Everything RCD protected?

[Noob2013]

Hi all,

My understanding is that everything should be RCD protected now, as it is unlikely that all the criteria is met for it to not need RCD protection.

I went to my friends house the other day and the consumer unit had a periodic inspection and test carried out by the local council last week.

I noticed that the cooker, lights and smoke alarm circuit is not protected by RCD, but the shower and sockets are.

Should the other circuits be RCD protected?

Thanks

 

[Darkwood]

What did the report say exactly, did it express the installation doesn't meet current regulations but was wired to the reg' at date of installation....?

 

[malcolmsanford]

We are getting to the stage in a dwelling where it will be the Regulations that everything regardless of how it is installed and what it is will be covered by RCD protection.

The latest revision of 411.3.3 now states "Other than a dwelling" and I can see future revisions start to increase the scope until everything is RCD protected in a house.

But at the moment we are not there, and there are still things in a house that do not need RCD protection, especially if it was installed to a former edition

 

[Richard Burns]

The regulations are not retrospective.
Current regulations for domestic situations in general require 30mA RCD protection for cables buried in walls (in certain circumstances), sockets rated <=20A, circuits in a room containing a bath or shower, outdoor use mobile equipment <=32A.
This does tend to cover most domestic arrangements but it is by no means universal yet.

There are other requirements for 30mA RCD protection for less likely scenarios in domestic and for some special locations, there are requirements for other RCD protection for different risks than additional protection or persons and livestock.

 

[Noob2013]

Ok thanks.

There was no report.

I'm going there to extend cooker circuit and therefore concerned that I should be making sure everything is RCD protected as I will be the last person touching that circuit.

I could make it easy and make the whole consumer unit protected by the one RCD.

What's everyone's opinion on whether I should leave it as it is or provide rcd protection?

Thanks

 

[malcolmsanford]

Well it is a matter of how your extend it really. If you are burying the cable you are installing in the wall then yes that piece of cable needs to be RCD protected unless you conform to regulation 522.6.204. If you are running it surface then you don't need to fit an RCD.

It does seem to be stupid that the existing cable of X length that is buried in the wall does not require you to put RCD protection on it, but if you bury Y length of your work, then that Y length needs to be protected!!!!

Depending on the client and whether he believes all this, I would recommend you protect the whole circuit with an RCD. But then a 25 pound small job of extending an existing circuit becomes a 150 pound major job of changing protection devices etc etc.

Don't make much sense to me. But they are the regs.

 

[Richard Burns]

Ok thanks.

I could make it easy and make the whole consumer unit protected by the one RCD.

This option then means a single fault takes out the whole power supply and is not recommended.

I agree with malcolmsandford, correct and does not make a lot of sense but it is your new work that must be compliant with the current regulations (and the earthing and bonding if required for your work)

 

[Noob2013]

This option then means a single fault takes out the whole power supply and is not recommended.

I agree with malcolmsandford, correct and does not make a lot of sense but it is your new work that must be compliant with the current regulations (and the earthing and bonding if required for your work)

Agreed but my work is the lighting and cooker so either an rcbo for each or all on rcd

 

[snowhead]

Agreed but my work is the lighting and cooker so either an rcbo for each or all on rcd

There is no choice to make.

Rcbo only
As said above, RCD on the whole installation will take out everything.

 

[cprfenom]

I have to say 1 RCD is just a bad idea. RCBO all day long for me.

As Richard has stated, make sure that your bonding is up to scratch before altering any circuits.

 

[DPG]

As they said ^^^ Don't put everything on one RCD !!! Daz