Fridge pops RCD

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mdav056

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#269683 1-Apr-2020 22:04

I have an F&P fridge/freezer which runs off a kitchen circuit that is protected by a wall-mounted RCD. It sometimes pops the RCD off, resulting in disaster if we missed the off. I *think* I have seen this discussed before on GZ, but I can't find the discussion. Has anyone any ideas about how I can stop this happening (apart from running a long lead across the kitchen floor...).

Thanks for any help -

gml

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#2452652 1-Apr-2020 22:08

does the RCD pop with any other loads connected? when you test the RCD does it test fine?

mdav056

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#2452655 1-Apr-2020 22:11

It's a brand new RCD, properly installed about 6 months ago, and it is the only appliance running off the RCD. But I haven't tried other loads (and hard to do so -- it only does this every 2-3 weeks).

gml

sparkz25

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#2452688 1-Apr-2020 22:39

how old is the fridge?

fe31nz

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#2452706 1-Apr-2020 23:51

We have a heater on an RCD that can trigger its RCD sometimes when it is turned off. I would expect that it would be caused by the back EMF from the electric motor when it stops. So your fridge may be the same. If you can, see if the RCD is triggering when the fridge turns its compressor off when it reaches the setpoint temperature. Or maybe just turn it off at the plug while the compressor is running, and see if that can trigger the RCD. A call to F&P tech support would seem to be a good idea also - they may know about the problem, if they have anyone on duty at the moment: 0800-372-273.

surfisup1000

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#2452707 1-Apr-2020 23:57

mdav056:

I have an F&P fridge/freezer which runs off a kitchen circuit that is protected by a wall-mounted RCD. It sometimes pops the RCD off, resulting in disaster if we missed the off. I *think* I have seen this discussed before on GZ, but I can't find the discussion. Has anyone any ideas about how I can stop this happening (apart from running a long lead across the kitchen floor...).

Thanks for any help -

May have been me .. our F&P fridge/freezer was popping our RCD -- F&P diagnosed a failed defrost heating element. Over time our fridge related RCD trips occurred more frequently.

https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=141&topicid=191412

Check if your model has a defrost element. You might have to call a service agent. From memory, it was around $200 to fix.

snnet

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#2452708 1-Apr-2020 23:58

Common for fridges to do this, had it a few times. Needs some kind of repair, can't remember what sorry. Clients usually end up with a new fridge.

You might want to check its not something else on the same circuit though like a jug with the base that seperates from the actual jug - have had moisture in the contacts of the base before causing intermittent tripping on a particularly painful job where every time I went to trace the fault they'd put the jug in a cupboard (despite asking what was being used at the time), and finally the last time there it was on the bench.

Goosey

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#2452787 2-Apr-2020 09:50

My mums F&P fridge freezer did this... popped RCD.

Tech replaced a small part... for the life of me I cant remember what it was called.... It was somthing to do with the compressor and temp sensor...

I can vaguely remember interpreting the part as a simple diode rectifyer.

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Zeon

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#2452789 2-Apr-2020 09:53

Just an idea for the short term - could you put a simple plug in light on the same plug point. Then if you notice the light off you know the RCD has tripped?

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BlinkyBill

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#2452807 2-Apr-2020 10:25

Why would anyone put a fridge on an RCD, what’s wrong with the normal circuit board protections?

elpenguino

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#2452815 2-Apr-2020 10:43

BlinkyBill:

Why would anyone put a fridge on an RCD, what’s wrong with the normal circuit board protections?

RCDs are normal protection , now. Rewire-able fuses are rightly a thing of the past.

It does high light an issue though. Some houses will have their circuits wired through a few RCDs and if a fault on any circuit that shares the RCD trips the RCD and you don't realise, there goes your fridge/freezer contents.

Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21

PolicyGuy

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#2452817 2-Apr-2020 10:46

BlinkyBill:

Why would anyone put a fridge on an RCD, what’s wrong with the normal circuit board protections?

As I understand it, if a sparky puts in a new circuit, or adds power points to an existing circuit, then the new / changed circuit has to go on an RCD - it's in the Wiring Regulations.

Or so my sparky told me

elpenguino

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#2452820 2-Apr-2020 10:50

PolicyGuy:

BlinkyBill:

Why would anyone put a fridge on an RCD, what’s wrong with the normal circuit board protections?

As I understand it, if a sparky puts in a new circuit, or adds power points to an existing circuit, then the new / changed circuit has to go on an RCD - it's in the Wiring Regulations.

Or so my sparky told me

That's correct. One way to meet the requirements is to use power points with RCDs built in, which might be what OP has.

Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21

dan

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#2452822 2-Apr-2020 10:53

i had a issue with the Fridge popping the RCD, was a faulty element of some sort, it was a pretty easy fix and cost less than a couple of hundred dollars with parts and onsite labour, the tech knew exactly what it would

be when he turned up

BlinkyBill

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#2452840 2-Apr-2020 11:18

Interesting. The Wiring Regulations were updated in 2018 and from November 2018 there were new RCD regulations to conform to. The regulations beefed up the requirement for RCD’s in many/most domestic circumstances and brought NZ more in line with AU requirements.

More interestingly, there are 294 new requirements as from Nov 2018, for wiring, compared with a very much smaller set of changes previously - 87 over the previous 30-odd years.

More good reasons for using an electrician, I guess.

nickb800

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#2452851 2-Apr-2020 11:38

BlinkyBill:

Interesting. The Wiring Regulations were updated in 2018 and from November 2018 there were new RCD regulations to conform to. The regulations beefed up the requirement for RCD’s in many/most domestic circumstances and brought NZ more in line with AU requirements.

More interestingly, there are 294 new requirements as from Nov 2018, for wiring, compared with a very much smaller set of changes previously - 87 over the previous 30-odd years.

More good reasons for using an electrician, I guess.

My understanding is that RCD has been required for new socket outlets since the 2007 standard. Under 2007 regs there was an exemption for things that were hard wired in like hot water cylinders and ovens, but the 2018 standard get rid of that exemption. However, I understand the 2018 standard isn't in legal effect, and it sounds like it will be revised before it comes into legal effect - which may mean that hard wired things can continue to be installed without RCD protection.

As a 'loophole', presumably you could in theory chop the plug off your fridge and hard wire it to negate the need for an RCD? Not that it would be very practical.

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