I decided sometime back to update my Consumer Unit; bought a
replacement and then put off doing it because of the cost of the
temporary disconnection. Fortunately yesterday the electricity board
shut us all down for most of the working day to do some upgrade -
didn't spot the opportunity to begin with and was hanging around
wondering what I was going to do !

Anyway it is now done. The only facility to trip the system is the
under-cupboard LV halogen lights in the kitchen which are off the
kitchen ring - these trip the RCD. Is this to be expected with the
electronic transformer or is there a fault with them ? I see from
another thread here that I would be best to change to fluorescents
anyway.

We've all been there, but yesterday I went for a cup of tea in the
middle of the morning ; kettle wouldn't switch on - OK saucepan on gas
cooker - no, let's get camping kettle from walk-in attic - attic light
wouldn't switch on - down stairs for torch - batteries flat on the
first one, get good one from workshop - fill kettle, put on stove -
stove won't light because no electricity - hunt house for matches or
lighter, etc, etc. We are a bit dependent, aren't we ?

Rob

On 17 Aug 2006 01:37:21 -0700, "robgraham"
wrote:

I decided sometime back to update my Consumer Unit; bought a
replacement and then put off doing it because of the cost of the
temporary disconnection. Fortunately yesterday the electricity board
shut us all down for most of the working day to do some upgrade -
didn't spot the opportunity to begin with and was hanging around
wondering what I was going to do !

Anyway it is now done. The only facility to trip the system is the
under-cupboard LV halogen lights in the kitchen which are off the
kitchen ring - these trip the RCD. Is this to be expected with the
electronic transformer or is there a fault with them ? I see from
another thread here that I would be best to change to fluorescents
anyway.

A transformer should not leak llike that. From what you say its almost
certainly the transformer so try replacing it.

We've all been there, but yesterday I went for a cup of tea in the
middle of the morning ; kettle wouldn't switch on - OK saucepan on gas
cooker - no, let's get camping kettle from walk-in attic - attic light
wouldn't switch on - down stairs for torch - batteries flat on the
first one, get good one from workshop - fill kettle, put on stove -
stove won't light because no electricity - hunt house for matches or
lighter, etc, etc. We are a bit dependent, aren't we ?

Rob

robgraham wrote:

Anyway it is now done. The only facility to trip the system is the
under-cupboard LV halogen lights in the kitchen which are off the
kitchen ring - these trip the RCD. Is this to be expected with the
electronic transformer or is there a fault with them ? I see from
another thread here that I would be best to change to fluorescents
anyway.

I would susspect a fault. Most transformers I have seen only take a two
wire connection in the first place, so getting leakage to earth is
potentially not that easy!

It could it be something silly like having the xformer wired across
phase and earth, or could also be damage to the cable feeding it
(kitchen cubboard screwed through it etc!)

We've all been there, but yesterday I went for a cup of tea in the
middle of the morning ; kettle wouldn't switch on - OK saucepan on gas
cooker - no, let's get camping kettle from walk-in attic - attic light
wouldn't switch on - down stairs for torch - batteries flat on the
first one, get good one from workshop - fill kettle, put on stove -
stove won't light because no electricity - hunt house for matches or
lighter, etc, etc. We are a bit dependent, aren't we ?

;-)



--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

robgraham wrote:

We've all been there, but yesterday I went for a cup of tea in the
middle of the morning ; kettle wouldn't switch on - OK saucepan on gas
cooker - no, let's get camping kettle from walk-in attic - attic light
wouldn't switch on - down stairs for torch - batteries flat on the
first one, get good one from workshop - fill kettle, put on stove -
stove won't light because no electricity - hunt house for matches or
lighter, etc, etc. We are a bit dependent, aren't we ?

I wish it were only a joke.


Anyway it is now done. The only facility to trip the system is the
under-cupboard LV halogen lights in the kitchen which are off the
kitchen ring - these trip the RCD. Is this to be expected with the
electronic transformer

no

or is there a fault with them ?

maybe

I see from
another thread here that I would be best to change to fluorescents
anyway.

yup. Check what type of tubes youre getting though, avoid 4000K or
higher, unless you really like cold clinical lighting that looks
totally at odds with the rest of the lighting.


NT

John Rumm wrote:
robgraham wrote:

Anyway it is now done. The only facility to trip the system is the
under-cupboard LV halogen lights in the kitchen which are off the
kitchen ring - these trip the RCD. Is this to be expected with the
electronic transformer or is there a fault with them ? I see from
another thread here that I would be best to change to fluorescents
anyway.

I would susspect a fault. Most transformers I have seen only take a two
wire connection in the first place, so getting leakage to earth is
potentially not that easy!

Not electronic ones. They kick out a LOT of interference and have BIG
RFI filters on em. And earth wires to match.

Quite enough to take an elaready suspect 30mA RCD over the edge.

The Natural Philosopher wrote:

I would susspect a fault. Most transformers I have seen only take a
two wire connection in the first place, so getting leakage to earth is
potentially not that easy!


Not electronic ones. They kick out a LOT of interference and have BIG
RFI filters on em. And earth wires to match.

Quite enough to take an elaready suspect 30mA RCD over the edge.

Agree about the RFI, although I don't think I have seen an electronic
one that is not double isolated and hence earth free.


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

robgraham wrote:

these trip the RCD. Is this to be expected with the
electronic transformer or is there a fault with them ?

Switch-mode PSU and a 30mA RCD ? Very common prroblem. Doing it on a
100mA RCD is less common, but still happens with some brands of PSU.

In article .com,
robgraham wrote:
I decided sometime back to update my Consumer Unit; bought a
replacement and then put off doing it because of the cost of the
temporary disconnection.

Just cut the seal and pull the fuse. They'll not worry.

--
Is the hardness of the butter proportional to the softness of the bread?*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.