Keith Melvin asks a question about festive lighting features and whether the electrical installations need RCD protection. His question has been answered by SELECT (Theme – Lighting):
Question: I hope you can help - we get requests to connect festive features to our network. These are usually sited about 2.5m up the lighting column. They connect via a plug/socket arrangement and have been protected by either a breaker or a fuse.
Is this acceptable or must they be protected by RCD?
Answer: Yes - temporary decorative lighting, such as external festive lighting, should be protected by a 30mA RCD.
To avoid nuisance tripping, split the circuits up as best as possible. See Guidance Note 1, Section 8, paragraph 8.6.9.
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