tony sayer wrote:

In article , The Natural Philosopher
writes

tony sayer wrote:


One thing I've noticed on new installation I'm visiting, is that the RCD's
which are fitted in the mains supply like yours, are only rated at 30mA
imbalance fault signal. This is really not adequate for a whole house
supply. This, to me, is erring on the "to safe to be properly functional"
side of things and is now causing a lot of nuisance breaks in whole house
supplies that are being installed these days.


Well FWIW our house and the rented ones we own all have 30 ma RCD's and
none have any nuisance tripping problems except when a fault occurred on
an immersion heater when it warmed up a bit.

The only common problems I've seen over the last few years are where a
lot of computers and electronic equipment's are connected to the same
protected circuits. IIRC there are new reg's to cater for this sort of
thing in offices etc now...


Yerrs Tony. But I have - lets see.

Two computers.
Two printers
Scanner
Two monitors
PC loudspakers.
PABX
Cisco router
Labgear distribution amplifier.
6 TV's
3 radios

...all of whach are permanently pluugedd in, and, because the remotes
work, probablly have RF filters across the incoming mains.

Plus a random selection of battery chargers and so on. Not to mention an
immersion heater and two electric cookers, two fridges and a deep
freeze, all also permamently on.

Plus 9 extrenal lights and a klargester down the garden, and 2 external
power sockets, that get a leetle moist occasionally...


30mA was nusiance tripping on load for a long time - no pattern to it -
just general earth neutral leakage it would seem. 100mA is rock solid.

I think 30mA is fine for a small house, but not a large one really.








Well we're running more electronic stuff than that nat P but I'm
bugg**ed if I'd rely on a 100 ma trip for protection against accidental
contact!...


I don't. I rely on common sense. ;-)