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In the recent change to the 17th Edition, the standards around RCD protection were updated enormously with regard to the consumer unit.
RCDs were not required on all sockets so limited protection was provided. Now, the 17th Edition has brought to light the potential need for more RCDs in the home and workplace.
each individual circuit. Another suggestion is a main switch with two RCDs protecting split circuits. Although the simplest method, updating a consumer unit this way may cause inconvenience to the end user as many times the
The latest changes now require RCDs to provide additional protection to all general use sockets rated up to 20A. This covers the majority of sockets in the home and office, making an improvement to safety. Additionally, protection must be provided in the event of a failure in basic protection or carelessness by the installation user.
All circuits now require 30mA protection, which can be achieved by a standard RCD in the consumer unit. The legislation also indicates that additional areas, not previously specified now require RCD protection. It is now stated that all consumer units should have a RCD and also bathrooms within zones 1 and 2. This change to legislation highlights how seriously the industry is taking RCD protection. As well as having strict compliance to the latest BS Standards, which ensures that every RCD meets exacting quality criteria, the industry is now bringing RCDs to the forefront of home and commercial protection.
Consumer unit
There are lots of different ways to meet the new legislation. Generally the most common way to protect your home is through your consumer unit, which can be configured to comply with the regulations. The easiest way of meeting the standards is by putting a main switch with
RCBOs protecting
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consumer unit in the house or office isn’t in the most accessible place to reset after a trip. Whereas if an individual 10mA RCD was placed locally and at low level, this should trip before a leakage build up is detected in the consumer unit and lower the risk of a fatal electric shock.
To keep up with growing trends and customer needs, PowerBreaker have developed a new generation of 10mA RCDs alongside the range of standard 30mA sockets and spurs. When looking at the
10mA RCD, there are two key levels of electric current need to be considered with regard to shock protection according to IEC 60479. The first is the “let-go” level, which is generally accepted to be around 7mA. At or above this level, muscles may seize, and a person touching or holding a live part may not be
able to let go of the live part. RCDs rated up to 10mA are intended for protection against ” let- go” currents, and are recommended for use in hospitals and old peoples’ homes, moist or damp environments, or similar locations. The second is the “fibrillation” level, which is generally accepted to be around 50mA. At or above this level, heart fibrillation is likely to occur. RCDs rated up to 30mA are the upper limit for RCDs intended to provide protection against fibrillation. It follows that RCDs rated >30mA are not suitable for personal protection. A thought to keep in mind when looking at your RCD protection, is that if an RCD is rated at 10mA, it is likely to be designed to trip below 10mA to ensure it complies with the rating on
the box; another positive when comparing RCDs.
Although not a legalised requirement, 10mA RCDs are more in demand as specifiers are seeing the benefits of these products in places such as hospitals and schools that need to ensure the highest level of protection. This is a growing trend in the market and it should be expected that more installations will be specific to this type of RCD going forward. The use of 30mA RCDs in the UK is already widespread and is set to increase, along with the 10mA version as installations are refurbished and designed to comply with the 17th Edition Wiring Regulations. Having foreseen these trends,
GreenBrook has developed new generation technology to secure its position as the leading UK supplier of RCDS.
GreenBrook are constantly looking to improve and add to its comprehensive RCD range and the development of the 10mA RCD maintains GreenBrook at the forefront of the market.
www.greenbrook.co.uk
May 2015 electrical wholesaler | 11
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