Sky+ now trips the circuit breaker

[sweezely]

Ok, my parents just got a new TV (Pioneer PDP 436SXE), and whenever it's connected to Sky, it trips the house's circuit breaker and turns off the power. After much experimenting, I discovered that it was the second Sky+ box upstairs, somehow feeding a current through the wires to the dish, that is in turn being fed to the downstairs Sky+ box, going into the TV and tripping the switch. Weird?

The only thing I can think of is that somehow, when I've upgraded my Sky+ box (the upstairs one) with a bigger HD I've left some wire trailing, or something (I haven't had chance to check yet). But why, oh why has it only started to happen with this new TV? It's worked with 4 different TVs fine, but this new one just doesn't like it.

Any thoughts?

[Nick_UK]

The new TV is obviously connected to earth in some way, and is allowing the leakage current to flow to earth.

Be very careful ! A leakage current big enough to trip an ELCB can also kill you !

I would advise you to stop using the faulty box until you have fixed it or got it fixed

[sweezely]

But why doesn't it trip the circuit breaker when it's used with a similarly eathed TV?

[skytecbvmo]

Originally Posted by sweezely

Ok, my parents just got a new TV (Pioneer PDP 436SXE), and whenever it's connected to Sky, it trips the house's circuit breaker and turns off the power. After much experimenting, I discovered that it was the second Sky+ box upstairs, somehow feeding a current through the wires to the dish, that is in turn being fed to the downstairs Sky+ box, going into the TV and tripping the switch. Weird?

The only thing I can think of is that somehow, when I've upgraded my Sky+ box (the upstairs one) with a bigger HD I've left some wire trailing, or something (I haven't had chance to check yet). But why, oh why has it only started to happen with this new TV? It's worked with 4 different TVs fine, but this new one just doesn't like it.

Any thoughts?

I have seen this b4 try and unplug the modem lead and see if it trips then?

[sweezely]

Originally Posted by skytecbvmo

I have seen this b4 try and unplug the modem lead and see if it trips then?

The modem lead? How would that affect it?

[Nick_UK]

Originally Posted by sweezely

But why doesn't it trip the circuit breaker when it's used with a similarly eathed TV?

Maybe the other TV has the TV signal earth isolated, so the current can't flow down the AV connection ?

[sweezely]

Well, figured out what was causing it. Turns out one of the thermal pads had slipped (or was never fixed right when I put the drive back in), and the hard drive was touching the case. I realigned the pads and, well, everything's connected up fine, and nothing's shorting out.

Of course, this still begs the question of why it hadn't fried the hard drive, and why everything's been working fine for the last three months up until now. Oh well.

And yes, once everything's up and running properly, what do we see but a permanently stuck purple spot on the screen! Fortunately John Lewis have said they'll replace it.

The lesson: never buy anything, never do anything, never even try.

[sweezely]

Ok turns out it wasn't anything I'd done wrong at all - it's a ground loop. An electrician took out the RCD so it's not tripping anymore, instead we've got a horrible buzzing noise on the TV and bad interference.

Anyone know how to get rid of a ground loop? Is there something I can put on the cables, or am I stuck with this hum forever?