GreenBrook relaunches Powerbreaker RCD socket range

Over the years there have been many revisions to the legislation around RCDs and GreenBrook has continued to develop PowerBreaker products to meet and exceed all the latest standards.  In the recent change to the 17th Edition, the standards around RCD protection were comprehensively updated with regard to the consumer unit.  

Previously, RCDs were not required on all sockets, so limited protection was provided.  Now, the 17th Edition has brought to light the potential need for more RCDs in the home and workplace.

The latest changes now require RCDs to provide additional protection to all general use sockets rated up to 20A.  This covers the majority of sockets in the home and office, making an improvement to safety.  Additionally, protection must be provided in the event of a failure in basic protection or carelessness by the user.  

All circuits now require 30mA protection, which can be achieved by a standard RCD in the consumer unit.  The legislation also indicates that additional, not previously specified, areas now require RCD protection. The 17th Edition now states that as well as all consumer units, bathrooms within zones 1 and 2 should also include an RCD.

This change to legislation highlights how seriously the industry is taking RCD protection.  As well as having strict compliance to the latest BS standards, which ensure that every RCD meets exacting quality criteria, the industry is now bringing RCDs to the forefront of home and commercial protection.

Meeting the legislation

There are lots of different ways to meet the new legislations.  Generally, the most common way to protect the home is through the consumer unit, which can be configured to comply with the regulations. One example is to install a main switch with RCBOs protecting each individual circuit.  Another suggestion is to opt for a main switch with two RCDs protecting split circuits.

Although the simplest method, there will be times when updating a consumer unit in this way may cause inconvenience to the end user. Often, the consumer unit in the house or office isn’t in the most accessible place to reset after a trip. If an individual 10mA RCD is placed locally and at low level, this should trip before a leakage build up is detected in the consumer unit and lower the risk of a fatal electric shock.    

To keep up with growing trends and customer needs, GreenBrook’s PowerBreaker team has developed a new generation of 10mA RCDs alongside the range of standard 30mA sockets and spurs. .

PowerBreaker were the first to create the RCD back in 1975 where they used their in-house expertise to produce the very first RCD to be totally housed within a 13A plug.

The RCDs are available in different variants, namely Passive or Active, and can be used for different applications.  Many people are unaware of the differences between these two products and do not understand where best to use what.

For Passive RCDs a typical application would be a refrigerator or freezer that would return to their regular mode of operation as soon as the power supply resumes normal operation.  Passive RCDs are also useful to use for sockets in hard to reach places where having to gain access to re-set an RCD would be tricky, however where protection is still required.

An Active RCD is better used for electrical equipment such as hedgetrimmers or power tools where unexpected restarting of the equipment could present a danger to the user in a powercut situation.

You will also see PowerBreaker offer both a 30mA RCD as standard plus a 10mA option.

The 10mA RCDs are super sensitive and are ideal for use in hospitals and nurseries or areas where you would find vulnerable people.

The PowerBreaker 30mA RCDs trip at least 10 milliseconds faster than the BSEN standards require. 

Suitable for domestic, commercial and industrial use, the Powerbreaker range of  RCD products are particularly useful in environments where you find vulnerable people, like hospitals, are homes and schools with young children. 

Greenbrook has found that customers are often confused over which RCD to use for their installation so they have created an informative new brochure detailing the range of 10mA, 30mA, Active & Passive products entitled “A Guide to Electrical Safety” which is available now, along with a new website solely dedicated to the new range.   As the creators of the first RCD Socket, PowerBreaker is happy to share their expertise in this field and discuss any RCD installation queries with their customers on their Technical Help Line.

Visit www.powerbreaker.co.uk for further details.