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elcb and borehole pump

Former Community Member
Former Community Member
Hello

I have a problem with a newly installed domestic borehole pump. This is to replace the original pump which after 20 years has given up the ghost.

The pump appears to operate satisfactorily except that it trips the consumer unit elcb on starting and only on starting. Resetting the elcb allows the pump to run normally. The time taken to push the elcb switch back up is presumably sufficient for some transient effect to end.


The house wiring is exactly the same as for the original pump, which ran satisfactorily for 20 years.


The installer has carried out all the tests normally conducted on the pump and pump cable (continuity, insulation, running current, etc.) and claims that the pump is not faulty. Yet it trips the elcb on startup.


I will welcome any suggestions for a solution. The installer is a one man firm and is reluctant (to say the least) to change the pump.


Mike Lee
  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    Nathaniel

    I wouldn't have thought that 20+ years is very old, but it obviously is for RCDs faced with modern appliances. Interestingly, neither the pump installer nor his pump suppliers seemed to have encountered this problem before. Perhaps it will become more common when more pumps of a similar age to ours need to be replaced.

    Mike Lee
  • 0
    I suppose some RCD lifetimes do need to be much longer than this, as they'll be left without attention in someone's house. In that sense, perhaps 20+ shouldn't be seen as old. But I confess I think of the 25-ish year-old ones as being pretty old!  It's not just about aging (which is not very well understood, and probably depends on the manufacturer and 'vintage' as well as the environment, degree of operation etc) but also about the changes of standards for tolerance of brief spikes of current.  And I'd like to see the installed population changing soon to be not type AC, particularly for TT systems.

  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    Nathaniel

    My experience probably makes your point about changes in standards, etc. I don't have enough experience of domestic installations to comment on changes to standards. I'm just happy that, with the help of everyone on here, I seem to have solved my problem.

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