RCD’s-RCBO’s – Common problems and lack of information
I have had so many call-outs over the years for short circuits i.e. fuses blowing, with the advent of RCDs in the 70 which have proliferated into many households, many have still not updated their electrical systems since the ’60s, and are still working on rewirable fuses without the life-saving RCD Devices.
An RCD was designed to protect against the risks of electrocution and fire caused by earth faults. For example, if you cut through the cable when mowing the lawn and accidentally touched the exposed live wires or a faulty appliance overheats causing electric current to flow to earth DC blinding can in effect stop your RCD/RCBO from even seeing the issue leaving you dangerously unprotected.
It is designed to trip in 30 Milliseconds or less, the 1st thing I did when I moved in with my now wife was install an RCD-protected board the following week she was cutting the grass with an electric lawnmower and cut through the power cable, she was wearing flipflops and her feet were wet from the moisture on the grass, without the life safety system I had installed she would have died!
I can normally sort out modern fuse boards over the phone by getting the client to work with me, 95% of the time it’s because of a device plugged into their systems or a blown bulb.
But in today’s age of multiple electronic devices, all plugged in such as Fridges, Freezers, Washing machines, Tumble driers Multiple TVs, Wee Box, Xbox, Multiple PC’s, Laptops, Notebooks, and Phones which have proliferated over the decades the old AC type RCD’s get saturated by the DC leakage current from these devices and will no longer work if above 6ma, which as you can imagine is a very small amount of current.
There are thousands of homes blissfully unaware that their RCD no longer works because of the amount of electronic equipment they now have in their homes, and they have no idea that their lifestyle has now caused the very issue that could potentially lead to them being electrocuted.
The very safety features that were pushed to make people’s lives safe have now become effectively obsolete in the modern 2020 world and need to be upgraded to a type “A” RCD or better still Individual Type “A” RCBOs to better protect your valuable electronic equipment please get an SPD device fitted to your system.
Technology has advanced by leaps and bounds electrical systems have changed yet the public and many business owners are unaware of the danger they are in because they think things still work.
We now have AFDD Devices that are in effect a combined MCB/RCBO/Arc Fault Device which is even safer as the vast majority of electrical fires in the UK are from damaged leads/appliances you plugin, yet the public is unaware these new safety devices even exist.
We now also have SPD devices, that due to the changes to the supply systems that come into our houses are a no-brainer to install as they help protect you from lightning Strikes that can cause surges of extremely high voltages down the electrical grid, straight into your home, which can and do destroy homes and buildings.
In a domestic home these can cost £ 150-250 to install, how much would it cost to rewire your home and all of your electronic equipment from a fire, yet people don’t do it nor are they even aware of it?
The world has changed and the public needs to learn about these devices and update their electrical systems nobody can afford to lose their homes or businesses, yet many do through a lack of understanding and knowledge.
As competent electrical engineers, we need to help make the public aware of these changes, and by publishing articles and explaining this to the public we can in our small way help protect the Nation.
Give us a call today to discuss your systems: – 07957-432-981 and let us keep you safe.
Website: – https://www.safe-electric.com