Help! charger trippping the fuse box

[Andy-Mat]

Story from our stay in US, 2 phase 110v. Main oven worked using both phases to get 220v, but some rings, timers etc just used 110v from one phase or the other. Suddenly most odd symptoms; nothing except the timer worked properly, rings would sort of work if oven turned on, etc. Oven experts declared we (or the landlords) needed a $300 new control unit.

By luck I absently mindedly twiddled the breaker before that arrived, and everything worked. What had happened was the breaker had tripped. Double ganged breaker (not sure what type, 1980) for each phase so if one side went down it should pull the other and trip. Turned out that it went the wrong way, one phase of the ganged breaker had tripped, but instead of pulling down the visible switch and breaking the other phase, the switch on the second phase kept the visible handle the first phase in the on position as if unbroken so breaker just looked normal.

Interesting problem, and you found the right fix and saved yourself some money. I do believe that its mainly a physical/mechanical connection between the two, and they sometimes get loose or break....
You may laugh at what I am about to write, but the US electrical system is also a single 220VAC system, that many do call 2 phase, but really inaccurately, as its only a single phase to each house!
Often, transformers are used for each individual house, hanging on a pole nearby.
The difference being that in the USA, the middle point of the single phase is connected to and called Neutral.
Not at one end of a single phase as done in the UK and most of Europe.
Therefore in the USA, Neutral to either end of the (same) phase measures at around 110VAC.

You can see in this diagram, that its a single 220VAC phase from a transformer. But for for devices that need a lot of power, you can also get 220VAC simply by going from the phase end to phase end, which is really the same single phase, but people still believe its two phases - very misleading!
I dislike the US system, with it's dangerous plugs, and up till fairly recently, seldom an RCD (GFI) in sight.
They have significantly more deaths from shock per capita than the UK system, if I remember correctly.
The UK system, is to my mind the best and safest of all, if installed correctly and with modern extras like RCDs in use, fuses in plugs, lighting and power on different fuses/breakers, phase always defined and being switched etc..
The European system, sits somewhere between the two....slightly better than the US and far worse than the UK system....
Here is a reasonable explanation:-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_wiring_in_North_America

or here with some good diagrams:-

Your Home Electrical System Explained

Master electrician explains your home electrical system in easy terms and with diagrams, so that you might become able to solve many electrical problems yourself.

thecircuitdetective.com

regards
Andy

 

[Andy-Mat]

Hmmm... very interesting... it's a normal 13a fuse in the plug - what on earth are you doing up so early Andy? Are you busily programming away in COBOL?

It was a very thick and heavy slice of home baked bread which caused some sort of electrical problem in the toaster, which at the moment toasts as extremely dense and heavy toast... more yeast or sugar is needed methinks (breadmaker)

If I am having trouble sleeping, for example, the dog wakes me up if she needs to go out at night, and I sometimes afterwards drink a Scotch and water, and maybe go online, till I feel tired enough to go back to sleep again....
regards
Andy

 

[guerney]

If I am having trouble sleeping, for example, the dog wakes me up if she needs to go out at night, and I sometimes afterwards drink a Scotch and water, and maybe go online, till I feel tired enough to go back to sleep again....
regards
Andy

A wee dram or ten will getchya there! I'm glad I don't have a dog, I'd lose all dram control

 

[Jaxter]

Hi
As promised an update, i ordered a new charger from Fiido and it ended up a bit of an ordeal, no fault of Fiido i stress, i think it was Hermes/Evri related. The charger hit the local depot here, then was not delivered for 3 days, ten tracking updated saying there is a problem with your package we will get it out in the next 24 hours.
3 days later nothing, no update on the tracking no delivery, i gave it a week by which time i was at the end of my tether, i contacted Fiido to give Hermes a kick up the arse, Fiido replied back the same day with a more detailed description of the tracking info, which on inspection clearly stated package damaged in transit.
Totally fed up by now i ordered a charger from ebay rather then wait another month for the original charger to be sent from China again, it came in 3 days, i charged bike fully yesterday, and was back on the road, so happy ending it was a faulty charger and not a more serious and expensive problem with the bike.

 

[esuark]

Hermes/Evri !! I sent two parcels by them a while ago which they delivered? Then I had emails to say they were overweight and had been weighed by their "super duper weighing system" and they were going to invoice me for the overweight. I refused because I knew they were well under the weights they had to be, and why "deliver" all the evidence! I then got emails to say the invoices had been cancelled. I now use the post office, but even there some behind the counters do not know the rules I`ve considered printing the relevant post office web pages to take with me. Can be frustrating at times.

 

[Jaxter]

Hermes/Evri !! I sent two parcels by them a while ago which they delivered? Then I had emails to say they were overweight and had been weighed by their "super duper weighing system" and they were going to invoice me for the overweight. I refused because I knew they were well under the weights they had to be, and why "deliver" all the evidence! I then got emails to say the invoices had been cancelled. I now use the post office, but even there some behind the counters do not know the rules I`ve considered printing the relevant post office web pages to take with me. Can be frustrating at times.

Very fustrating, i still dont know whats going on with the original charger no correspondence from Hermes/Evri or Fiido.
If i have heard nothing by tomorrow will file a dispute as i paid through paypal.

 

[guerney]

Very fustrating, i still dont know whats going on with the original charger no correspondence from Hermes/Evri or Fiido.
If i have heard nothing by tomorrow will file a dispute as i paid through paypal.

Have you sent an email to the email address mentioned on your Paypal receipt? That usually gets things moving for me. Nobody should be using Hermes, it really is the absolute worst choice.

 

[Jaxter]

Have you sent an email to the email address mentioned on your Paypal receipt? That usually gets things moving for me. Nobody should be using Hermes, it really is the absolute worst choice.

Will give it a shot, ccheers.

 

[Nealh]

Although initially a poor start to my usage, forumite Nottnick recommended I tried Interparcel for selecting a courier and the choice of how and where to have the parcel delievered. After a gliche where my chosen courier failed to pick the parcel up due to time scale issues , they did so two days later arrive at 16.00hrs to pick it up and the parcel duly arrived in Notts by 15.00 hrs the following day. Nick now has a shiny hub motor to replace his knackered one.

 

[Jaxter]

Just thought i would let you all know that Fiido refunded me no fuss no muss in the end.
Took a few days longer then i would of liked but par for thee course when dealing with China, but nice to see they acted in a reputable manner when a pproblem arose.