SWA and RCD protection

[esar]

I've just had the final inspection for my DIY rewire and everything passed except for the supply to the garage...

I'd installed an MCB in the non-RCD protected section of consumer unit. This connected to a 6mm T&E and a separate 10mm earth which then travelled on a cable tray under the floor and into the under stair cupboard. They then crossed the wall of the cupboard in surface mounted conduit to an adaptable box where they connected to a 10mm SWA. The SWA was clipped to the wall down the side of the house (7-8 foot above the ground), over the rear gate and into the garage. In the garage the SWA was terminated into a 4way consumer unit with a 30mA RCD as the main switch.

The electrician doing the inspection wanted the RCD protection at the house consumer unit end instead, swapping the MCB for an RCBO in the house consumer unit and the RCD for a plain switch in the garage consumer unit.

I thought that as the internal run of T&E was either on cable trays ~100mm under the suspended timber floor or visibly clipped to the wall in conduit and that the external run was SWA with earthed armour that no RCD protection was required at the supply end. Was I wrong?

 

[ChrisRogers]

sounds like your electrician may be in the wrong! if the cable is below 50mm or visible then I see no reason for the RCD protection.

Where in Hertfordshire are you? I could come and give a second opinion.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Was I wrong?

No you weren't, but good luck arguing with the electrician.

 

[holmslaw]

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[esar]

Where in Hertfordshire are you? I could come and give a second opinion.

Thanks for the offer but it's all done and signed off (I'm in watford btw), I just wanted to check if I was right or if I'd missed something.

Was I wrong?

No you weren't, but good luck arguing with the electrician.

That's what I thought, wasn't worth more than a quick attempt at explaining my understanding of it, especially when £40 for an RCBO and switch gets me a completion certificate.

 

[esar]

I can only imagine that he thinks the swa is liable to be damaged. Maybe he's bothered about "over the rear gate", how exactly was that done? is the cable supported? is the support adequate?

The gate is in a frame, one side of which is attached to the house, the other side is attached to the garage. There is a piece of wood that forms the top of the frame and the SWA is run across the top of this, attached by screwing cleats to the frame.

 

[holmslaw]

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