Chriswills Posted November 30, 2021 Share Posted November 30, 2021 My 12 year old ASHP has worked fine up until now where it has this morning tripped the electric. Despite countless times of switching it back, it goes off again. Its our only source of heat.......any ideas please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpmiller Posted November 30, 2021 Share Posted November 30, 2021 How handy are you with a multimeter? Unplugging (say) the fans and the compressor and re-trying could be a start but lookiing at that trip, I might start there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted November 30, 2021 Share Posted November 30, 2021 That is the RCD it has tripped, so an earth leakage fault not an over current fault. You really need an insulation tester to find that, not a multi meter, and pray it is not the compressor that is the faulty item. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick1c Posted November 30, 2021 Share Posted November 30, 2021 We had something similar after a storm, it turned out that it was due to damp getting into an outside socket on the same circuit. No idea how it was checked / sorted out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyT Posted November 30, 2021 Share Posted November 30, 2021 Time to call in an electrician Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriswills Posted November 30, 2021 Author Share Posted November 30, 2021 I have a sparky coming over now just to check the RCD over. If that all checks out where do I go from there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted November 30, 2021 Share Posted November 30, 2021 37 minutes ago, Chriswills said: I have a sparky coming over now just to check the RCD over. If that all checks out where do I go from there? The sparky needs the check everything, bit by bit. Start with the isolator switch and supply cable, i.e. with the supply disconnected inside the ASHP does that IR test okay? It could be water in the isolator switch for instance. Then he needs to check individual components inside the ASHP like valves, pumps, fans, compressor, sensors etc. Test each by disconnecting them from the control boar and IR test to earth. Check everything inside like control boards for any sign of them being wet in any way. Right now is not the best time, a lot easier in daylight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyshouse Posted November 30, 2021 Share Posted November 30, 2021 I think overcurrent problem on startup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriswills Posted November 30, 2021 Author Share Posted November 30, 2021 Thanks guys. Seems to be all sorted. He replaced the breaker and now it’s working Ok. For now at least Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted November 30, 2021 Share Posted November 30, 2021 10 minutes ago, Chriswills said: Thanks guys. Seems to be all sorted. He replaced the breaker and now it’s working Ok. For now at least Thanks. I hadn't realised until I looked again that MCB and RCD are outside, forming the job of an isolator as well. It is highly likely water has got in somehow. Lets hope that was all it was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpmiller Posted November 30, 2021 Share Posted November 30, 2021 I've seen those Wylex RCDs do odd things before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted December 1, 2021 Share Posted December 1, 2021 @Chriswills So as you have had this ASHP 12 years, you had any other issues with it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriswills Posted December 1, 2021 Author Share Posted December 1, 2021 2 hours ago, SteamyTea said: @Chriswills So as you have had this ASHP 12 years, you had any other issues with it? No issues with the pump at all until now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriswills Posted December 20, 2021 Author Share Posted December 20, 2021 (edited) Still having problems and we thought it was all fixed. Still tripping at the outside wall. Sparky came around and confirmed it was the ASHP unit at fault. he tried disconnecting items to see if he could pin point the issue but to no avail. I need some help here guys please. He even removed the earth from the RCD, it ran a little longer but then tripped out through the neutral he said. Edited December 20, 2021 by Chriswills Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted December 20, 2021 Share Posted December 20, 2021 Start by unplugging everything inside that you can, fans, compressors, valves, sensors etc. MAKING SURE you note what went where so it can all go back in the right place. It won't run and it will throw some errors, but if it does not trip you are making progress. Then put the unplugged items back one at a time until it trips and you have your likely fault. You might need a better electrician? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyshouse Posted December 20, 2021 Share Posted December 20, 2021 The inrush current on heat pumps can be very high. Different breakers are available that can cope with that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriswills Posted December 21, 2021 Author Share Posted December 21, 2021 Just an update, I have been switching off and removing bits this morning to isolate the issue. It seems if I remove one of the compressor enabaling relays it works fine, heats up and does not trip. I thought eureka that it was a faulty relay, so put the KA6/1 into KA6/2 and it trips immediately. So I think its compressor related. If I leave out the relay and run it, it works fine, is this advisable in the short term as the house is rather cold now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriswills Posted December 21, 2021 Author Share Posted December 21, 2021 Image shown with relay removed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpmiller Posted December 21, 2021 Share Posted December 21, 2021 Is there a soft-start device? Have you any way of testing the capacitors? (top right of first piccy) Try seeing where that orange wire on the relay socket goes to.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriswills Posted December 21, 2021 Author Share Posted December 21, 2021 15 minutes ago, dpmiller said: Is there a soft-start device? Have you any way of testing the capacitors? (top right of first piccy) Try seeing where that orange wire on the relay socket goes to.. Do you mean the C1 Capacitor? Can’t see where the wire goes too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted December 21, 2021 Share Posted December 21, 2021 If it "works fine" with a relay removed, something must be not working so is it really "working fine" or is it detecting a fault (e.g. no compressor) ans using a backup e.g. electric resistance heating element? does it show any error with this relay removed? Can you tell what is not operating, e.g. no compressor noise or no fans running? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Temp Posted December 21, 2021 Share Posted December 21, 2021 Worn out compressor can cause it according to all the online guides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriswills Posted December 21, 2021 Author Share Posted December 21, 2021 40 minutes ago, ProDave said: If it "works fine" with a relay removed, something must be not working so is it really "working fine" or is it detecting a fault (e.g. no compressor) ans using a backup e.g. electric resistance heating element? does it show any error with this relay removed? Can you tell what is not operating, e.g. no compressor noise or no fans running? No error with relay removed unit heats up ok. Is it safe to run with relay out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpmiller Posted December 21, 2021 Share Posted December 21, 2021 As Dave says it could be heating on a resistance heater so you'll need to check carefully for clunks and hums from the compressor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrerahill Posted December 21, 2021 Share Posted December 21, 2021 18 hours ago, tonyshouse said: The inrush current on heat pumps can be very high. Different breakers are available that can cope with that It worked fine for 12 years so unless a motor has seized or about to die, which I don't think it has/is, then I cannot see the current suddenly increasing above the rating of the 12 year old MCB. If a higher current breaker was the fix then I would be more concerned about what was actually wrong further down the line and could the associated cabling then handle the increased current. As the OP said it ran longer with the earth pulled off the RCD this indicates leakage due to a failing components or moisture ingress. This fault, therefore, does not appear to the current related. Current and earth leakage are two different things. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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