Electrics tripping out in caravan?!?!?

MatthewandJean
MatthewandJean Forum Participant Posts: 1
edited April 2016 in Caravans #1

Hi Fellow Caravanners,

recent trip wasnt very successful due to the elctrics tripping every time i would switch the heating on in the can. hooked up to a 230v stand as per normal. After 5mins, having the tv on and the heating......electrics trip!! Any ideas what might be causing
this? I have a feeling its a wiring fault somewhere. Any ideas where to start looking? Frustraing i cant relax without worrying about electrics being dodgy.

thanks in advance

Comments

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,436 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2016 #2

    if it trips after each five minutes and not straight away, it may be you are trying to use too much amps, does it trip if you only have the heating on (and at what setting?) , dose it trip if you only have the tv on?

    Try and isolate what device is causing it to trip by using one device at a time, but if if is a device it should trip straight away.

    Also what amp is the EHU?

  • rush768
    rush768 Forum Participant Posts: 8
    edited April 2016 #3

    Are you putting the heating on full? That could be almost 8 amps if you're on 2 kw setting. (Have I remembered my physics O level material correctly)? And maybe you had the water heater on as well? It's easily overlooked. If the site had a 10 amp ehu you could easily have overloaded, hence the trip.

    David

  • JillwithaJay
    JillwithaJay Club Member Posts: 2,485 ✭✭
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    edited April 2016 #4

    Fridge probably on too and/or possibly light(s); things which tends to be overlooked when totting up.

    photo 78301b06-7bdd-45fe-8ae2-d4d2cae14135_zpssi5htrez.jpg

     

     

  • N4norman
    N4norman Forum Participant Posts: 3
    edited April 2016 #5

    Hi

    I had a similar problem due to earth leakage in frige causing earth leakage trip.

    If this is applicable I dried the frige element  out running it on gas for a few hours. You need to check if it is overload or earth leakage then act accordingly.

     

  • MrGarval
    MrGarval Forum Participant Posts: 120
    edited April 2016 #6

    Hi,

    Were is it actually tripping, is it the mains unit in the van or at the bollard on site?

  • mickysf
    mickysf Forum Participant Posts: 6,474 ✭✭✭
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    edited April 2016 #7

    Was it the rcd or mcb tripping?

  • markflip
    markflip Forum Participant Posts: 177
    edited April 2016 #8

    Was it the rcd or mcb tripping?

    The RCD is the larger of the 'trips' and will have a 'test' button beside it.  If this is repeatedly tripping it means that one of the appliances, or possibly the wiring itself is faulty/damaged and causing a leakage to earth.  Heater elements are a favourite suspect for this, but rodents nibbling at the wiring insulation will also cause it.

    If the MCB (narrower trip, often one of two or three the same size) is tripping it's either that you have drawn too much current or possibly that the trip itself has become faulty.  If you've previously had the TV and heater on without issue and it's the trip in the van as opposed to at the EHU post, that would make me suspect the trip.  The post trip may be rated lower than the one in the van, if it's the EHU trip that kept going, I suspect there's no issue with your van and it's just that the EHU was rated too low for your heater plus extras.

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