trip switch pinging around I've traced the issue to the fridge, I'm in a 1990 hi-top following the autosleeper wiring as found in the wiki pages.

I know that power is getting to the fridge cleanly, but the fridge itself seems to be causing the trip. Any suggestions on a bypass or am I looking at buying a new (2nd hand working) fridge?

Thanks

[1664]

which is tripping? The incoming RCD switch or one of the circuit breakers?

[happybus]

which is tripping? The incoming RCD switch or one of the circuit breakers?

Initially it was the main rcd, but that's been narrowed to the circuit with the fridge. Everything seems to work ok 12v, it's just when I try to hook up to the mains.

[meridian911]

A quick and easy way to narrow down the problem is to run an extension lead out from the house and plug the fridge into that , if the house rcd trips it's your 240v element breaking down If it doesn't it's your internal 230v wiring.
It's a common electrical problem with old elements, kettles, irons all cause this in the house.
If I had a pound for every fault I go to that's the iron or kettle tripping the rcd then..........

Jay

[happybus]

A quick and easy way to narrow down the problem is to run an extension lead out from the house and plug the fridge into that , if the house rcd trips it's your 240v element breaking down If it doesn't it's your internal 230v wiring.
It's a common electrical problem with old elements, kettles, irons all cause this in the house.
If I had a pound for every fault I go to that's the iron or kettle tripping the rcd then..........

Jay

Ah ha!
So that's where it could be. I'll put that to the test in the morning.
Any idea how much it is to replace the element... if it can be replaced?

Thanks

[ghost123uk]

Any suggestions on a bypass

If you mean what I think you do, please don't

Any decent electrical outfit will be able to run a quick "pat" test on your fridge to determine if it is breaking down (electrical problem) as mentioned above. Or do as Jay suggests ^^^

[Oldiebut goodie]

Any idea how much it is to replace the element... if it can be replaced?

Thanks

[/quote]

Between £15 and £30 from Ebay.

[1664]

It's a common electrical problem with old elements, kettles, irons all cause this in the house.
If I had a pound for every fault I go to that's the iron or kettle tripping the rcd then..........

Yes we found this a lot too. Electrical elements can begin to absorb moisture if they're not used for a considerable length of time - past a certain point and this will provide enough of a path for a leak to earth sufficient to trip an RCD. There may of course be a 'proper' fault elsewhere on the fridge, do you have any sparkie mates who'd check it for 'a beer' ?

[happybus]

It's a common electrical problem with old elements, kettles, irons all cause this in the house.
If I had a pound for every fault I go to that's the iron or kettle tripping the rcd then..........

Yes we found this a lot too. Electrical elements can begin to absorb moisture if they're not used for a considerable length of time - past a certain point and this will provide enough of a path for a leak to earth sufficient to trip an RCD. There may of course be a 'proper' fault elsewhere on the fridge, do you have any sparkie mates who'd check it for 'a beer' ?

Luck has it that my father-in-law is a service engineer, so fridges are his meat and 2!

I'll tell him to focus on the element, see if it can be fixed - I know the bus has been sitting for some time, so it may be an easy fix.

Thanks

[1664]

since he's an experienced person (and subject to his testing proving it to be fault free and safe to do so) he may just run it off a non-RCD circuit to dry the element out.

That's certainly what I'd do

[happybus]

Well folks, that's all she wrote.

The fridge is dead. Looks like ity's been sitting too long and the element has completely rusted through. Can't even be removed to instal a new one.

If it's any consulation, you were quite correct. At least the trip problem has been solved, now just have to keep my food cool....