RCCB Tripping

The difficulty with this one is that from the pump there are two paths for any leakage current to take. ie. the ground connection on the pump itself and or the actual pipework and the water contained within. I feel the only true way to test for any earth leakage would be to disconnect the pump from the electrical supply and the pipework to which it is connected, then as a free standing unit test with a megger between the power input terminals. ie. line and neutral and the actual pump casing. If you then have any continuity thats where the problem lies, and the only suggestion would be a new pump.

Since you have located the problem, why not just fix or replace the motor for the shower pump. If you knew how to check the motor you would have already done it. Explaining such an process in text can be lengthily and not really getting to the problem. As the other poster said you need to megger the motor and or wiring to the motor. If you do not have an megger and do not know what to expect from a good or bad motor you need the help of a local pro/friend

in article cku14q$gdp$ snipped-for-privacy@news5.svr.pol.co.uk, A at snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote on

If you are not sure what an RCCB is, how can you expect your audience to know? Spell it out!

Bill

I thought if I posted in this Newsgroup, you might know what a RCCB is. Residual Current Circuit Breaker.

on

more commonly called GFI or GFCI in th US and Canada and ELCB elswhere.

in article ckugq4$71v$ snipped-for-privacy@news8.svr.pol.co.uk, A at snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote on

Next question: What is residual current?

Bill

Difference in current flowing in the two conductors, i.e. the amount leaking.

On 17 Oct 2004 22:55:09 GMT, Andrew Gabriel put forth the notion that...

So it's a GFCI?

Not just any old GFCI. A British GFCI. ;-)

problem item is

fault when the

testing should I

you need a snap around amp meter...but that on one wiring going the pump...get a read and compare that to the motor name plate... that tells the entire story usually.

and you can also kill the power to the pump THEN use and ohm meter across the motor winding, you should get under 10 or 20 ohms across the run winding, down to under 5 ohms for a 3 hp motor for example...such reads are difficult due to the nature of the meter connection. hold em tight.

check motor leads to ground...any read at all is a bad motor.

if motor is running within its nameplate fla (full load amps) then you have too small or a bad breaker/

by the way being cute with anagrams is not OK if you are not entirely hip after 40 years in the bidness RCCB means nothing to me..I have to guess... thats irritating... what means something locally or to the local genius often means nothing elsewhere.. use the full term...what do you mean Royal Crappy Circuit Breaker? R?Current Circuit Breaker. I have no idea...Im sure someone else does.

Whats the amp rating on the thing ? (stamped on to the end of the switch lever)... whats the wire size, inked onto the wire...

Has it run before but just now is tripping the breaker? How old is it? etc.

If its old, its probably a bad pump motor or motor start component such as centrifical switch, or capacitor etc.

snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote on

problem item is

audience to

Royal Carton of Crab Bait? look I will coin a new anagram... the 'ST'

'switch thingy' thats good, no?

snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote on

the problem item

your audience to

a RCCB is.

Residual? impressive...but no doubt the duffus who called his gismo that had something in mind... you couldnt have come up with that?

There is not much 'residual' about the current that goes through a circuit breaker.

Some very large devices use bypass circuits though to monitor the main current and use the bypass to operate a trip device.. thats not seen in smaller breakers (under a few hundred amps) yours in probably in the 20 amp range.

My Phil. You sure have trouble with the definitions of the words you use. You have incorrectly used the term "anagram" more than once in this thread.

This may prove educational for you:

anagram (an-a-gram) noun A word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of another word or phrase. For example, Elvis to Lives.

I think you mean acronym : a word (such as NATO, radar, or snafu) formed from the initial letter or letters of each of the successive parts or major parts of a compound term.

Charles Perry P.E.

message

message

the

your

words you use.

in this thread.

Impressive Charles...your absolutely *stunning expositions on how the utility grid was not screwed up or even adversely influenced by back feeds or other influence from users will no doubt advance the idustry's insight as well...saving many billions of dollars in needless corrective measures. Truly you must get this word out to these people before more billions are wasted.

Very nice. Keep up the good work.

another word or

initial letter or

compound term.

You are still an idiot with limited reading comprehension skills. I said, and still say, that "back emf" does not adversely affect the utility grid. Just because you have redefined the term "back emf" does not mean anyone has to accept it. Noone in industry uses your definition.

Charles Perry P.E.

Let's just go ahead and eliminate all back emf now and see how the grid handles it. Run all motors in a locked rotor condition and see what happens. ;-)