Our fridge is tripping our consumer unit, but not the internal fuse of the plug. What would be cause of that? Is there anything I can do to keep the fridge working while I wait for a repair?
Is it tripping the RCD?
Presumably a leak between earth and neutral with enough current to trip (30mA or so?). I suspect that will be a bit of a pig to diagnose…
2 Likes
Sounds like its a neutral to earth fault which wouldnt cause over current conditions.
1 Like
Yep.
Probs new fridge time
Are you not still allowed to take a fridge off the RCD?
In short, no, and its been that way for a while.
I do wonder why youd think it ok to put a fridge with a fault on a less protected circuit.
That’s (not) cool dude
Have you checked the terminations on the plug and the back of the socket in case there is anything loose.
The consumer unit will usually trip before the fuse in the plug - it is more sensitive to faults.Depending on the age of the fridge and quoted price for an engineer to look at it you might consider getting a new fridge then you are not hanging around waiting. I generally replace rather than repair white goods if they are a few years old when they go faulty.
1 Like
Even then it depends on the parts availability. When our dishwasher had a wobbly the heating element only came as part of an assembly with the pump and cost almost half the original cost of the machine.
The socket is what was being protected, normally because of people using it for power tools. A dedicated socket or hardwired appliance could come off the RCD, still on the MCB. If the RCD tripped, the fridge freezer wouldn’t defrost. Often other appliances would trip the RCD.
Hence why loads of completely serviceable items get chucked into landfill. White goods firms don’t want you keeping stuff. Throw away, buy new .
Well obvs not if a neutal to earth fault in the appliance trips the RCD.
It’s in landfill now. Had a new fridge delivered yesterday.
2 Likes
Yeh, just a feeble excuse to post that pic tbh.
Needs more Entreq boxes
1 Like