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optima plus 2 - rcd tripping


Guest g.reeve

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Posted
Woosh,

Can you explain your reasoning behind saying that a 30ma RCD should be installed for the socket outlets and not the 100ma.

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Not sure whether you're querying Woosh's reasoning or you're after general clarification but....

The sockets don't need 30mA protection, or 100mA protection unless it's on a TT system. The only sockets that need 30mA protection are the ones that are reasonably expected to supply portable equipment used outdoors. In general though any installation just gets a 30mA RCD stuck across all the sockets.

Posted

To meet the requirements of BS7671 the socket outlets MUST be protected by a 30ma RCD to provide a disconnection time of less than 40ms. Hope this helps .

Posted
BS 7671 (2001) states that ALL SOCKET outlets must be protected by a 30ma RCD.

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OOI, where?

Posted

Just to be clear about this

BS 7671 IS NOT A STATUTORY DOCUMENT

the regulation numbers are 471-08-06 and 471-16-01

BUT

The Electricity at Work Regulations ARE A STATUTORY DOCUMENT and I have pasted an excert from that below.

It is best to use an RCD that is incorporated into the switchboard of your installation. This means that all circuits fed from that RCD are protected by the RCD. An RCD that is incorporated into an ordinary mains socket, or plugged into it, will protect anything that is attached to that socket, but it is possible that equipment may be plugged into another, unprotected, socket

I myself do not want to go to court with a barrister asking me why i did not fit a 30ma RCD at the switchboard.

Other people may wish to argue their case however that is their choice.

Posted
Other people may wish to argue their case however that is their choice.

33629[/snapback]

Fair enough, I've beenarguing abou it for years! But, the EAW doesn't apply at home though!

I know there are various versions of this argument, it usually comes down to the electricians personal preference as to what gets RCD protected so we'll leave it at that.

Posted

there is nothing wrong with using a 100ma rcd as a main switch, its considered as supplementry protection against indirect contact where the main form of protection is EEBADS (earthed equipotential bonding for automatic disconnection of supply)

and it is not a requirement to protect all socket outlets with a 30ma rcd, only the sockets that could supply portable appliances which could be used outside, however in a house its normal practice for all socket outlets to be rcd protected.

using the correct size and type of overcurrent protection should provide a 0.4s disconnection time i.e. a mcb to BS EN 61009 (mcb= miniture circuit breaker)

hope this as cleared the matter up!

the eawr word themselves very carefully, they say it is best to use an rcd but they dont say you must!

Guest IM_Alarms
Posted
The Electricity at Work Regulations ARE A STATUTORY DOCUMENT and I have pasted an excert from that below.

It is best to use an RCD that is incorporated into the switchboard of your installation. This means that all circuits fed from that RCD are protected by the RCD. An RCD that is incorporated into an ordinary mains socket, or plugged into it, will protect anything that is attached to that socket, but it is possible that equipment may be plugged into another, unprotected, socket

33629[/snapback]

I wasn't planning to read through the EAW regs on a day off, but it caught my eye that you stated a quote from the rags as saying,'it is best'? This didn't sound very much like how a regulation would normally sound, so I got a copy out and couldn't find anything remotely like that. The only reference to an RCD and socket outlets is a part saying,' Danger may be reduced by the use of a residual current device'.

Maybe you could point us further, with this? Then we can contact NICEIC as they don't seem to know this either. Their technical manual doesn't mention any more than for sockets capable of external use etc.

Having said that, I will usually install a split load with all socket outlets on RCD.

Posted
I wasn't planning to read through the EAW regs on a day off, but it caught my eye that you stated a quote from the rags as saying,'it is best'? This didn't sound very much like how a regulation would normally sound, so I got a copy out and couldn't find anything remotely like that. The only reference to an RCD and socket outlets is a part saying,' Danger may be reduced by the use of a residual current device'.

Maybe you could point us further, with this? Then we can contact NICEIC as they don't seem to know this either. Their technical manual doesn't mention any more than for sockets capable of external use etc.

Having said that, I will usually install a split load with all socket outlets on RCD.

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I think its in the IEE regs 473-03-04 but I could be wrong. I hate this book at the best of times so most probably have read it wrong before any one jumps down my throat :huh:

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