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Caravan Site - Overheating supply neutral connection on pitch RCDs

DMB

Hi,

Am presently staying at a farm caravan park in south of England and the owner has shown me a problem he is having with some individual pitch electrical devices. Apparently, over time a number of the Type C  16A RCD devices have been affect by the INCOMING supply neutral connection overheating. Seems unlikely to be loose connection on so many devices and device are not tripping. 
site is served by overhead 2 phase connection with single phase distribution to at least 3 sepeate areas built at different times. Pitches are served by buried SWA and marked up as “ring”. RCDs are British supplier and all other connections on the 30mA device are clean and unaffected. Are we looking at an harmonics problem or distribution system fault. All suggestions welcome (It won’t spoil my holiday) Thanks

Dave



Parents
  • 0

    Are the RCDs indoors or out doors?  If outdoors could you supply a picture of the enclosure?  Who has changed the RCDs in the past and are they using a Torque driver to the correct Nm as specified by the manufacturer?  A lot of RCDs have different Torque setting for the terminal at the top and bottom. 

Reply
  • 0

    Are the RCDs indoors or out doors?  If outdoors could you supply a picture of the enclosure?  Who has changed the RCDs in the past and are they using a Torque driver to the correct Nm as specified by the manufacturer?  A lot of RCDs have different Torque setting for the terminal at the top and bottom. 

Children
  • 0 in reply to Sergio Fernandez

    Hi,

    answer to various queries.

    Pictured device is dirty due to storage in barn AFTER removal due to fault.

    Devices are installed in a manufacturer designed IP rated enclosure specifically for caravan hook ups


    All work carried out by a registered electrician and why only the neutral terminals on the supply side if it a torque issue ?

    Re the unbalancing of heat dissipation this could be something and I will be asking the manufacturer for their comments on the evidence. Will take one apart when I get home just to see if there is an internal difference/issue.

    Regarding overload/reset we have a 16A Type C device serving one caravan and the owner does not have users saying the devices have tripped and need resetting.

    I am intrigued with this fault as having done a fair number of surveys of all types of building it’s something I have not seen before. 

  • 0 in reply to DMB

    I am not sure on the IP and IK rating for that enclosure but I wonder what the designed operating temp range for the RCD is.

    At 30 degrees C what is the actual trip current?

    at minus 5 degrees C  what is the actual trip current?

  • 0 in reply to DMB

    and the owner does not have users saying the devices have tripped and need resetting.

    site owner wouldn't necessarily be aware - most caravanners will be happy to just reset it themselves (on some club sites there's an electrical interlock with the socket, so the RCBO needs to be switched on manually after plugging in - so most are familiar with lifting the flap).

       - Andy.

  • 0 in reply to AJJewsbury

    The IP and IK rating for the enclosure is when the flap is down and closed.  If the flap remains open for some reason IP5X probably becomes IP2X

    The Ip rating for the RCD is probably only IP2X

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