Outside Lighting Problem

[korkykat]

Hi All

Just after any ideas, i am trying to find a fault on some extrernal bollards (70w sons), the cct is randomly tripping the RCBO every 4-14 days. The problem is that there is 28 bollard lights on the one circuit which is switched via a contactor, so finding it is a nightmare, i have took most of them apart and there was a couple with control gear that looks like moisture has got to it at one point. My idea is to take out the rcdbo and feed it off an mcb with a timedelay rcd and get some sort of individual rcd for each light so only the faulty light will trip in the future as the fittings deteriorate, ui have just not found the inline rcd yet, or take out the control gear and fit some other sort of lamp in the existing lights because in my experience when the control gear starts to 'go' thety start tripping the rcd before there is any visiblesigns or smell. If anyone has any ideas i would appreciate it no matter how big or small.

I should of said it is wired in a daisy chain eg 1 in 1 out  with only 1 feed so i cant split the lights up without major works and digging etc.

Thanks Graham

 

[Andy™]

have you done any testing?

 

[ProDave]

Insulation testing?

You CAN split the lights by disconnecting the loop in / loop out from say the middle light and test both legs.  Keep splitting until you find the leg with the fault.

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

How much will that cost, supply & fit of 28 rcd's + breaker and TD Rcd

 

[Andy™]

How much will that cost, supply & fit of 28 rcd's + breaker and TD Rcd

a lot more than finding the fault & fixing it

 

[Bruspark]

• Is the RCBO correctly rated for the 2KW  ?KVA   load (A) , what was/ is it's rated / tested actual trip current (mA).   
• Does removing any random 6 sets e.g. the last 6 in the chain of gear totally from the circuit stop it tripping and/or Does it trip more when it rains ?
• Is there any other heavy electrical equipment recently added on the same circuit /same viscinity as RCBO's sometimes seem more prone to nuicance tripping on surges etc than RCD's

If no clues from the above it will be most time/ cost effective to get someone qualified with an insulation tester and ability to measure supply current and Earth current etc to look at it

 

[streetlighter]

Is there a fused cutout fitted at the base of each bollard ? The first step would be to insulation test all of the underground cable network to see what the value is, then if suspect start testing each leg between the bollards separately.

 

[Steve3948]

Its probably one or more of the ballast units/capacitor/lamp(internal ignitor) getting damp due to ingress of moisture.

Testing is the only way to go, disconnecting anything that attributes to possibly an accumulative result.

Hopefully any joints in the ground have been done properly.

 

[steptoe]

I had a fault a few years back of low level pillar lights intermittently tripping out,

done some testing and narrowed down to 3 lights, started screwing the middle fitting off and got attacked by an army of 'KILLER' ants , they had built a biosphere inside the fitting,

careful use of the blowtorch and 15mins later the fitting was lifted to reveal ANT METROPOLIS, with the cable joint most definately well and truly buried within its depths.

 

[Steve3948]

Steps - Yes I have also had ant soil right up to the base of the ES lamp holder which was about 650mm off FFL, where do they get it from, or is it ant sh*t.

 

[steptoe]

NO idea steve,

but boy did it surprise me,!

 

[batty]

At a charity I do work for they have metal halide bollards which I installed. A few of them have been affected by ants. I replaced the control gear on one. I suggested to the maintenance guys to take the tops of a sprinkle a bit of ant powder in. 

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

I had a 1m high bollard that they had filled up completely, even the globe.

 

[batty]

They are certainly hard workers ants had the same on the bollard I fixed. Did you see the the ants on the Africa program that go out in the middle of the sahara desert in the middle of the day at the hottest time to avoid getting eaten amazing.