Residual Current Devices are there to protect persons and material things.

In the European TT-grid all circuits in houses need to be protected by Residual Current Devices, short form RCD.

They cut the power within milliseconds if appears a faulty tension.

Residual Current Devices can, of course only cut the power if they are the correct ones, are correctly installed and are functioning correctly. We are able to test within how many milliseconds they trip, how high the faulty current is when they trip and many other important measurements. This way you can be on the safe side.

What makes electrical power so dangerous.

Tension is dangerous when it appears in a spot where it should not.

The danger for the human organism depends on the duration time the electricity is touched as well as on the intensity of the electric power. For example, 10 Milliamps lead to muscle cramps.

After 0,5 to 1 second and touching 30 to 50 mA your body can receive serious burns and it can lead to cardiac arrest.

Children are more in danger because their skin is thinner and more moist and as a result their body resists less to electricity current.

The correct Residual Current Devices reacts very quickly

The correct Residual Current Devices (there are many different ones) will protect you within milliseconds, by cutting the power supply within 0,3 seconds. It reacts to different faulty currents: Residual Current Devices for the protection of humans react with the existence of a faulty current of 30 Milliamps (mA).

A spark can start it

If no Residual Current Devices are installed or not a sufficient amount and they are not working properly anymore, then faulty currents can cause a lot of damage to humans as well as material possessions. It can start with defects on electrical equipment up to fires that are started by melted cables. If this happens at night or when you are not at home, a major fire can quickly spread and destroy a lot.

Residual Current Devices constantly monitor defects on electrical equipment and insulation faults and cut the power early enough. This way potential fires outbreaks can be avoided.

This is how a Residual Current devise works:

The Residual Current Devices constantly compares the outgoing with the incoming current. If the current goes the wrong way, for example through the human body, the Residual Current Devices detects this and cuts the power in the corresponding circuit automatically.

We recommend:

• Besides installing a RCD for the socket and light circuits, to install RCD´s for all big electrical equipment separately (like the washing machine, boiler,…) at least then for example your freezer will still be working.
• To install an RCD for the light and socket circuit separatly. If there is a fault in one of these circuits, at least you are not standing in the dark.
• Generally speaking: the more Residual Current Devices are installed, the better!

You still have questions about  Residual Current Devices? You are not sure, whether your installation is safe enough? Or you would like to have more Residual Current Devices in your property installed? No problem! We can help you.

Your fully qualified and authorized electrician in Tenerife!

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Andreas Behrendt

Empresa Instaladora Autorizada en baja tensión

📞 (0034) 666-249026  y

      (0034) 922-773273

✉ elbehrendt@gmx.net

Granadilla de Abona, Tenerife, España