Do you test every RCBO?

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BigSi

BigSi

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I’m currently doing a job where I have to replace 20 MCB’s with RCBO’s in the main consumer unit of a public building. I was told by another colleague, that you only had to trip test one RCBO and to use this figure for the remaining 19?

Surely this isn’t right, and you have to test the trip times on every circuit at the furthest point.
 
Either your mate is confused and is thinking of a split RCD board where you would duplicate the trip times of the relevant RCD across each protected circuit, or he is a complacent twunt.

Of course you test each RCBO, how are you to know if they comply or not if you don't test them ?
 
BigSi said:
I’m currently doing a job where I have to replace 20 MCB’s with RCBO’s in the main consumer unit of a public building. I was told by another colleague, that you only had to trip test one RCBO and to use this figure for the remaining 19?

Surely this isn’t right, and you have to test the trip times on every circuit at the furthest point.
Click to expand...
Was your colleague on drugs at the time?
 
As said you definitely have to test every RCBO otherwise you don't know that they work...

Its not uncommon to have faulty RCBOs...

Don't forget your testing the RCBO not the circuit so the test isn't carried out at the furthest point...
 
It's a wonder how people who are supposed to be managers get their jobs,sorry it's a bit off topic, but to do with short courses, when I was on the tools, many moons ago, we got involved in installing split A/C units, now as we all appreciate HVAC is a trade all on it's own,and although I did learn a lot from doing short A/C courses, there is no way I would class myself as an A/C installer/engineer, not in a million years, yes I understood the basics, and could probably install a simple A/C unit, although nowhere near as good as a qualified HVAC guy.
These short electrical courses are a scam in my opinion, taking people from all walks of life, filling their heads with all sorts of facts, and sometimes fiction, and basically ensuring they pass the relevant exams to get the quals, and more importantly make obscene amounts of dosh in the mean time, thats the reason we get asked stupid questions like this one in the first place. Should we test all the RCBOs? really for the sake of Christos, WTF is happening to our trade? rant over sorry guys, Sorry if this appears twice having IT probs
 
Guys, I appreciate the constructive comments, but please don’t belittle the other electrician. He’s a well respected time served sparks, whose wife died a few weeks ago, so he probably either miss heard me, or had a lot on his mind at the time.
 
BigSi said:
Guys, I appreciate the constructive comments, but please don’t belittle the other electrician. He’s a well respected time served sparks, whose wife died a few weeks ago, so he probably either miss heard me, or had a lot on his mind at the time.
Click to expand...

Really very sorry to hear that, but with this in mind it begs the question; why did you bother to start this thread in the first place???
 
Sorry to hear that must be a wrench I know it would be for me, sorry for your loss mate my sympathies
 
BigSi said:
Guys, I appreciate the constructive comments, but please don’t belittle the other electrician. He’s a well respected time served sparks, whose wife died a few weeks ago, so he probably either miss heard me, or had a lot on his mind at the time.
Click to expand...
Well I am very sorry to hear that news, I really am, horrible to hear, sorry M8.
 
Thanks guys, its much appreciated. I wasn’t going to mention anything, but just thought that he was getting a bit of a roasting. She turned up a few days earlier to give him his lunch which he forgot. Show's you can't take anything for granted!



I started it just too really confirm what I thought was right in that every RCBO had to be tested. But I must admit I was a little surprised about the other electricians comment. I don’t know everything so I’m always open to advice from people who have been working in the trade for far longer than I have.

I know all the test that have to be performed when testing, but I didn’t realize that you could perform the test from the RCBO terminals.
 
BigSi said:
Thanks guys, its much appreciated. I wasn’t going to mention anything, but just thought that he was getting a bit of a roasting. She turned up a few days earlier to give him his lunch which he forgot. Show's you can't take anything for granted!



I started it just too really confirm what I thought was right in that every RCBO had to be tested. But I must admit I was a little surprised about the other electricians comment. I don’t know everything so I’m always open to advice from people who have been working in the trade for far longer than I have.

I know all the test that have to be performed when testing, but I didn’t realize that you could perform the test from the RCBO terminals.
Click to expand...

Ok ... sorry about that.

It was looking as though you were questioning the other unfortunate blokes competence and got the sort of answer relevant to that.

Anyway, back to the issue of testing the RCBO; it has always made good sense to me to test it at its own terminals and not some far away point. By testing at its own terminals you can be sure that you are testing the actual RCBO without other complications affecting the result.

It's also easier to reset the thing when testing if you're standin right beside it - instead of having to trudge back & forth from the furthest point in the shed at the bottom of the garden!!
 
Speaking from the standpoint of over 30 years experience without killing anyone (we, maybe a little bit) and starting no fires (Ok well 2, but that's not many right?)
I can categorically state that if the bang test is good then you have nothing further to worry about.
Now, where did I leave my horse Yeeeeeeehaaaaaaaa!
:)
 
BigSi said:
I’m currently doing a job where I have to replace 20 MCB’s with RCBO’s in the main consumer unit of a public building. I was told by another colleague, that you only had to trip test one RCBO and to use this figure for the remaining 19?

Surely this isn’t right, and you have to test the trip times on every circuit at the furthest point.
Click to expand...


What a stupid question!
Others aside, you should know better.
Are you aware of x0.5, x1, x5, ramp?

Boydy
 
You're BOTH wrong!!

1/ You TEST every newly installed RCBO/RCD without exception.
2/ You test RCD devices at the devices outgoing terminals, Not at the furthest point. You are testing the device NOT the circuit it's protecting. Hopefully, you would have already tested the circuit for compliance.

Think you must be getting confused with ELI testing here!!
 
I recently had 2 EICR jobs with just under 300 RCD's. Every one tested. Less then 10 failed. It was painfully slow to test them, 2 days of solid RCD tests, but thanks to the megger auto trip it makes life easier.
 
Just replace each rcbo with a large nail or tin foil then you will not have to do the rcd test on them and there will be no nuisance tripping.

But seriously i think the bloke who told you that needs to think about it for a few seconds. You dont even need bs7671 on this one. Just common sense.

You need to check each residual current device to see if it trips in the allotted time. An rcbo is a separate device. Well done you for not just taking it as gospel and coming on here with a 'i'm sure this aint right' attitude. You will go further than your mate in life.

At the risk of sounding like a bit of a conspiracy theorist - QUESTION EVERYTHING PEOPLE TELL YOU!!
 

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