We've been away for two weeks and on our return found the RCD switch had shut down both fridge/freezers. The kitchen boiler has been regularly serviced, but was smelling of fumes.The room is unvented. I shut down the boiler last night and all was normal.Could the boiler have activated the RCD?

Hugo Wurzer, August 2010

rccds,trip at over 30 milli amps,how to check is unplug all appliances,plug each one in and turn them on,the one that trips the rccd is the faulty appliance,same for boiler,and shower

mm, September 2010

Yes - but much the same as some other electrical devices in the house - if the boiler now works OK and the RCD does not trip then it was something else.

As for the fumes you may have a different problem - consider a Carbon Monoxide detector for your own safety.

The "venting" of the boiler will have no affect on the RCD.

When you were away some electrical devices will have continued to operate and switch themselves off and on - Boiler (presumably you left it continuing to operate) Fridge & Freezer - not much else uless you left with the dishwasher still running - or a dryer - or a washing machine.

There is a very remote possibility that the RCD itself is defective - but I would doubt it.

There is also the possibility that two appliances - each with a very small amount of earth leakage and nothing to worry about and not at all dangerous and not enough to trip the RCD - operated by chance at the same instant - and that the combined leakage of these two tripped your RCD.

Peccavi, August 2010

An RCD only looks at earth leakage on live and neutral not fumes from a boiler, my money is on your fridge/freezers they have motor's in there compressor's which are prob starting to leak amps to earth.

dotty dot dot, August 2010