Short answer
Usually it is the heating element of the washing machine, dryer or dishwasher that has absorbed moisture or has internal leakage current. It often happens right when it heats up. Test it by connecting only that appliance and running a programme with heating. If the RCD then trips, it is the appliance that needs attention and not the installation.
Who this article is for Anyone whose RCD trips when washing, drying or running the dishwasher. You can pinpoint it yourself, but not redistribute the circuits.
Why white goods in particular
An RCD trips at about 30 milliamps of leakage current. Every appliance leaks a little, and with a heating element in a damp environment that adds up. Put three appliances with a small leak on the same RCD and together they tip over the limit.
That is why it often trips:
- while heating up, when the element comes on
- after a period of not being used, when moisture has got into the element
- when several appliances are running at the same time
The test that shows it
- Unplug everything on the suspect circuit.
- Reset the RCD.
- Connect only the washing machine and run a programme with heating, for example 60 degrees.
- If it trips, it is the washing machine. If it does not, repeat with the dryer and then with the dishwasher.
It takes time, because you have to let each appliance run a programme, but it gives certainty. Note down what you have done, then I do not have to repeat it.
What you can do about it
On the appliance. An element with leakage current can be replaced. With an old appliance it is often not worth it, but with a good machine it is.
With the utility room on its own RCD, the rest of the house keeps running.
On the installation. In many older homes the whole house hangs on one or two RCDs. If one trips, the freezer, the central heating and the wifi stop too. More RCDs, or an RCBO per circuit, keep a fault limited to the circuit it is on.
That is also why, in a new consumer unit, I always split things up more than the minimum. See using dedicated circuits and consumer unit replacement.
If it is not an appliance
If the RCD keeps tripping with everything disconnected, the leakage current is in the fixed installation. Damp in an outdoor socket, a damaged cable or an old connection in a bathroom are then the usual places. I test that with an insulation test per circuit.
How such a search goes is described in RCD keeps tripping.
From my own work
For a family in Ulestraten the RCD always tripped on Saturdays around midday. That turned out to be when the dryer went on after a wash. The element had leakage current, well above the limit. The repairer confirmed it. In the meantime I did give the utility room its own RCD, because half a Saturday without power in the rest of the house is completely unnecessary.
When to call an electrician
- You have pinpointed the appliance but it also happens without it
- Several appliances give the same picture
- The utility room or kitchen is on one RCD with the rest of the house
Spreading circuits over several RCDs solves the inconvenience and is a half-day job. Request a quote or call +31 43 204 18 26.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the RCD trip right when it heats up?
The heating element then carries the most current and, if faulty, leaks the most. That is why a programme with heating is the best test.
Can I have the element replaced?
You can. With an old appliance it is not always worth it, with a good machine it is.
Can I stop the whole house going off?
Yes, by spreading the circuits over more RCDs or with an RCBO per circuit. Then a fault stays limited to that one circuit.
Further reading
RCD keeps tripping: how to find the cause yourself
Usually it is one appliance and not your installation. In four steps you find out yourself which one, and you read exactly where it stops and you need to call.
Lights flickering or dimming: what it tells you
Flickering in one light is usually the bulb or the dimmer. Flickering throughout the house is a reason to measure.
The circuit breaker trips: overload or short circuit
A breaker that only trips after a while points to overload. If it trips straight away, it is a short circuit.
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