Our Insinkerator is triggering the fuse containing the plugs

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › Our Insinkerator is triggering the fuse containing the plugs - is it time for a new one?

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Paul1977

5039 posts

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#2583727 13-Oct-2020 16:56

duckDecoy:

The new top of the range ones are noticably quieter than than the mid range ones, if that is of interest.

We got the Evolution 200 and, while expensive, it's pretty quiet and you can put almost anything down it.

turtleattacks

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#2583822 13-Oct-2020 18:37

decibel:

Is this an ordinary circuit-breaker that is tripping or a RCD? (anything water related sounds suspicious)

Looks like it's a 'Safety Switch Protect Circuit" of some sort?

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Mehrts

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#2583827 13-Oct-2020 18:57

That's a Residual Current Device (RCD) which protects multiple downstream circuits hence the 63A rating.

It's designed to detect very small traces of electrical current flowing to earth (30mA). When it does detect too much current, then it trips, disconnecting whatever circuits are being fed from it.

Basically your home circuit goes: Main cable in -- Main Switch -- RCDs -- Individual circuit breakers -- Power points/lights etc.

Usually RCDs are fitted to prevent small problems from becoming big problems, especially with equipment used in or around wet areas.

Since the RCD feeds many other circuits, there's even the potential that something else is the culprit, but if you can disconnect the Insinkerator, and the RCD doesn't trip, then that's most likely the issue.

I'd say that the Insinkerator itself isn't drawing too much current, since none of the individual circuit breakers have tripped, but that there's a small path to earth somewhere internally which is tripping the RCD. Moisture causes this.

I'd get it checked out, or replace it.

turtleattacks

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#2583834 13-Oct-2020 19:11

Mehrts:

I'd say that the Insinkerator itself isn't drawing too much current, since none of the individual circuit breakers have tripped, but that there's a small path to earth somewhere internally which is tripping the RCD. Moisture causes this.

I'd get it checked out, or replace it.

We will replace the unit as soon as possible but can I ask what kind of fault could cause the 'path to earth'? Could the power cables have gotten wet hence moisture has gotten in? Or that the unit where the power supply is has gotten old and moisture leaked in?

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scuwp

3885 posts

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#2583908 13-Oct-2020 20:21

This exact thing happened to ours. I found out that they eventually all corrode around the bottom plate of the drum and then water eventually gets into the electrics in the bottom due to either corrosion or around the bottom seal. Not economical to repair. This seems to happen around the 10 year mark or earlier (from that design era) if the bottom plate gets scratched or damaged and corrosions starts earlier.

Insinkerator were helpful in identifying the equivalent current model that would just bolt right in...and it did. Simple job to swap out the old for new if you have some basic handyman skills.

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gregmcc

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#2584010 13-Oct-2020 22:43

turtleattacks:

Mehrts:

I'd say that the Insinkerator itself isn't drawing too much current, since none of the individual circuit breakers have tripped, but that there's a small path to earth somewhere internally which is tripping the RCD. Moisture causes this.

I'd get it checked out, or replace it.

We will replace the unit as soon as possible but can I ask what kind of fault could cause the 'path to earth'? Could the power cables have gotten wet hence moisture has gotten in? Or that the unit where the power supply is has gotten old and moisture leaked in?

more than likely a seal has failed in the motor and water has got in to the electrical parts, this will cause the RCD to trip when you try to run it.

Cheaper/quicker to replace rather than repair

tripper1000

1617 posts

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#2585753 15-Oct-2020 10:12

Yeah, old damp kitchen appliances tripping RCD's is not unheard of.

It did my head in trying to rank all the various brands and models of insinkerator. I had to do something so to buy some time I wacked in the cheapest Robinhood model in that M10 had and 10 years later it is still going. The higher the price, the longer the warranty but with the benifit of hind sight, I'm glad I didn't spend the extra.

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turtleattacks

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#2585756 15-Oct-2020 10:26

tripper1000:

Yeah, old damp kitchen appliances tripping RCD's is not unheard of.

It did my head in trying to rank all the various brands and models of insinkerator. I had to do something so to buy some time I wacked in the cheapest Robinhood model in that M10 had and 10 years later it is still going. The higher the price, the longer the warranty but with the benifit of hind sight, I'm glad I didn't spend the extra.

That's really good to know... we are not planning to stay in our house for more than three years so I guess we'll just buy a cheap one.

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duckDecoy

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#2585766 15-Oct-2020 10:48

turtleattacks:

tripper1000:

Yeah, old damp kitchen appliances tripping RCD's is not unheard of.

It did my head in trying to rank all the various brands and models of insinkerator. I had to do something so to buy some time I wacked in the cheapest Robinhood model in that M10 had and 10 years later it is still going. The higher the price, the longer the warranty but with the benifit of hind sight, I'm glad I didn't spend the extra.

That's really good to know... we are not planning to stay in our house for more than three years so I guess we'll just buy a cheap one.

Make sure you get one that is definitely compatible. My friend got one recently thinking they are all compatible with Insinkerator fitings, and it didn't wasn't.

CokemonZ

1051 posts

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#2662191 24-Feb-2021 13:25

So an update on the westinghouse about 1.5 years after install - exactly the same issue happening again, tripping the RCD.

I think our house is cursed with these things, though the westinghouse being a cheap model may have had steel/galv parts that corroded quicker than our previous insinkerator.

However this time I have the receipt and it's well within warranty so going to take it back :)

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