Are office sockets allowed not to be rcd protected

[sl1210]

cheers mate. but i'm in london, quite a way away from scotland ;0))

getting them online shouldn't be a problem

 

[ste77]

not a problem.

 

[kingeri]

Does the circuit have high integrity earthing?

 

[decolad69]

went to an office this week where there are 2 rcbo's nuisance tripping every now and then. apparently one does the floor sockets in the office and one does the wall sockets in the office, now as the office was full of staff working on their computers i could only go by what one member of staff told me as i couldn't turn mcb's on and off. but this is what they are labelled as also and they say ring have two cables going into them and are only 20a c type breakers.

so to eliminate the possibility of a faulty appliance, today i did a full pat test on everything in the office, and removed 1 surge protected extension lead, everything seemed to pass. they say it hasn't tripped since last monday, but more than likely it will trip again.

now the majority of the floor sockets are the computers and monitors, so high earth leakage is definitely a possibility although they havent had any problems the whole year they have been there, but they say they have added more computers.

do these sockets need to be rcd protected, or can they be changed back to an ordinary mcb???

see the problem i have at the moment without being to test is whether its an overload/short circuit or an rcd fault.

also they have just had mice problems sorted out, maybe a coincidence???

I would advise against removing RCBO from the floor boxes as they are prone to damage and loose connections and water ingress.

 

[i=p/u]

if in floor boxes , very likely steel piped.. , maybe change sockets to rcd ones at point of use and not at origin as they say

 

[sl1210]

yes but if its the computers high earth leakage plugged into these floor sockets causing the rcd to trip then how can the rcbo be kept???

 

[i=p/u]

you have seprare rcd double socket for each point and maaaybe 100mA at origin.. your defo a gardner lol

 

[sl1210]

would an rcd double socket fit onto these special office floor boxes comfortably

hold on i think i just found some £40 each plus vat. that would cost an absolute fortune.

http://www.completecablemanagement....ent_Floor_Box/Twin_RCD_Protected_Sockets.html

 

[decolad69]

yes but if its the computers high earth leakage plugged into these floor sockets causing the rcd to trip then how can the rcbo be kept???

I would reduce the number of machines on each circuit by splitting the ring into two.

 

[sl1210]

i dont think there is any spare ways on the fuseboard mate

 

[i=p/u]

i would think so, but maybe have to check.. i know recently we put rcd spur unit on hand dryers in a building and it was the adapter lock ring stopping it which i jst had to smash out without damaging cable.. but the spurs are slight bigger..

only an option to try..

 

[i=p/u]

you say if i get back, you have to get back to actually work out whats need to cure, tell them the old phrase im electrician not magician..

its never easy

 

[Edd]

I have 2 spare merlin gerin 32A mcbs that i took out last week to replace for rcbos, you can have them if it helps, may have some 20s not sure til i look in the van.

Now This is what the Forum should be about, Not Mesuring the length and gerth of each others Earth stakes, and wether mine goes deaper than yours, but helping each other out.. Well done that man.

 

[i=p/u]

that aint trade prices, but still probably exspensive... or just take rcbo out of a circuit someone else designed..

im learning it costs what it costs..

hard to say without maybe spending time looking at what you got and cheapest option to fix..

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