For sometime now,from time to time the moment electricity is switched off for loadshedding my earth leakage trips.

What is strange is that it only trips 5% of time when COJ switches off the electricity for loadshedding and doesn't trip on normal house usage,after electricity is restored during loadshedding or during rains or any other times except with a faulty equipment.

This sometimes doesn't allow my inverter to power the house and electricity has to be restored during loadshedding by someone physically switching on the earth leakage and afterwards everything is fine.

I have changed the earth leakage but no success and have called a couple of electricians in and they are unable to find any fault.

I have solar installed but this started prior to the solar installation and still unable to find and solve this issue although I thought installing the inverter would stop it.I have the Schiender inverters that supplies the house.

One of the electricians seems to suggest that the fault might be related to Municipal systems but without any information to back it up.

Suggestions for a good electrician will be appreciated or alternatively an earth leakage switch that i am able to remotely switch on via an APP similar to the Astute CBI switch.

This is because i have my internet and wifi on backup power when this trip happens on the start of loadshedding and just require to switch on the earth leakage so that my inverter can power the house.

Probably due to loss of earth-neutral bond followed by re-bonding, coupled with SMPS filters or surge arresters. If you have lots of surge arrester plugs, remove them, leaving only a proper SPD after your main MCB. You can also try an "anti-nuisance tripping" RCD, like the Hager CD264J.

https://www.em.co.za/CD264J

Thanks P1000.I only have a few surge arrester plugs.Will definitely give this Hagger CD246J a try and see if that will work.

On 2022/11/20 at 10:28 AM, P1000 said:

Probably due to loss of earth-neutral bond followed by re-bonding, coupled with SMPS filters or surge arresters. If you have lots of surge arrester plugs, remove them, leaving only a proper SPD after your main MCB. You can also try an "anti-nuisance tripping" RCD, like the Hager CD264J.

https://www.em.co.za/CD264J

Can vouch for this piece of equipment - installed it many years ago and solved my nuisance tripping.  My original EL may have been a knock-off CBI though which may have been faulty, but this sorted the issue out.

On 2022/11/20 at 4:22 PM, Mac_2022 said:

Thanks P1000.I only have a few surge arrester plugs.Will definitely give this Hagger CD246J a try and see if that will work.

Hi. I have now the same problem. Was yours resolved after you replaced the earthleakage with the hagger? What I noticed is my Earthleakage only trips when I more thank 1kw of load

Yes,it was resolved when i got the hagger.No trip since i got it in November 2022.

I had this issue for over a year and after getting the hagger for once over the holidays i was able to travel with peace of mind.

On 2023/01/25 at 2:07 PM, Inverter said:

Hi. I have now the same problem. Was yours resolved after you replaced the earthleakage with the hagger? What I noticed is my Earthleakage only trips when I more thank 1kw of load

If its load related it might also be some specific load causing it. 

On 2023/01/25 at 2:07 PM, Inverter said:

Hi. I have now the same problem. Was yours resolved after you replaced the earthleakage with the hagger? What I noticed is my Earthleakage only trips when I more thank 1kw of load

Do you have a earth/neutral bond on output side of the inverter?

On 2023/01/26 at 8:04 PM, TaliaB said:

Do you have a earth/neutral bond on output side of the inverter?

Yes I did it via a relay

Ok. Do you still have the tripping at start of load shedding very odd i can understand tripping when Eskom power is restored. If the power is switched off ( ls) then your RCD will not have any current flowing through live and neutral. Does it trip immediately when ls starts?

On 2023/01/31 at 8:43 AM, TaliaB said:

Ok. Do you still have the tripping at start of load shedding very odd i can understand tripping when Eskom power is restored. If the power is switched off ( ls) then your RCD will not have any current flowing through live and neutral. Does it trip immediately when ls starts?

@TaliaB You mentioned you can understand when Eskom is restored - please will you explain why? - As I have this issue, every now and again, my EL CB will trip when Eskom power is restored, at first I thought it's my fridges, but it happens very randomly (sometimes months apart). I do have a Victron Multiplus powering my light circuit (DB Lights breaker > INVERTER > All LIGHTS (positive) - they all share neutral, with "ground relay" on, not sure if that's a cause. Some threads suggest it's the sensitivity of CBI breakers (which I have).  Any suggestions?

Sorry for hijacking the thread, but could be related.

When power is restored it causes an imbalance between live and neutral for a few milliseconds that the earth leakage sees as an earth fault. You will have standing current flow on all appliances especially electronic equipment that uses smps's. Plug top surge arrestor's also have leakage currents to earth as they use transient arrestors(MOV'S). You can use the following device that keeps the mains power off for 4 minutes allowing transients to settle and protecting your appliances from high voltage surges and it doesn't cost an arm and leg.

https://surgeprotection.co.za/products/12-00286-evt-40r-trip-connect

On 2023/02/02 at 10:50 AM, TaliaB said:

When power is restored it causes an imbalance between live and neutral for a few milliseconds that the earth leakage sees as an earth fault. You will have standing current flow on all appliances especially electronic equipment that uses smps's. Plug top surge arrestor's also have leakage currents to earth as they use transient arrestors(MOV'S). You can use the following device that keeps the mains power off for 4 minutes allowing transients to settle and protecting your appliances from high voltage surges and it doesn't cost an arm and leg.

https://surgeprotection.co.za/products/12-00286-evt-40r-trip-connect

I have exactly such a device! - mine set to 5 minutes. But thanks for the explanation, there are indeed many plug surge arrestors here, almost all my equi - perhaps too many on too few circuits for those few ms's.

Look Werner nuisance tripping of a RCD is sometimes tricky to diagnose and find. 1.First of all you need to rule out that your RCD is not the issue. You need a ramp tester to determine at wat value(ma) the RCD is tripping at if RCD is ok then 2.You need a ma clamp meter to check the current flow between live and neutral on the incoming cable top or bottom of RCD. To decide which circuit is causing nuisance tripping, turn off all the MCBs in the db board and position the earth leakage clamp around the mains cables. Turn on each circuit in turn. If one causes the earth leakage to increase significantly, this is likely to be the problem circuit. Next decide whether the leakage is intentional. If it is, some form of load spreading or circuit splitting will be needed. If it’s unintentional leakage – the result of a fault – the fault must be found and repaired.

On 2023/02/04 at 8:55 AM, TaliaB said:

Look Werner nuisance tripping of a RCD is sometimes tricky to diagnose and find. 1.First of all you need to rule out that your RCD is not the issue. You need a ramp tester to determine at wat value(ma) the RCD is tripping at if RCD is ok then 2.You need a ma clamp meter to check the current flow between live and neutral on the incoming cable top or bottom of RCD. To decide which circuit is causing nuisance tripping, turn off all the MCBs in the db board and position the earth leakage clamp around the mains cables. Turn on each circuit in turn. If one causes the earth leakage to increase significantly, this is likely to be the problem circuit. Next decide whether the leakage is intentional. If it is, some form of load spreading or circuit splitting will be needed. If it’s unintentional leakage – the result of a fault – the fault must be found and repaired.

@TaliaBVery good explanation of RCD fault detection and remedial. We should do a complete write up that could be pasted as a sticky note for forum members experiencing RCD trips. IR could also be a culprit of RCD fault detection. If IR is <1MΩ it should be investigated. RCD with AC classification is normally the culprit when inverters are used that injects DC onto the AC side due to high frequency switching. RCD's with A or F classification( type) should be used.