LS causing earth leakage to trip?

[acidrain]

So coincidentally, after the solar system has been installed, the earth leakage will randomly trip when load-shedding hits. Typically it's either early morning or late evening, and only recently with the cape's winter temperatures.

Whether the temps have anything to do about it is probably more for a sparky to answer but it is very coincidental.

I've had an electrician in to check the earth leakage and he says it's operating normally. Still, I've recently seen on powerforum some users stating that after their system was installed, their EL became overly sensitive.

One recommendation, which I'm probably going to do is to just replace the EL with a new one but has anyone else experienced something similar and solved it?

 

[lkpat]

So coincidentally, after the solar system has been installed, the earth leakage will randomly trip when load-shedding hits. Typically it's either early morning or late evening, and only recently with the cape's winter temperatures.

Whether the temps have anything to do about it is probably more for a sparky to answer but it is very coincidental.

I've had an electrician in to check the earth leakage and he says it's operating normally. Still, I've recently seen on powerforum some users stating that after their system was installed, their EL became overly sensitive.

One recommendation, which I'm probably going to do is to just replace the EL with a new one but has anyone else experienced something similar and solved it?

Yes, there are a few posts around and replacing EL seems to help in some cases.

Earth leakage switch tripping when loadshedding starts

I have installed the Victron MultiPlusII 8kv and rececently and intermittently, when the power goes during loadshedding, the Earth leakage trips cutting electricity to the house. Does anyone know what the cause this might be?

energytalk.co.za

 

[HowTo]

Mine did it also. After solar install.
EL would trip when load shedding would end.
Did replace EL, all sorted.
Mine was approximately, twenty years old. Did use new slimline EL.

 

[Pegging]

I am also having that issue a couple of times per week.

 

[LandyMan]

So coincidentally, after the solar system has been installed, the earth leakage will randomly trip when load-shedding hits. Typically it's either early morning or late evening, and only recently with the cape's winter temperatures.

Whether the temps have anything to do about it is probably more for a sparky to answer but it is very coincidental.

I've had an electrician in to check the earth leakage and he says it's operating normally. Still, I've recently seen on powerforum some users stating that after their system was installed, their EL became overly sensitive.

One recommendation, which I'm probably going to do is to just replace the EL with a new one but has anyone else experienced something similar and solved it?

I had a similar, yet reversed issue Mine would randomly trip (trolley inverter) when the power comes back on. I tried to eliminate culprit devices in the house, to no avail.

Ended up buying a new EL for roughly R240 odd I think, replaced it, problem solved

 

[Pineapple Smurf]

Same here, either my earth leakage trips or my plug circut breaker trips after power is resumed from loadshedding
Happens about twice a month, sometimes once a week
Old building
Those circuit breakers are original from the 50's or 60's

 

[pinball wizard]

I don't have this problem using generator and suicide cable.

 

[SafariTin]

Another thing to check is whether your solar system is earthed properly. Some on this forum and PowerForum have mentioned that their solar installers didn't make arrangement for alternative earth when the municipal power is off.

Most seem to recommend an Earth-Neutral bridge that bonds your earth to municipal neutral when the electricity is off.

If no alternative is made available you could have a situation where your solar system is "islanding" itself and may have a spike when municipal supply comes back on.

@acidrain

 

[acidrain]

Another thing to check is whether your solar system is earthed properly. Some on this forum and PowerForum have mentioned that their solar installers didn't make arrangement for alternative earth when the municipal power is off.

Most seem to recommend an Earth-Neutral bridge that bonds your earth to municipal neutral when the electricity is off.

If no alternative is made available you could have a situation where your solar system is "islanding" itself and may have a spike when municipal supply comes back on.

@acidrain

I'll check but I don't recall them installing an additional earth. The system sits in the garage and connects to the db in the kitchen which is about 10m away.

The sparky that came out to check the EL didn't mention about anything abnormal on the earthing or the inverter system but maybe he just never thought to check if it is earthing correctly.

 

[Naks]

Had the same after solar installation in Feb 2022: changed the EL and everything has been fine since

 

[pinball wizard]

I'll check but I don't recall them installing an additional earth. The system sits in the garage and connects to the db in the kitchen which is about 10m away.

The sparky that came out to check the EL didn't mention about anything abnormal on the earthing or the inverter system but maybe he just never thought to check if it is earthing correctly.

Would be easy enough to sink a meter long copper rod a couple of meters into the ground outside the garage and earth the inverter system separately. Take you a couple of hours and a couple of hundred zars?

 

[acidrain]

Would be easy enough to sink a meter long copper rod a couple of meters into the ground outside the garage and earth the inverter system separately. Take you a couple of hours and a couple of hundred zars?

I have been thinking about this yes because there is a sub-db in the garage so would be ideal it is earthed locally.

Might do the earth-neutral bond, only if a local earth and changing the EL switches don't work.

 

[Fcon_Vpro]

You can test for a floating neutral by measuring with your multimeter across neutral and earth when the grid is off. If there is voltage then you have a problem.

Just curious if people replacing their earth leakages bought expensive or cheap versions to solve it?

 

[LandyMan]

You can test for a floating neutral by measuring with your muktimeter across neutral and earth when the grid is off. If there is voltage then you have a problem.

Just curious if people replacing their earth leakages bought expensive or cheap versions to solve it?

I bought this one

 

[RedViking]

Replace it with a new one.

Problem solved.