consumer unit split load

[pb21]

I have now rewired the house and have brought all the tested cables to the position of the old consumer unit.

the earth is entering the property via an armoured cable (not sure if this is relevant at this stage).

I have via general opinion set the unit up as split load with the kitchen ring and cooker point mcbs on the isolater part. The other circuits are then via the 30ma rcd in the ratio of 8 rcd and 2 switched.

obviously the tails come in and go to the line in of the switch. do I duplicate with the rcd ie run a tail from the line in of the 100amp switch to the line in of the rcd or does this (the rcd) get its line in from the load side of the 100amp switch?

obviously to be safe my friend will bring a megger and do the "real testing" I wanted to get as much as I could done prior to his arrival.



regards in advance

Peter

 

[Big_Spark]

Peter, the cooker and the kitchen rings should be on the RCD side of the board.

Lights never go on the RCD side.

If you are likely to use any ground floor sockets for outside equipment then that should go on the RCD side, however there is no need to put the upstairs sockets on the RCD, in fact as you have a computer I would advise against that being used on any circuit which is RCD protected.

 

[pb21]

so if I understand you correctly everything goes on the rcd side minus the light circuits. their was talk of not putting the kitchen ring on because of the freezer and fridge units causing rcds to trip or is that incorrect?

 

[ninebob]

Not that they themselves cause tripping, but that you don't want them to be without power in the event of a nuisance trip.

 

[ninebob]

I just re-read that you were talking about your kitchen ring and should clarify - Only put your freezer(s) on the non-rcd side if you can get them on a circuit of their own for that purpose. The rest of your kitchen ring SHOULD be on RCD. Sorry if my last post confused the issue.

 

[Big_Spark]

A lot will depend on the age of the fridge/freezer. New ones have electronic controls and this is less likely to cause nuisance tripping.

Circuits that supply this equipment though is always better on it's own circuit with just MCB back-up.

Kitchen power should normally be RCD/RCBO protected.

 

[firegazer]

If you connect the devices such as washing machine, tumble drier, fridge and freezer using fused connection units then these can all be on the non RCD side of the consumer unit. I think its usual to have these on separate MCB's in the consumer unit because of the high load they draw.

 

[pb21]

one last question where does the rcd connect to in a split load format? do I run some small tails from the rcd line in to the tails that come in and go to the double pole switch OR connect with small tails to the load side of the double pole switch?

regards in advance
Peter

 

[plugwash]

they come from the load side of the switch but if you buy a typical split board they should already be fitted

on the mk ones a specail finger is used above the busbar in the live side of the main isolator and the neutral into the rcd comes from the end of the first neutral bar