Rcd protection office sockets

[ses]

Hello chaps

Got an office job where we are rewiring 3 stories with surface mounted trunking and double sockets for Computers etc

New amendment has done away with under supervision of skilled or instructed persons

The company does not have a policy in place to tell staff not to bring in their own personal items so a risk assessment will not suffice as omission of rcd protection.

Whats the best method without bankrupting me or the client to install rcd protection.

Approx 45 double sockets across 3 floors

5 for dedicated equipment servers etc

So between 12-15 sockets per floor for Computors phones etc

Two rings a floor 7 sockets on 1 rccbo

Or 3 rings a floor 3-4 sockets per rccbo

Or 40 double rcd sockets looking quite expensive

 

[Darkwood]

How expensive would it be for the firm to lose a full circuit of computers and possible servers - Staff down time, lost work etc I bet if it occured once it would easily cover the expense of fitting RCD sockets provided the cables themselves are not subject to rcd requirements.

 

[ses]

No cables are all in trunking

Looks like bg nexus do a double rcd socket for around £21

 

[Pete999]

Don't forget the Leakage problems associated with such an installation

 

[Andy78]

Our LA spec used to be 6 doubles per circuit on a 32A RCBO for general computer use. This was seen as a maximum for earth leakage nuisance.

The dedicated use sockets for your servers etc I would definitely leave non-RCD protected if the cable route permits.

 

[ses]

Yes servers and printers will be on non rcd sockets and circuits

Pete999 yes the earth leakage is the reason I am asking what people think is the best/halfway solution to avoid tripping

 

[Leesparkykent]

Offices that I've just completed had a free standing raised floor access system with floor box sockets. We designed it to no more than 8 computers to one circuit. 32A rcbo with 4mm hituff under the floor on tray with a separate 4mm cpc back to the board from the Last socket for high integrity earthing.

 

[ses]

Thats not so bad then

I could split the floors into two rings with 7-8 sockets ring

Are you classing a computor as one workstation i.e computor montitor, tower and phone?

 

[Leesparkykent]

Thats not so bad then

I could split the floors into two rings with 7-8 sockets ring

Are you classing a computor as one workstation i.e computor montitor, tower and phone?

Yeah exactly that.

 

[davesparks]

Servers would be best put on labelled dedicated circuits and outlets without RCD protection. 'Turned pin' 13A sockets or commando sockets could be used to prevent unauthorised use

 

[Richard Burns]

You can get cheap and cheerful unswitched RCD sockets for about £12.

I would tend to do a risk assessment of socket use for each circuit and see if some circuits can have RCBO protection, if not then go for the RCD sockets.

 

[ses]

All sockets are pretty much for desk use so monitor, tower phone and possibly charger

Server and printers on dedicated circuits

All cables in trunking surface mounted

Looks like rcd sockets to be safe knightsbridge or bg nexus

 

[Deleted member 26818]

You only really need RCDs for the sockets that will be used for personal items.
You could label the other sockets for specified items.

 

[ses]

The problem is that the spec is one double socket per desk
Then a surge protected extension with equipment plugged into it

Theres no policy to stop staff plugging there own items into this lead

 

[ses]

The building is being knocked down in 4 years so the client is having a cheap and cheerful job to stop trailing leads as currently floor sockets all over the office floors

 

[UKMeterman]

Hi,
You don't want cheap surge protection in the desk socket, it will be weedy and possibly a fire risk if there is a voltage problem. If you DO need surge prottection fit the propper stuff at the distribution board.

 

[ses]

The client is reusing existing leads and equipment we are just installing new sockets and cabling

I will however mention your comments

 

[Simlec]

Whats the problem with putting servers on an RCD? They should have UPS feeding them anyway.

 

[ses]

The ups is 15minute backup

It tech is not in house

If the servers went down before the it department realised then that could be a problem

 

[Simlec]

So what do they do when they have a power failure !
The servers will be just fine.

Just divide circuits up.
If they wanted a 24/7 uptime system then he will have to spend lots of money.