RCD Breakers?

torvalds

I feel I may be in danger of overloading a couple of my sockets. I have read about RCD breakers a but but still dont underrstand if its what I need.

Do they trip out instead of blowing up the house?

Which from this list would be best?
http://www.tooled-up.com/MicroCatego...=375&MCID=1596

InPhase277

Torvalds, most of the users in this forum are from the U.S., and therefore, don't know alot about European methods and standards. But I can tell you that an RCD is only for protection against electrocution, and is not protection from overload. Having said that, the sockets I have seen in the U.K. have been individually fused, and are protected at the main board by a circuit breaker there as well. You only have two ways of avoiding an overload:

1) Reduce the load or

2) Call an electrician to install a new circuit to handle the load

InPhase277

Stubbie

If your in the UK the most common application for a residual current device (RCD breaker) is to protect all branch circuits requiring rcd, this is done at the consumer unit. And only one rcd breaker is used to accomplish this. In the USA our equivalent is the GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter). The difference is we use an individual gfci... one for every branch circuit that requires it. So you very well may have RCD protection in your consumer unit. You will need to look at your CU to see if one is installed. If you look at the bottom diagram the breaker on the right is your main disconnect the breaker in the middle is your RCD protecting the circuits connected to the middle terminal bar. I would check to see if you have one already.

But as already mentioned by Inphase77 these do not protect your branch circuits from overload.

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torvalds

Hi. Thanks for the replies. Is it a big job getting a new circuit put in?

Stubbie

I really would have no idea. My understanding is in your country they like to wire from the consumer unit to a ceiling rose. So I would suspect you could tap another circuit that is a lighter load there....if they bring more than one circuit to that rose. Otherwise coming from the consumer unit in existing construction is just a matter of getting the cable to the attic or basement then running to where you want and fishing it down or up inside the wall. got no idea of your construction method over there though.