Earth System

[britishrallying]

Hi,

Would I be right in thinking by looking at the following that its a TN-S System:

Currently doing a lot of reading on electrics before I start my course end of Feb. Find actually looking at a current install easier to learn from than pictures in diagrams, once I see it in real life diagrams in books make sense.

Cheers,

Gaz

 

[ricicle]

More than likely TN-S.

 

[JohnD]

But on the side of the service head I can see a great earth block, so it is more likely supposed to be TNC-S (unless they have forgotten to connect it).

Unusual to see an RCD in the tails though on a non-TT supply. What is its rating?

Is there any sign of a label saying "Protective Multiple Earth?"

 

[RF Lighting]

But on the side of the service head I can see a great earth block, so it is more likely supposed to be TNC-S (unless they have forgotten to connect it).

Unusual to see an RCD in the tails though on a non-TT supply. What is its rating?

Is there any sign of a label saying "Protective Multiple Earth?"

It may be a former TT supply converted to TN-C-S . The head looks newer than the supply cable.

That would explain the RCD at least.

 

[britishrallying]

RCD is 30mA:

Cant see any signs saying Protective Multiple Earth


Gaz

 

[JohnD]

It will probably suffer from nuisance tripping from time to time. It is normal to put only socket circuits on a 30mA RCD (it is necessary on those sockets which can reasonably be expected to supply portable appliances used outside, but most people prefer to protect all sockets.

The cooker and immersion heater will probably cause nuisance trips.

The lights will go off when it trips which can be very inconvenient as well as unsafe.

The RCD is rather old, I hope you have poked the Test button regularly?

There is a better way to do it (perhaps more than one). What brand is your CU?

What prompted the questions?

 

[britishrallying]

Yeah when it does trip everything goes off.

Got a problem with rats in the extension loft, and the little gits have gnawed at one of the lighting cables gone down to the copper, Live Wire, so every so often the RCD trips, only come back on when u turn downstairs light circuit off:

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=76799&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

The cable is just inside the loft, so when going up there I have to turn the leccy off

Need to get rid of them before I can repair the damage.

Other than that prob, it never trips out.

Gaz

 

[britishrallying]

Sorry just read the last bit of the message

CU is a:

Vynckier - BS 5486

Im starting an electricians course end of Feb, doing a lot of reading and just getting my head round theory stuff.

Gutted my house last year, and turned my hand to most things:

Plumbing
Plastering
Electrics

to name a few and I found electrics the most interesting, so just turned 27 currently working for Toyota Manufacturing) and decided to get myself a proper trade. Got a load of books:

Electric Wiring Domestic - Brian Scaddan 12th Edition

IEE on-site guide BS7671 : 2001 (2004)
IEE electricians Guide Building Regs
IEE inspection & Testing Guidance note 3
IEE wiring regs 16th edition - expensive brown book!

Just getting to grips with everything, using my house to learn from, had a re wire bout 10 years ago I think, 2 bed terraced with extension, so handy to refer to.

Hopefully all goes well with the course, as im quitting my current job in two weeks to start the study before course.

Gaz

 

[JohnD]

Vynckier is quite rare, don't know if you can get RCBOs for it but if you like educated tinkering you could pick up something to replace it with, there is a lot of good used stuff about if times are hard.

 

[RF Lighting]

Vynckier is quite rare, don't know if you can get RCBOs for it

I'm not familiar with that brand either, but it looks absoloutly identical to GE.


(Don't know if GE do RCBOs?)

 

[JohnD]

(Don't know if GE do RCBOs?)

I don't think I've ever seen them in the "RCBO Enthusiast's Gazette"

 

[Spark123]

Just compaired a Vynckier to a Sector GE, they are very close except for a small piece of plastic on the bottom of the GE one:

Depending on the bus bar it might do. You can get RCBOs in GE, the ones I have seen are double module though.

 

[kai]

Putting a 30mA RCD in the tails feeding the fusebox was very common practice in the eighties, when a 30mA RCD was considered to be "the ultimate total safety solution" by many at the time! (Or they thought it was)