To those of you that aren’t in the world of electricity we wouldn’t blame you for not knowing what an RCD is. An RCD (residual current device) is an essential piece of equipment that is there to keep you and your family safe at home. Don’t worry if you don’t know if you have one installed, contact us today to see how we can help you identify one.
When an RCD is fitted, it will monitor your wiring throughout your entire home. If it detects an unbalanced or leaking current it will instantly break the circuit to protect you from any risks of electric shock or potential fires. They will also automatically switch off the electric if they detect a fault.
The amount of current that can potentially leak through is far more than the body can handle and it could cause significant harm to anybody who to comes into contact with it. This is including the potential of having a cardiac arrest. RCD’s detect these leaks and can disconnect the current in as little as 40 milliseconds, this helps to significantly reduce the severity of any injuries.
What’s the catch? There isn’t any. There is no excuse not to have a live saving RCD installed in your home. RCD’s are so essential to a property that most homes in the UK now have them. It’s only the older homes that don’t until they decide to upgrade their electrics. Still not sure if your electrics are safe enough for your home? Visit our electrical testing to find out how we can help you!
There are three main types of RCD’s and they are, fixed, socket-outlet and portable. Each have their very own unique benefits and uses. These different uses are explained below:
Fixed RCDs – These are installed in the consumer unit (also known as the fuse box) and they can help to provide protection to a single or group of circuits. A Fixed RCD provides the highest level of protection and it protects all the wiring and sockets on a circuit as well as any connected appliance.
Socket-Outlet RCDs – These are special socket-outlets which have an RCD built into them. They can be using in place of a standard socket. This type of RCD provides protection only to the person that comes into contact with the equipment.
Portable RCDs – This type of RCD plugs into any standard wall socket. An appliance such as a lamp can them be plugged into the RCD. These come in use when there is no fixed socket or any socket-outlet RCD’s available. They only protect the person who comes into contact with appliance including its lead and plug
How much will a RCD cost?
A plugin RCD can cost as little as £10. A fixed RCD will cost you more, but it will provide a greater degree of protection to help keep your family safe. Contact us today to get a free no obligation quotation!
How do I check if I have a fixed RCD fitted?
To see if you already have a fixed RCD installed, you should go to your consumer unit (fuse board) and have a look to see if there is a device with a pushbutton marker “T” or “Test”. This test button is part of an RCD. If an RCD is fitted, there is generally a label on or new the consumer unit stating “test quarterly”