Are you replacing type AC RCD's with Type A?

[HappyHippyDad]

Just looking for a bit of clarification regarding RCD's.

A type AC RCD is no longer acceptable for offering additional protection for socket outlets. If you are (for example) adding one socket to an existing circuit are you all updating the RCD to a type A? I can see this being a bit tricky sometimes. It's ok if its a brand of consumer unit that does type A RCD's but this will not always be the case.

Do the regulations mean that if you are extending an existing socket circuit you cannot use an existing type AC RCD?

 

[timhoward]

Why would you fit anything else now days, and while where at it, fitting non fire rated downlighters, why would you, just to save a bit of money.

Anything new I've fitted has been type A double pole with SPD for a long time. I think the focus of this thread is minor works, which are set to become major works if compatible CU devices aren't available.
Customers (rightly) don't view a consumer unit as something that needs changing every few years to keep up with latest views of an IET committee [that has a lot of manufacturers represented on it including Hager, Chint, Surge Devices....].

 

[pc1966]

Anything new I've fitted has been type A double pole with SPD for a long time.

Given the small cost for doing so now it makes sense just to do that.

I think the focus of this thread is minor works, which are set to become major works if compatible CU devices aren't available.

I guess that really the the OP's point - what to do there?

Strictly speaking the addition should have type A but if that is impractical (given many folks simply can't afford £500-ish for a new socket) what should be answer be? Leave it to Dodgy Dave or DIY attempt?

A pragmatic approach is what someone already said, if you add a new socket to a room with a couple too few, are you increasing the risk? Probably not, far safer than multiple extension blocks and the use of the new socket is no different to the old ones. But if it were an outdoor socket then I would be a lot more cautious as there the need for additional protection against shock is very high so something inside blinding an AC RCD would be a known risk. However, a type A RCD socket (or FCU feeding the outdoors side) would be a solution even though it leaves the original sockets on type AC.

I also wonder about what really would leak DC, the obvious cases are PV and EV systems where there is a lot of DC volts and a potential fault path to the supply with the added joy of being outside in the wet. I guess a washing machine with DC drive is another likely case, but I can't see anything leaking DC without a fault condition being present, after all it would fail any PAT test on IR immediately!

Also for any high DC fault with a TN system you are likely to disconnect on the OCPD soner or later anyway, so I would be more worried on TT systems where you depend on the RCD for fault protection.

 

[Mike Johnson]

I had contact from a local charity to ask if I could help a local lady with electrical problems, she could not afford to employ an electrician through the normal route as she is on supplementary benefit and use's a food bank, I attended the house and noticed that her three children where using mobile phones and watching the Disney channel on Sky, I left without doing any work.

 

[Markyd]

I had contact from a local charity to ask if I could help a local lady with electrical problems, she could not afford to employ an electrician through the normal route as she is on supplementary benefit and use's a food bank, I attended the house and noticed that her three children where using mobile phones and watching the Disney channel on Sky, I left without doing any work.

Had one of those as well.....just poncing off everybody else

 

[Mike Johnson]

But you are not allowed to say anything as they are of an ethnic minority and it may be construed as predigest and I would guarantee they would be offended and have the authorities jumping up and down all over you, I know someone in the charity and I did tell them what I had found, they said the person concerned met all the criteria to be on the register and they could not do anything about it without seemingly breaching discrimination laws and causing themselves major problems, so that's fine then just leave them to it letting everyone else pay for them. Rant over.

 

[mainline]

I had contact from a local charity to ask if I could help a local lady with electrical problems, she could not afford to employ an electrician through the normal route as she is on supplementary benefit and use's a food bank, I attended the house and noticed that her three children where using mobile phones and watching the Disney channel on Sky, I left without doing any work.

What's wrong with the Disney Channel
Also, it's good to talk.

It could be that they love their kids soooooo very much that they spent every penny on giving the kids what they want, you will find hardly anything in the fridge as they order in a lot

 

[telectrix]

and no mention of the BMW on the drive???

 

[mainline]

and no mention of the BMW on the drive???

That's only for the short term as they are waiting for the disability people to supply a Tesla mobility car as they want to be as green as they can.

They also wont have to get up so early as it will get them to the benefits office a bit quicker.

 

[davesparks]

I had contact from a local charity to ask if I could help a local lady with electrical problems, she could not afford to employ an electrician through the normal route as she is on supplementary benefit and use's a food bank, I attended the house and noticed that her three children where using mobile phones and watching the Disney channel on Sky, I left without doing any work.

What was the back story to how she has ended up in this situation?

 

[davesparks]

It could be that they love their kids soooooo very much that they spent every penny on giving the kids what they want, you will find hardly anything in the fridge as they order in a lot

It could be yes, or it could be that she is a single mother bringing up 3 kids who's bitter absent father showers them with expensive gifts to spite the mother.

Or she could have only recently fallen on hard times.

 

[Mike Johnson]

It could be yes, or it could be that she is a single mother bringing up 3 kids who's bitter absent father showers them with expensive gifts to spite the mother.

Or she could have only recently fallen on hard times.

Or it could be (as I suspect) the immaculately dressed coiffured and expensive nail painted woman was a scam artist with the near new Volvo in the drive.

 

[davesparks]

Or it could be the immaculately dressed and expensive nail painted woman was a scam artist with the near new Volvo in the drive.

Exactly, it could be many things, but people in this thread appear to be judge, jury and executioner without even meeting the person or knowing any or all the facts.

 

[Mike Johnson]

As the originator of the post, I did meet her and made my own assessment of her situation, which lead me to believe she was playing the system for all it was worth, I am retired and was going to help out this Charity free of any charge, but I don't like being conned.

 

[Rockingit]

As the originator of the post, I did meet her and made my own assessment of her situation, which lead me to believe she was playing the system for all it was worth, I am retired and was going to help out this Charity free of any charge, but I don't like being conned.

Some of the longer members with even longer memories might remember that back when most of Somerset disappeared under water for months I was very much part of the local responce teams which eventually led to me being involved professionally in the re-build and restorations, mostly to those who hadn't had insurance either through affordability or availability (often, the flood risk premiums were so ridiculously high and also with stupid excesses that they literally weren't worth it). And we had to deal with two polar opposites - those with genuine hardship who genuinely needed the bail-outs (no pun!) and those who maximised on the situation to get as much out of it as possible. The problem was that it was hard to tell between them until about 1 week into a rebuild / rewire.