Beyond the complexities of standard appliance repairs
We don't include any earth fault diagnostic work in our standard fixed price repairs. From time to time a repair doesn't fit within a repeatable time frame to calculate a fixed price and so we have to charge a quarter hour rate for any time taken. It is important to note that the Earth Leakage Fixed Price does not include work related to the cabling up to the appliance or the switch gear in the switchboard. That work must be done by your own electrician. We only work on the appliance itself.
The diagnostic work included is limited to the RCD's supply limit, insulation testing and live leakage current readings where appropriate. We don't simply disconnect elements, fans, switches, etc until finally the appliance stops causing the fault. Many earth faults can't be diagnosed until the oven is up to temperature.
Here's where it gets interesting! RCD (Residual Current Device) rules have changed significantly over the years, leaving many Australian homes with legacy shortfalls that create real headaches for appliance repairs.
All oven elements are hygroscopic - they absorb moisture from the air. This is a fact of physics, not entirely a manufacturing defect, rather a reality that not every country has the same protection requirements! As a result, new switchboard upgrades where each circuit is individually protected by its own RCD allows a full 30mA tolerance for elements to "leak" a little. This gives us reasonable working parameters.
However, in earlier installation scenarios, homes often had just one RCD protecting the entire house. This meant it had to deal with collective earth leakages across the whole electrical installation. That could mean an oven might end up with only 5mA tolerance before tripping the safety switch! And as time has gone by, increasing numbers of RCDs have been installed as electrical systems were upgraded or modified, creating a patchwork of protection levels.
Here's the kicker - elements that are brand new are not entirely free from any earth leakage. In fact, many exceed the allowance from their purchase date! This means undertaking the first heating event often entails "drying out" the element via a short window of overriding or working around the earth leakage protection. This process is not part of our standard fixed prices and is charged at our current 15-minute rate.
Each electrical installation has its own unique issues. Tasks like identifying at the switchboard which earth wire belongs to the oven circuit, then being able to for a short period bypass this protection, or disconnecting the oven and using a non-protected circuit to properly heat and dry a new element - these all require individual assessment and specialised knowledge.
You have to register to see the Earth Leakage Fixed Price or via your successful booking page.
Included in the price are the following diagnostic results for faults found to contribute to the earth leakage issue being tested:
The fixed price includes service call, labour, GST and specialist test meter hire (3 different meters required). These results will then be discussed with you to determine what, if any, repairs should be undertaken.
Why Earth Leakage is the Trickiest Beast
Faults in electrical wiring can cause serious problems such as fires or electrocution. Common causes include poor connections that overheat, faulty appliances, circuit overloading, rodent damage, water ingress, poor installation practices, or physical damage to the electrical system.
1. Short Circuits: Occurs when an active wire and neutral wire come into direct contact. When this happens, a large current flows causing the protective device to either blow (fuse) or trip (circuit breaker). Usually dramatic and obvious!
2. Overloads: Occurs when too much electrical load is applied to a particular circuit, causing the protective device to disconnect the circuit. Think Christmas lights, heaters, and the kettle all running on the same circuit!
3. Earth Faults: Occurs when an active wire comes into contact with the earthing system. Similar to a short circuit, a large amount of current flows causing the protective device to operate.
Overloads and short circuits are not overly difficult to diagnose - they're usually quite obvious! On the contrary, an earth leakage fault is another story altogether.
Earth leakage occurs when a very small amount of current leaks from either the active or neutral circuit to earth. In South Australia, that generally means any leakage exceeding 30 milliamps will trip your safety switch.
In the early days of Earth Leakage Circuit Breakers (now called RCDs), we often had one safety switch covering most of the electrical installation. This meant cumulative currents from multiple appliances could combine to cause an earth leakage fault, even though each individual device would pass portable appliance test criteria when tested in isolation.
As time moved on, we started seeing more than one safety switch installed in most homes. As of December 2018, Australian regulations require all circuits to be individually protected by RCDs. The new regulations mean the number of apparent earth leakage faults will actually go up significantly - not because there are more faults, but because we can now detect smaller leakages that were previously masked!
Here's something that surprises many customers: brand new oven elements can trip your safety switch on first use! This isn't a faulty part - it's current day manufacturing in action.
Elements are manufactured using hygroscopic materials that absorb moisture during storage and transport. When first powered up, this moisture needs to be driven out through a controlled "conditioning" process. In homes with sensitive RCD protection, this process can require temporary workarounds that take time and expertise to implement safely.
This conditioning process might involve:
Each electrical installation presents unique challenges, and what works in one home may not work in another. This is why earth leakage diagnosis cannot be included in standard fixed pricing.
We hope the above information helps you understand some of the reasons earth faults can be incredibly time-consuming to diagnose properly. The traditional approach of "disconnect things until the fault goes away" doesn't actually solve the underlying problem and can mask intermittent faults that will resurface later.
Our fixed price earth leakage service helps allay some of the worry that goes with open-ended hourly charges while ensuring you get a thorough, professional diagnosis. You'll know exactly what you're paying for the diagnostic work, and can then make informed decisions about any repairs needed.
Remember: we only work on the appliance itself. Any work required on house wiring, switchboard modifications, or RCD replacement must be carried out by your own licensed electrician.
Earth leakage diagnosis is part science, part detective work, and part experience-based intuition. It requires specialised test equipment, deep understanding of electrical regulations spanning decades of changes, and the patience to work through complex scenarios systematically.
If your oven is tripping the safety switch, don't just keep resetting it - this is a safety system doing its job! Book our earth leakage diagnostic service and let's solve the problem properly, safely, and permanently.
