I've dealt with a number of their MCB's but not RCBO's, they look just the same apart from the extension for the RCD part.
Circuit Breaker Query
- Thread starter Doug99
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I think I must have suddenly become even older than usual, since I am more than a little confused by all this 
......
......Which RCBOs?
Which 'seller'? Do you perhaps mean the manufacturer/brand (SquareD)?
Again, what seller are we talking about?
Where does that "Type A" come from?
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Yes the square D rcbos in the ebay link
They're type A according to the legend unless I'm mistaken
They're type A according to the legend unless I'm mistaken
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It appears I was mistaken as the seller is reputable
Ah - I hadn't even noticed, let alone looked at, the "eBay link" so that explains my confusions
! The are, indeed, RCBOsYes, although that symbol is a little different from the one used these days (in which the upper 'sine wave' is about the same width as the waveform below it), I presume that indicates Type A.
Those BS 4293 devices must be very old - I think that Standard was effectively replaced by BS EN 61008 (for RCCBs) and BS EN 61009 (for RCBOs) over 30 years ago (1995 rings a vague bell) - so I'm a little surprised that they were Type A that long ago -although very many countries did move away from Type AC ones a long time ago.
Indeed. SquareD is, and has been for over a century, I think, an extremely reputable manufacturer.
Sunrays post 17 i assume, ebay link to a seller for old rcbosI think I must have suddenly become even older than usual, since I am more than a little confused by all this
Which RCBOs?
Which 'seller'? Do you perhaps mean the manufacturer/brand (SquareD)?
Again, what seller are we talking about?
Where does that "Type A" come from?
130 pound for a used 6a rcbo
BS 4293 had no concept of RCD types, they were all AC and nothing else.
IEC EN 61009 and the harmonized EU / UK versions of that does have types such as A
There was a significant overlap of those two standards, IEC 61009 was first published in 1991, and BS 4293 wasn't withdrawn until 2009 according to BSI, or perhaps earlier if some article from an IET magazine is to be believed.
The Square D QOE series of devices were made to comply with multiple standards, as on this example:
and although the front only stated 'BS4293' the internals were also compliant with the tests for Type A devices as found in 61009.
Although 61009 was not mentioned (perhaps due to not fully complying with that standard), they were advertised as being 'sensitive to both ac and pulsating dc current' along with other features which even today some RCBOs do not have, such as trip on loss of neutral and trip when >50V between N&E.
IEC EN 61009 and the harmonized EU / UK versions of that does have types such as A
There was a significant overlap of those two standards, IEC 61009 was first published in 1991, and BS 4293 wasn't withdrawn until 2009 according to BSI, or perhaps earlier if some article from an IET magazine is to be believed.
The Square D QOE series of devices were made to comply with multiple standards, as on this example:
and although the front only stated 'BS4293' the internals were also compliant with the tests for Type A devices as found in 61009.
Although 61009 was not mentioned (perhaps due to not fully complying with that standard), they were advertised as being 'sensitive to both ac and pulsating dc current' along with other features which even today some RCBOs do not have, such as trip on loss of neutral and trip when >50V between N&E.
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I too have done several emergency board changes.
By emergency I mean that the customer has found the board melting/ sizzling/ burning away and has turned everything off. Then I have come along at my earliest opportunity (often within an hour or two, sometimes the next morning) and swapped everything out so the premises can be up and running again.
By emergency I mean that the customer has found the board melting/ sizzling/ burning away and has turned everything off. Then I have come along at my earliest opportunity (often within an hour or two, sometimes the next morning) and swapped everything out so the premises can be up and running again.
Indeed and that is roughly How I'd expect the situation to be.
I've been on emergency call outs too, at which point maybe a quick get them going on some temporary switchgear or a quickie to a supplier for new board etc but no never had to provide a whole replacement board on a Sunday afternoon.
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I carried a stock of bits on the van to be able to swap boards if necessary. I had boards, RCDs, RCBOs, MCBs, main switches, blanks, tails, Henleys rods, you name it.
It wasn't unknown for me to do a board change at the weekend or in the middle of the night.
It wasn't unknown for me to do a board change at the weekend or in the middle of the night.
I would expect an electrician to carry a respectable stock 'on the van' and many times I see rows of din rail on the back doors or end of the shelving etc. full of a selection of such devices (presumably mostly second hand?) to extend the selection of their preferred make(s) of new.
I wouldn't expect to find a big selection of new CU's 'on the van', maybe a couple of popular sizes and a garage CU but not much else, however a lot depends on the individuals 'normal work'. In my case it was controls and AV so a selection of contactors, relays & bases, a few (inexpensive) electronic modules, panel switches & indicator lights, MCB's & fuses of and rolls of cable. I knew one guy who tried hard to only do CU replacements so yes he carried a bigger range and another who tried hard not to replace any so never carried any.
I did carry a number of 13A sockets as I seemed to replace a couple of MK's every week but that was frequently when needing to plug something in.
And equally I've done massive amounts of work 'out of hours' and not all call outs.
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