Anyway of "damping" an MK Sentry circuit so cooker doesn't cut it out all the time?

Is this some sort of GFCI breaker? Sounds like the cooker is finding another path to ground. There is not any way to damp this you should either find the fault or you could replace the GFCI breaker with a norman one. Probably not a good idea since you say wires are scorched though. GFCI breakers monitor the current going out on the hot wire and current returning on the neutral. They are designed to shut off when the current supplied is not returning on the neutral and is returning to ground somewhere else.

Exactly what kind of cooker is this?

What is a mini rbc?

- Mike

On Fri, 7 Oct 2005 15:52:32 -0400, "Michael Kennedy" scrawled:

Hmm, mainly pointless for uk.d-i-y.

I would assume a UK one.

On Fri, 7 Oct 2005 20:07:54 +0100, "Jonathan" scrawled:

That would be RCD then.

Doesn't have to be shorted, although I don't like the sound of "a little scorched". How do you know it's sound, what did you test it with.

Probably because RCB is a made up TLA.

Possibly, but I think you'be better calling someone in who understands electrics a little more clearly.

You could replace the RCD - some do get a little "twitchy" with age.

Best approach though is to split-load the consumer unit. Some circuits (sockets, shower) are RCD'ed, others (lighting, freezer, cooker, immersion, welders, multi-hp machine tools, pottery kiln) aren't.

If only this one device is causing problem, you should replace it or have it professionally repaired. Otherwise, you're putting a bandage on a cancer.

--- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ:

no

Not really, a fixed appliance with a bit of leakage on a non-TT system is a non risk. And leakage on cooker elements is normal.

1. Is your installation TT?
2. If not, replace the CU with a split circuit one, with the cooker not on an RCD.
3. There isnt anything you can do to the cooker to make it work more reliably, other than bypassing the neutral switching on the user controls if its 2 pole switched. Since it pops when switched off this may be what youve got, and keeping N connected will normally prevent that.

However as others have said, I would not suggest you personally rush into the work, not until youre a fair bit clearer about this.

If its jsut one specific ring that does it, you could replace that one. But you shouldnt need to, its just a badly designed insall. Whole house RCDs are deprecated now - after being compulsory before of course. (This excludes TT systems, which have ane extra issue requiring whole house RCD cover - but that is now implemented rather better than previously)

NT

Big electric heating elements are always going to have high leakage currents.