Tripping Microwave
When we were last using the microwave in the motorhome last week, turning on the microwave tripped out the all the electricity to our motorhome. It had done this before so I turned off the heating and had only the fridge and led lights on. The post was rated
at 16 amps, 4KW and the microwave is I think only about 800 watts. Has anyone got any ideas? Perhaps the microwave needs a surge of electricity to start it and the post can't cope with that surge.
Comments
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All microwaves, as you put have a surge this occurs each time the wave generator energizes during its cycle. Not to go into too much detail, as this occurs, far more Watts are needed than that indicated for the rated output and in many cases will be enough to trip the supply you are getting on site, if you are already using other appliances .
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When we were last using the microwave in the motorhome last week, turning on the microwave tripped out the all the electricity to our motorhome. It had done this before so I turned off the heating and had only the fridge and led lights on. The post was rated at 16 amps, 4KW and the microwave is I think only about 800 watts. Has anyone got any ideas? Perhaps the microwave needs a surge of electricity to start it and the post can't cope with that surge.
Was it then OK? ... or was it still tripping the supply?
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The OP seem to suggest that the supply was tripped while the heating was on …“It had done this before so I turned off the heating “ … if it continued to do so when OP said …” and had only the fridge and led lights on”. that would indeed indicate a problem with the said microwave or supply.
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When we were last using the microwave in the motorhome last week, turning on the microwave tripped out the all the electricity to our motorhome. It had done this before so I turned off the heating and had only the fridge and led lights on. The post was rated at 16 amps, 4KW and the microwave is I think only about 800 watts. Has anyone got any ideas? Perhaps the microwave needs a surge of electricity to start it and the post can't cope with that surge.
Apologies. I must give up quoting posts on this forum ....it is too dangerous and no opportunity to delete if you press the wrong button
.I think we need to know whether the microwave is tripping the post due to overcurrent (doesn't seem to be the case) or if it is tripping the RCD. (These are usually seperate devices in the post, but could possibly be a combined RCBO). In my experience microwaves do sometimes develop a slight earth leakage which may trip a sensitive RCD).
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Agree it sounds like a leakage fault in the oven that needs investigating.
Which RCD trips first surely depends on their relative sensitivity/trip-time characteristics?
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We have used an 800 W microwave in Italy on a supply not much more than 4 amps. There is an initial surge but site supplies will take a temporary surge without tripping. I have had a small earth fault on a microwave and believe this is not uncommon. Sounds
like a problem with the microwave to me and I would not advise continuing to use it if it keeps tripping out.Of course, it would be nice if you could try your home microwave in the van and see if the same thing happens.
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3Kw heating and 800w microwave is very near the maximum. You only need a trip that is sightly out and bing all the lights go out.
Perhaps they have got fed up with the electric bills and reduced the power accordingly. When you think how much power these MH and Caravans use I am suprised some of the CL's are still in business. We meet one chap who left a fan heater running in the awning
even when they went out so it was not to chilly if they wanted to sit in it when they got back. Lets face it you only need enough for a kettle and fridge. Heating is better with gas.0 -
When we were last using the microwave in the motorhome last week, turning on the microwave tripped out the all the electricity to our motorhome. It had done this before
so I turned off the heating and had only the fridge and led lights on. The post was rated at 16 amps, 4KW and the microwave is I think only about 800 watts. Has anyone got any ideas? Perhaps the microwave needs a surge of electricity to start
it and the post can't cope with that surge.Apologies. I must give up quoting posts on this forum ....it is too dangerous and no opportunity to delete if you press the wrong button
.I think we need to know whether the microwave is tripping the post due to overcurrent (doesn't seem to be the case) or if it is tripping the RCD. (These are usually seperate devices in the post, but could possibly be a combined RCBO). In my experience microwaves
do sometimes develop a slight earth leakage which may trip a sensitive RCD.0 -
Agree it sounds like a leakage fault in the oven that needs investigating.
Which RCD trips first surely depends on their relative sensitivity/trip-time characteristics?
Agreed Vic, but logic suggests the van circuit trip on the connected circuit would be rated lower than the post and would trip first.
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All microwaves, as you put have a surge this occurs each time the wave generator energizes during its cycle. Not to go into too much detail, as this occurs, far more Watts are needed than that indicated for the rated output and in many cases will be enough
to trip the supply you are getting on site, if you are already using other appliances .I was watching a youtube video the other day of a man stripping a microwave for parts. If I remember there was a massive cap on it he had to discharge safely before proceeding. This may account for the initial surge needed by the microwave.
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All microwaves, as you put have a surge this occurs each time the wave generator energizes during its cycle. Not to go into too much detail, as this occurs, far more Watts are needed than that indicated for the rated output and in many cases will be enough
to trip the supply you are getting on site, if you are already using other appliances .I was watching a youtube video the other day of a man stripping a microwave for parts. If I remember there was a massive cap on it he had to discharge safely before proceeding. This may account for the initial surge needed by the microwave.
What else? if anything, are you using in the MH at the same time as the offending Microwave.
As a good starting point, try any tests with any Microwaves, with no other appliances switched on in the MH!
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All microwaves, as you put have a surge this occurs each time the wave generator energizes during its cycle. Not to go into too much detail, as this occurs, far more Watts are needed than that indicated for the rated output and in many cases will be enough
to trip the supply you are getting on site, if you are already using other appliances .I was watching a youtube video the other day of a man stripping a microwave for parts. If I remember there was a massive cap on it he had to discharge safely before proceeding. This may account for the initial surge needed by the microwave.
What else? if anything, are you using in the MH at the same time as the offending Microwave.
As a good starting point, try any tests with any Microwaves, with no other appliances switched on in the MH!
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I think if microwaves were able to keep tripping post there would be hundreds, even thousands, doing it on an hourly basis and campsites would quickly ban their use. It would quickly trigger yet another CC Ltd rule
. No, sorry, let's not go there 
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To hell with it I just can't resist. At every "ping" there would be shouts of "You can't use microwaves" followed by the rule followers war cry "its against club rules"
.Must have a look at my microwave, see if i can take the "ping" out
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to at least identify whether the issue is with the unit or the van, you need to carry out two simple tests....
plug your van into the mains at home, take your domestic MW and plug it into one of the 13a sockets in the van....if it works OK then the van electrics are OK and issue is likely to be with the van MW.
take a mains lead directly from the house, unplug the van MW and plug it directly into the house lead, bypassing the van electrics. if the MW fails its the MW itself that is the issue, if not its the van electrics (prob RCD as mentioned).
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