Why do I need a residual current device for the house and how to choose
A Life / / December 19, 2019
Oleg Udal'tsov
Product Specialist "power distribution components» Eaton.
What is a residual current device
A residual current device, it is the same RCD, - a device installed in the switchboard in the apartment or home to automatically turn off the power on the network in the event of fault current ground.
The earth fault current occurs in the wiring and / or electrical appliances when they are, for some reason, the isolation is broken or when the bared parts of the wires, be fastened in the terminals, for example in household electrical appliances, devices relate to the housing - and the current begins to "leak" in Bad direction.
This could cause a fire due to overheating (first wiring or the device, and then all around) or to the fact that the current will suffer a person or a pet - the consequences can be extremely unpleasant, even unto death. But this will happen only in the case, if you touch the wire, or the body equipment that is energized.
The main difference from conventional RCD breaker is that it is intended specifically to disable the earth fault current that the circuit breaker can not determine condition. RCD is able to disable it for a split second, to the point where it becomes dangerous to the person or property.
Where and how to install
For one- and two-bedroom apartments - in the general switchboard apartments. If the housing area is large, a few distributed in the house of local electrical switchboards.
RCD required total for the whole system to protect against fireAs well as the individual lines feeding group appliances with metal casing (washing machine and dishwasher, electric stove, refrigerator, and so on) - for protection against electric shock. If you see a failure or an accident happens, it will not de-energized the whole apartment, but only one line, so the culprit triggering the RCD will be easy to identify.
However, we must bear in mind that neither the RCD or the usual machines can not save electric arc, or arc flash.
Arcing can occur when, for example, from bulbs often carried pinch door slamming and the metal part of the wire inside the corrupted. The site of injury would be hidden from sparking followed by increasing the ambient temperature and, cause a fire in the vicinity of flammable objects, first of the wire, and then the wood, cloth or plastic.
To protect against these hidden threats is better to choose solutions that combine machine functions and RCD protection against arc flash. In English, this device is called the arc fault detection device (AFDD), in Russia used the name of "protecting the device from arc flash" (UZDP).
electrics specialist can be included in the scheme of the installation of such a device, if you tell him that you need a higher degree of protection. For example, for a child's room, where the child can handle the messy wires or sockets groups for large appliances with flexible wires prone to fracture.
It is equally important to put safety devices where wiring is run by open way and it may be damaged. And also when planned repairsTo avoid the risks of accidental damage concealed electrical wiring when drilling walls.
How to choose
A good electrician can recommend products RCD and calculate the load, but you need to be confident in the accuracy of the recommendations. And if you purchase to repair it yourself, how much more you need to understand what to look for when choosing a device.
Price
Do not purchase the device in the lower price range. The logic is simple: the more high-quality components within, the higher the price. For example, some cheap devices no protection from burnout, and this can cause a fire.
Cheap device can be made of a brittle material and easily break when you lift up the fallen at operation lever. As standard, the RCD must be calculated on the 4000 operations. This means that you have to be puzzled choice only once, but only if you have purchased a quality product. By purchasing low-quality equipment, you are at risk themselves and their families, not to mention the material losses in fire.
The quality of housing
Pay attention to how tightly adjacent to each other all of the unit. The faceplate must be monolithic and not consist of two halves. The preferred material - heat-resistant plastic.
weight unit
Give preference to heavier devices. If the RCD easy, therefore, the manufacturer saved on the quality of the internal components.
conclusion
To address issues relating to the electrical in the house, it is advisable to involve professionals. But we should not shift the responsibility on their shoulders entirely. It is better to be guided by the adage "Trust, but verify." With even a basic knowledge of the subject and an understanding of the scenario of the future use of electrical appliances in the home, you can protect yourself and loved ones from electrical problems.
see also
- Repairs: on what is not worth saving →
- How to reduce the consumption of electricity →
- What you need to know about LED lamps →