AFDD's (Please sign this in case your house burns down)?

spynage · Aug 9, 2020

Hi.

Just completed my yearly asssement with Stroma.

The assesor suggested I have letter made up for customers to sign to confirm they have been told about the AFDD's if they still do not want to have them fit. (Because of cost presumably)

Fine I thought, but then no. Who wants to spend £500+ on a new consumer unit only to think they have paid for half a job and that their installation is not as safe as it could be? Am I expected to tell them that they probably wont need them but it would technically be safer if they did? Or lie and say they MUST have them or lie again and tell them they won't need them?
Or say I'm not sure but they are expensive so please sign this to relieve me of responsibility?

Seems like a very unsatisfactory situation to me. Does this not undermine me as an electrician?

Looks like the electricity council understand that AFDD's and SPD's are available but they are unwilling to make installation mandatory. Aren't they passing the buck with this and pushing responibilty all the way down the line to the customer?

What do you think? Should I draw a letter up?

If I don't explain this properly to clients then I can see myself being easily undercut in price by other electricians going down the RCD only route. Surely regs should be unambiguous in this respect?

cheers

Spynage

Spoon · Aug 14, 2020

If these AFDD's are purely to prevent fires then it's a lot cheaper to fit one of these and then you are covered. £15.65 verses the price of a AFDD...

Cookie · Aug 14, 2020

AFDDs will not prevent a single fire. The US only created them to mimic the British wiring system.

No offense to anyone here, but UL literally understands British wiring better than you guys do.

[automerge]1597408599[/automerge]

Spoon said:
If these AFDD's are purely to prevent fires then it's a lot cheaper to fit one of these and then you are covered. £15.65 verses the price of a AFDD...

Prevent fires according to whom though? Manufacturers (like Eaton) who bribed the NFPA code making panels in the 90s and the IEC through committees in the 2010s?

telectrix · Aug 14, 2020

Cbuk2k2 said:
Stick a footer on the end or your quote or in your T&Cs saying something like:

"Client was advised of the advantages of inclusion of an AFFD in their installation but chose not to include this additional protection. Client accepts liabliity for any later issues resulting in from the emission of this equipment."

just wondering what the emission levels are for AFDDs, and will they be subject to congestion charges.

Cookie · Aug 14, 2020

spynage said:
They seem to think us Electricians are culpable if someones house catches fire because we haven't recommended AFDD's. Really? If that is the case they should be mandatory..

Well over 90% of all electrical fires are the result of joule heating which produces no arcing signature. Any serial arc which does take place is the end stage of joule heating. That is assuming combustion hasn't already initiated.