Domestic, kithchen rings and fridge/freezer circuit

[isitnow]

Does anyone put a fridge/freezer circuit on its own radial or do you just make it part of an appliance ring in the kitchen?

Last time i wired a kitchen the drawing showed the fridge as part of a small ring for appliances in the kitchen.
I seem to remember when the 17th came out there was the issue nuicance tripping if the fridge was rcd protected another item on the ring could trip the sensitive rcd and it couldve spoilt the food
then it was mentioned that we should put the fridge on its own circuit when split boards werent dual rcd protected, but obviously theres the 50mm deep issue or use metal capping or so on but now we have dual rcd split boards so whats everyone doing about this these days then?

 

[telectrix]

ideal situ. is to wire fridge/freezer on it's own RCBO, but cost is a contributing factor .

 

[isitnow]

ye thats what i was thinking ideally it would be great to have each circuit on an individual rcbo but like you said not very cost effective, i vave seen a lot of hager boards with individual rcbos might be worth looking into

 

[malcolmsanford]

I think it's a matter of customer cost restraints that dictates the design.

I have always advised, even before RCD additional protection was required is to have appliances in a kitchen on separate radial circuits. Often that advise was heeded often not and cost was always a factor.

Personally for me best design is firstly separate radials for appliances and the Fridge on an RCBO on it's own.

If that is too expensive then a radial for all appliances and then the fridge of an RCBO of it's own.

If still too much then kitchen/appliances on it's own ring final and fridge on RCBO.

Last still then Kitchen on downstairs ring everything in kitchen on it and hope it does not trip.

 

[isitnow]

cheers mate i think id put the fridge on its own radial, have a seperate ring for the kitchen and obviously have it all off an rcd split board and seperate the circuits. Ive spoken to my colleagues and theyve got dual split boards in their houses and have said that theyve never had them trip so the nuisance tripping of the rcd main breaker doesnt seem to be an issue,

 

[GLENNSPARK]

cheers mate i think id put the fridge on its own radial, have a seperate ring for the kitchen and obviously have it all off an rcd split board and seperate the circuits. Ive spoken to my colleagues and theyve got dual split boards in their houses and have said that theyve never had them trip so the nuisance tripping of the rcd main breaker doesnt seem to be an issue,

Maybe not an issue on a new appliance but get a few years down the road and it just could be.......another way of doing it is to pull a radial (surface mounted) to the fridge/freezer and use a socket front marked "fridge and/or freezer only"...but the cable cant be buried.......has to be surface run so if its in a cellar then not a problem (you could run it in trunking, conduit or clipped direct)...but this may not always be suitable (for asthetic reasons) so in that case then its own supply of an RCBO as mentioned above would be the way to go as you eliminate the possibility of accumilated earth leakege problems.............

 

[Amp David]

Its always down to what the customer wants to spend.

Have never done it personally and never had an issue so far.

Whenever its explained to a customer the reasoning behind it they never seem interested anyway.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Its always down to what the customer wants to spend.

Have never done it personally and never had an issue so far.

Whenever its explained to a customer the reasoning behind it they never seem interested anyway.

I think what it is dave is customers remain blissfully ignorant of such matters (another case for anti-diy wiring maybe?)....most of the clients we go to just expect that "it works" and they have all the relevent paperwork to accompany it of course.......but you try explaining accumilated earth leakege issues to em......que blank faces and indifference to what they cant understand.......

 

[Amp David]

Fully agree mate

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Fully agree mate

And long may it continue....more work for us guys mate...tee hee..........resents2:

 

[Octopus]

If you just put a dual RCD board in you're stuck if you do get nuisance tripping.

I did one recently, where I installed a high integrity board and have placed the freezer radial on one of the RCD circuits. Should you get nuisance tripping, you then have the option of placing the radial on its own MCB or RCBO. Flexibility at its best!

 

[malcolmsanford]

Maybe not an issue on a new appliance but get a few years down the road and it just could be.......another way of doing it is to pull a radial (surface mounted) to the fridge/freezer and use a socket front marked "fridge and/or freezer only"...but the cable cant be buried.......has to be surface run so if its in a cellar then not a problem (you could run it in trunking, conduit or clipped direct)...but this may not always be suitable (for asthetic reasons) so in that case then its own supply of an RCBO as mentioned above would be the way to go as you eliminate the possibility of accumilated earth leakege problems.............

Glenn your a great lad and your trying to help, and i'm sure you never actually meant what you wrote as I know that your aware of Regulation 522.6.6 and that cable can be buried either deeper than 50mm or be erected as per the reg sections (i) to (iv), and then not need RCD/RCBO protection.

 

[Spudnik]

Its always down to what the customer wants to spend.

Have never done it personally and never had an issue so far.

Whenever its explained to a customer the reasoning behind it they never seem interested anyway.

Yup, get the same response.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Glenn your a great lad and your trying to help, and i'm sure you never actually meant what you wrote as I know that your aware of Regulation 522.6.6 and that cable can be buried either deeper than 50mm or be erected as per the reg sections (i) to (iv), and then not need RCD/RCBO protection.

I was aware of it malcolm but to try to bury a cable at that depth (particularly in newbuilds) and you`d be through the wall...lol....

 

[malcolmsanford]

I was aware of it malcolm but to try to bury a cable at that depth (particularly in newbuilds) and you`d be through the wall...lol....

and the other parts of the reg, are they not possible in a new build either??