What should be on RCD side of CU?
- Thread starter daz3770
- Start date
RCD:
sockets reasonably expected to supply outdoor equipment
certain appliances within certain zones within the bathroom
Non-RCD:
everything else
sockets reasonably expected to supply outdoor equipment
certain appliances within certain zones within the bathroom
Non-RCD:
everything else
RCD yes, must be used for sockets that can reasonably be exected to supply portable equipment used outdoors, as Davy says, this much is required by the regulations
However, I would add all sockets in a kitchen (for when you drop the kettle in the sink or poke a knife into your toaster)
and I would protect all sockets in the house, even if they are nowhere near the garden.
And electric showers.
You might think it would be extra-safe to have everything on an RCD, but this is not true. If all the lights go out unexpectedly while you are e.g. up a ladder, running downstairs, lifting a heavy object or pan of boiling water, putting child into bath, then the sudden darkness could lead to an accident.
It is best not to put electric cookers on an RCD, as they often have slight leakage that causes nuisance tripping. For this reason it is best to have a cooker switch without an integral socket.
the immersion heater should not be on an RCD because it is prone to nuisnace tripping. Central heating boilers and their pumps also often have slight water leaks and cause annoying trips.
The burglar and fire alarms should not be on RCD or they may not be live when required.
If you can arrange for your freezer not to be on an RCD, this may save the food inside being spoiled if you have a trip while you are away (not all houses can afford this luxury)
If you are having your house rewired, and are able to spend extra, you can have individual circuits protected by their own RCBO instead of having just one RCD for the whole house; this means that a fault on one circuit will not cause inconvenience on other circuits, and is an excellent way to do it. For example, I have each floor of my own house on its own RCBO, plus one for the garden circuit.
However, I would add all sockets in a kitchen (for when you drop the kettle in the sink or poke a knife into your toaster)
and I would protect all sockets in the house, even if they are nowhere near the garden.
And electric showers.
You might think it would be extra-safe to have everything on an RCD, but this is not true. If all the lights go out unexpectedly while you are e.g. up a ladder, running downstairs, lifting a heavy object or pan of boiling water, putting child into bath, then the sudden darkness could lead to an accident.
It is best not to put electric cookers on an RCD, as they often have slight leakage that causes nuisance tripping. For this reason it is best to have a cooker switch without an integral socket.
the immersion heater should not be on an RCD because it is prone to nuisnace tripping. Central heating boilers and their pumps also often have slight water leaks and cause annoying trips.
The burglar and fire alarms should not be on RCD or they may not be live when required.
If you can arrange for your freezer not to be on an RCD, this may save the food inside being spoiled if you have a trip while you are away (not all houses can afford this luxury)
If you are having your house rewired, and are able to spend extra, you can have individual circuits protected by their own RCBO instead of having just one RCD for the whole house; this means that a fault on one circuit will not cause inconvenience on other circuits, and is an excellent way to do it. For example, I have each floor of my own house on its own RCBO, plus one for the garden circuit.
You should have an RCD in the shed.
the cable from the house to the shed should be protected e.g. with armour or an underground duct, and does not have to be RCD protected.
The reason for having the RCD in the shed is that if you are working in there, you can easily reset it without having to walk back to the house. However if you have a freezer or tropical fish in there, and need to be alterted in the house, you might choose to have the RCD at the house end with an audible alarm to warn you it has tripped.
the reason for not having another RCD at the house for the shed, is that if you have two in the same circuit, they will almost always both trip at the sae time. So you have twice the cost and twice the inconvenience but no additional safety.
(it is possible to use two RCDs if one of them has a time delay. These are even more expensive and in most cases are not required)
the cable from the house to the shed should be protected e.g. with armour or an underground duct, and does not have to be RCD protected.
The reason for having the RCD in the shed is that if you are working in there, you can easily reset it without having to walk back to the house. However if you have a freezer or tropical fish in there, and need to be alterted in the house, you might choose to have the RCD at the house end with an audible alarm to warn you it has tripped.
the reason for not having another RCD at the house for the shed, is that if you have two in the same circuit, they will almost always both trip at the sae time. So you have twice the cost and twice the inconvenience but no additional safety.
(it is possible to use two RCDs if one of them has a time delay. These are even more expensive and in most cases are not required)
yes but you need to terminate it at each end in a metal box with a special brass gland. It is notifiable work so should be done by a suitable electrician or you will have costs of plans, notification, test and inspection which will work out higher.
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