Toaster in kitchen tripping rccb

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bainbrij

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Hi
Yesterday our toaster started tripping the main rcb - we believe the toaster is faulty but would of expected the kitchen socket rcb to trip not the ring main rcb - the entire ground floor tripped) - is it expected the main would trip?

echo[GALLERY=media, 103726]0EA4E3BB-6F23-421E-BE44-7286D7BB619C by bainbrij posted 30 Dec 2019 at 10:37 AM[/GALLERY]
 
Which of the breakers in your photo is the one that tripped?

There is only one RCCB.
 
That is quite normal

An RCCB (also known as an RCD) trips when there is a imbalance between the current flowing through the L and the N wires, usually caused by a fault allowing current to flow to earth.

The other breakers are MCBs which trip if the current drawn is excessive, such as an overload or short-circuit.

It is possible to provide individual RCD protection to each circuit, but this is more expensive.
 
bainbrij said:
The one marked rccb ( the bigger one) I would of expected one of the much mcbs to trip before the rccb
Click to expand...

Yep, the MCB protects the circuit from overload. The RCCB is there to detect imbalances between line (live) & neutral.
 
Your toaster has an imbalance in the current drawn from the Line conductor and the current returning on the Neutral conductor, which indicates the probability of current passing from the Line conductor to the protective Earth conductor via crumbs and other detritus within the toaster.

It would seem to be a good idea to unplug your toaster and give it a good cleaning - however that may be achieved.
After cleaning the toaster and resetting the MCBs and the RCCB/RCD concerned, retest the toaster to see if it is now operative without tripping the RCD.

If not, replace the toaster.
 
Having sorted out why the RCD tripped and not the MCB have a look at the toaster with it unplugged of course. Most likely a toast cinder is lodged between the element and another metal part. Remove it carefully and most likely all will work again.
 
winston1 said:
Having sorted out why the RCD tripped and not the MCB have a look at the toaster with it unplugged of course. Most likely a toast cinder is lodged between the element and another metal part. Remove it carefully and most likely all will work again.
Click to expand...
What a great idea!
But already suggested by @FrodoOne quite a while before you.
 
I had that once when turning on the toaster, it was a bit bashed and the handle was missing meaning you had to press down on the tiny bit of metal to turn it on. when I reset the rcd and tried again, I looked inside and found the other end of the carriage had come out of the guide and was touching the element! Didnt feel a thing though. My housemate refused to bin his toaster, so I bought a new one anyway and used that.
 
Toaster very thin elements that can get damaged or break down over time, this will certainly trip out if that is the case. Not worth repairing these days unless its an expensive commercial one.
 
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