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TSKrv23490
post Oct 4 2018, 12:46 PM, updated 6y ago

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Hi guys, I recently moved into a subsale terrace, however I am experiencing power trips during thunderstorms, but my neighbours electric still okay.

What do you guys recommend me to do ? Been doing some browsing and read should try change to a more reliable brand like Hager?

Anyone to recommend fixing/installing it for me ?
FlamingR
post Oct 4 2018, 12:49 PM

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I faced similar issues and I heard that it has something to do with fusebox area, where you have to change to a more quality fuse.
SUSslimey
post Oct 4 2018, 12:52 PM


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Change the rcd of the distribution box to a HI(high immunity) version.

If you don’t know what or how to do it, engage a professional. Don’t diy if you don’t know what you are doing. Can be very dangerous.
Zot
post Oct 4 2018, 12:59 PM

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It is either you want your ELCB to be more sensitive and safer for your home appliances or your want it to bee less sensitive at the expense of safety on your home appliances. biggrin.gif

Maybe it was tripping at lover surge voltage than specified because a bit faulty not out of spec. You can buy any branded one and change if you suspected it is faulty. Any known brand should be fine. to the other one, no, it has nothing to do with fuse in fuse box.

To be honest, the ELCB is not fast enough to protect your more sensitive electronics based equipment. I woun't mind if it trips earlier smile.gif
TSKrv23490
post Oct 4 2018, 01:26 PM

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QUOTE(slimey @ Oct 4 2018, 12:52 PM)
Change the rcd of the distribution box to a HI(high immunity) version.

If you don’t know what or how to do it, engage a professional. Don’t diy if you don’t know what you are doing. Can be very dangerous.
*
Any recommendations?
MEngineer
post Oct 4 2018, 02:34 PM

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I have that problem also. Everytime lighting strikes then house will trip. Never solved it
jetblast
post Oct 4 2018, 02:36 PM

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Had the same problem in old house. Check the grounding in the garden. Most of the time the copper wire not connected properly to the underground rod
jep
post Oct 4 2018, 02:38 PM

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Yup..maybe need to re-do the grounding
sonerin
post Oct 4 2018, 03:13 PM

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There is high possibility the grounding rod for the house is not done properly.
Richard
post Oct 4 2018, 05:35 PM

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The reason a residual current device trips is because of imbalance current between the live/neutral. By right it must balance. Same current flow out of live must return thru the neutral.

For example 1ampere goes out thru the live wire and 0.95ampere returns from the neutral. An 100mA(0.1) RCD will trip every time.

So if your RCD is tripping say 100mA rated trip it means it detects 0.1Amp imbalance between the live and neutral. Your wires have bad insulation. Either too old, damaged or a bad connection in one of the circuits.

I can probably pinpoint any faulty circuit within 10minutes at the DB and isolate what is wrong. It isn't that hard.

Back on topic to resolve your problem you need to check if you have bad wiring insulation or if your unit at a high elevation and lightning is affecting your wiring. So either repair the bad insulation wires or install lightning rods or surge protection.

The easiest is to repair the bad wiring insulation.

This post has been edited by Richard: Oct 4 2018, 05:48 PM
TSKrv23490
post Oct 4 2018, 08:17 PM

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QUOTE(Richard @ Oct 4 2018, 05:35 PM)
The reason a residual current device trips is because of imbalance current between the live/neutral.  By right it must balance. Same current flow out of live must return thru the neutral.

For example 1ampere goes out thru the live wire and 0.95ampere returns from the neutral. An 100mA(0.1) RCD will trip every time.

So if your RCD is tripping say 100mA rated trip it means it detects 0.1Amp imbalance between the live and neutral. Your wires have bad insulation. Either too old, damaged or a bad connection in one of the circuits.

I can probably pinpoint any faulty circuit within 10minutes at the DB and isolate what is wrong. It isn't that hard.

Back on topic to resolve your problem you need to check if you have bad wiring insulation or if your unit at a high elevation and lightning is affecting your wiring. So either repair the bad insulation wires or install lightning rods or surge protection.

The easiest is to repair the bad wiring insulation.
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How do you check for bad wiring insulation if you don't mind me asking ?

Richard
post Oct 4 2018, 08:45 PM

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QUOTE(Krv23490 @ Oct 4 2018, 08:17 PM)
How do you check for bad wiring insulation if you don't mind me asking ?
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The proper way is using an insulation tester but since you're asking I can safely assume you don't have and might not know how to use one, the simplest way to check for bad PVC cable insulation is by bending a PVC cable you are testing.

PVC insulation hardens due to heat and age and will crack or show crack lines or harden and will not be as good an insulation as it was new.

How old is your wiring do you know?
ozak
post Oct 5 2018, 10:59 AM

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QUOTE(Krv23490 @ Oct 4 2018, 12:46 PM)
Hi guys, I recently moved into a subsale terrace, however I am experiencing power trips during thunderstorms, but my neighbours electric still okay.

What do you guys recommend me to do ? Been doing some browsing and read should try change to a more reliable brand like Hager?

Anyone to recommend fixing/installing it for me ?
*
If you still doing reno, go to any electrical shop (selling electrical part), ask the boss recommend you a wireman. Tell him,

1) change the RCD to something better like hager, Schneider or ABB. 100mA with nuisance trip.
2) install a OVR surge arrestor in the DB. And if your house is big, another unit behind the house. The OVR have to be near as possible to the ground rod.
3) Plung another earth rod into the ground around garden and behind the house. Minimum 6mm earth wire and join to the existing ground wire and OVR. If your existing ground rod is at left of the house, another rod is at right. And behind the house can be anywhere. Ground rod have to be plung as long as possible into the ground. It come in 1.5 or 2m and can be join with coupling to several meter.

Do this all properly and the nuisance trip will be very very minimum.

You might face some trouble recommend with the wireman.

My experience.

Richard
post Oct 5 2018, 05:08 PM

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QUOTE(ozak @ Oct 5 2018, 10:59 AM)
If you still doing reno, go to any electrical shop (selling electrical part), ask the boss recommend you a wireman. Tell him,

1) change the RCD to something better like hager, Schneider or ABB. 100mA with nuisance trip.
2) install a OVR surge arrestor in the DB. And if your house is big, another unit behind the house. The OVR have to be near as possible to the ground rod.
3) Plung another earth rod into the ground around garden and behind the house. Minimum 6mm earth wire and join to the existing ground wire and OVR. If your existing ground rod is at left of the house, another rod is at right. And behind the house can be anywhere. Ground rod have to be plung as long as possible into the ground. It come in 1.5 or 2m and can be join with coupling to several meter.

Do this all properly and the nuisance trip will be very very minimum.

You might face some trouble recommend with the wireman. 

My experience.
*
Something new for me. I had to Google up some of your terms and installation before understanding..

Thank you for sharing..

ozak
post Oct 5 2018, 08:09 PM

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QUOTE(Richard @ Oct 5 2018, 05:08 PM)
Something new for me. I had to Google up some of your terms and installation before understanding..

Thank you for sharing..
*
It is actually mention before buy a member here for the grounding. He is not local.

But his method abit difficult for our country housing to be implement. Specially terrace.

While the surge arrestor is not new and I read it in the ABB OVR manual which you can download from their website. It have a very detail of the lightning explain, the type arrestor use and how to install correctly.

All this combine together and I tried it out. It work and reduce the nuisance trip till like 2-3x peryrs. And that is not fully install yet.

1 thing I notice the effectiveness is that 2 of the Belkin surge protector will always light up the LED earth connection.

Before that, the LED will blink or won't light or only light sometime when raining. (Wet ground will have less resistance)

 

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