disaster!! not sure what I can do

[Hoonigan]

Sounds like it is trying to draw a lot of current from an insufficient circuit, or even a spur circuit.
Mine did this on the last brew whilst I was working on a machine.
My circuit for the garage is only a spur and it could not handle it.
The RCD's on modern fuse boxes are pretty sensitive and it only takes 1 additional electrical item to be turned on to trip them. Even the fridge tripping in can upset them.

Up grade the particular RCD the the boiler runs on. The house will still be safe because you can only buy approved upgrade RCD's

Not entirely correct, always great to offer experience and help but best not offer electrical advice if you're not sure what you're talking about... :thumb:

 

[Tony1951]

For the record I did test this last week on 7 liters of water and it boiled fine.. but today after mash BOOM game over.

Glad you seem to have salvaged the brew Covrich.

Just reading your comment above - I suppose there is no chance you have got water into the power switch or the thermostat control is there? When I was cleaning mine out after the first brew I did in it, I was using the hose pipe on it and git some water on teh switch on the outside. I didn't need to use it again for more than a week and since it was our hottest weather, I left it in the sun for a few days to dry out. A shot in the dark maybe? I don't know. Just trying to work out why when it worked before it now trips out the power. It may not be that at all, but if water had got inside the electrical controls, it might well provide a path to earth leakage and trip out the power. I had to sort out an almost identical tripping out problem at a female relative's house. The power was tripping off for no apparent reason and would not stay on. I went around and unplugged every item that was plugged in and it turned out to be the kettle. It was one of those which stand on a powered base. Her son had over filled it, it had boiled over and there was water on the contacts at the base of the stand. I dried it out and all was good. Just a thought.

 

[Covrich]

HI Again

As far as I know I never got water on the outside..possibly a drip or so when I filled it maybe?? it was mashing okay .. its after I doughed in.. I wanted to just crank it up a notch and then I noticed we had a trip out because my 6 year old told me his fish tank light had ran out of batteries.

Dad popped around we emptied it into my 15 liter pot and plugged it in.. it came on okay.. then I dumped my 15 liter wort back in and trip!

Seller has emailed me back saying "please call thxc" which I am guessing is the number on the front of the sites advert.

 

[Covrich]

As for the brwe itself, well last night I pitched around 25-26 degrees which given its a saison I thought would be good..this morning the FV says 24 and I has a growing karusen.. never had a brew go off so fast..

I wonder if this normal with a saison given the higher temps?

 

[rodabod]

^^ if you return it via eBay then they may offer to pay the return postage for you. Don't let anybody muck you about. You have a potentially dangerous appliance and by the sounds of things, have not misused it.

Good sign that you got quick yeast activity. The heat does help. I'm sure your brew will be fine. Sometimes it's surprising hat you can get away with, with no ill effects.

 

[Tony1951]

^^ if you return it via eBay then they may offer to pay the return postage for you. Don't let anybody muck you about. You have a potentially dangerous appliance and by the sounds of things, have not misused it.

+1 - With Ebay and Paypal YOU have complete control if things are not handled to your satisfaction. If you are unhappy with their response, simply raise a case on ebay and choose the 'Goods not as described' - and in the reason box, enter 'not working'. You will get instant response - probably an immediate refund. This happens with good sellers because they want to do the right thing, and with dodgy ones because Paypal control their money and will not allow trading unless things are sorted.

I once bought a laptop second hand and discovered when it arrived that unknown to me through the listing, the keyboard and the whole operating system and software were in Portuguese. Windows was totally bewildering with Portuguese labels. You can't change that. Even the recovery disc was in Portuguese. I emailed the seller and he reacted in an unhelpful way when I said I wanted to return it. I raised a case on ebay and within hours the seller was snivelling in my inbox with placatory emails begging for a negotiated solution. He paid for a new operating system disk and a new keyboard within two days and I sorted out the installation of both at my end. The resolution service works 100% in the buyers favour.

 

[ProjectBeer]

I bet you this is going to be the best beer you've ever brewed, and there's going to be no way to replicate it!

 

[Covrich]

I work with an ex sparkie and my dad spoke to a sparkie at his work the sparkie my dad knows wondered whether it was drawing too much power and causing the trip.. possible but it did get to mash temp fine.. just there after it died so not sure about that, then again I am no sparkie

My colleague who was a sparkie 15 years ago he thinks it may be a leak to the earth..

Either way I am not sure I am comfortable opening up and trying to fudge what could be a dangerous appliance.

I will ring them later and see what they have to say..

 

[Hoonigan]

I work with an ex sparkie and my dad spoke to a sparkie at his work the sparkie my dad knows wondered whether it was drawing too much power and causing the trip.. possible but it did get to mash temp fine.. just there after it died so not sure about that, then again I am no sparkie

My colleague who was a sparkie 15 years ago he thinks it may be a leak to the earth..

Either way I am not sure I am comfortable opening up and trying to fudge what could be a dangerous appliance.

I will ring them later and see what they have to say..

Tripping an MCB then likely to be excessive current draw, tripping an RCD or RCCB then earth leakage....

 

[Covrich]

Tripping an MCB then likely to be excessive current draw, tripping an RCD or RCCB then earth leakage....

It is the RCD switch that is tripping..

Also when the unit was off plugged in the wall (wall switch on) it didnt trip.. when I returned wort to it .. it blew.. that to me suggests perhaps wort is possibly leaking in?.. or is earth leak simply a wiring issue?

Cheers

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Could you take it somewhere else to test it, you would be gutted if you tried the replacement and it did the same.

 

[Tony1951]

Could you take it somewhere else to test it, you would be gutted if you tried the replacement and it did the same.

I wondered about that when we were thinking about the trip switches in the fuse board. Maybe he could take it around to his dad's and try a boil. Just a thought.

 

[Covrich]

It is what I plan to do but I am going to speak to the guy first this afternoon when I get home see what he says

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I hope it turns out to be the boiler and not your wiring etc.

 

[Covrich]

I have it plugged into the kitchen now from the plugs near my cooker.. I am boiling about 10ish liters of water..

So far its not tripped.. last night it was goingdead before I oculd even turn it on..

Stupid question.. wort coulnd't cause this to go like that could it over water? perhaps something did seep into the electronics.

I will leave this to boil for a good while and leave the water in there see what happens..

 

[Covrich]

it boiled fine but it doesnt hold a rolling boil?? seriously :lol: it goes on to keeping warm this is ramped up to 110

 

[rodabod]

The more ions in the water, the more conductive it becomes. Salty water is relativeky conductive.

If it doesn't trip again, I'd still try to send it back, or alternatively have it PAT tested to confirm that it is safe to use.

 

[Tony1951]

I have it plugged into the kitchen now from the plugs near my cooker.. I am boiling about 10ish liters of water..

So far its not tripped.. last night it was goingdead before I oculd even turn it on..

Stupid question.. wort coulnd't cause this to go like that could it over water? perhaps something did seep into the electronics.

I will leave this to boil for a good while and leave the water in there see what happens..

Hope you have solved it Covrich. A faulty element can cause tripping, but so can damp wiring or a damp switch. If its is just a misplaced splash of water all will end happily. If the boiler is at fault, you'll get it sorted. Just a pity you had such a bad day yesterday. You seem to have salvaged the brew though.

 

[Tony1951]

it boiled fine but it doesnt hold a rolling boil?? seriously :lol: it goes on to keeping warm this is ramped up to 110

Try boiling it with a full load of water like 25l.

 

[Covrich]

added more water to the boil... boom trip out

seller said to ring up this morning I have range 5 times no answer