So you would think that there wouldn’t be too much difference between the regulatory requirements on the relatively small island of Ireland. Well, having provided RCBO protection for all circuits in a domestic installation in the South, the contractor from Northern Ireland who erected the installation, is turned down as according to the RECI inspector, RCBO protection should only be provided for socket outlets and circuits supplying the bathroom zones. The inspector insisted that the the circuits supplying washing machine freezer etc should have the RCBOs replaced with mcbs as nuisance tripping would be an issue.
As soon as I look at anything to do with Irish electrical installation I can start a spot the difference competition, but I would never have guessed that one!
544.2.8 In kitchens and utility rooms extraneous conductive parts shall be connected by supplementary bonding to a local protective conductor. Metal sink draining boards may be bonded either: - directly by a connection to a lug or fixing on the sink or draining board, or at connected pipe-work where adequate conductivity exists.
Bathroom circuits require a dedicated RCD (e.g. RCBO), so it is a Rule breach for say bathroom lighting to share a circuit with the general lighting on that floor.
A freezer can either be supplied by a dedicated RCD or by the likes of an FCU without RCD protection.
My slight confusion is that a non-registered contractor cannot legally wire a domestic installation. Was this an inspection following an application to join RECI or a routine inspection?
I have always found the RECI Inspectors to be excellent and fair.
Yes indeed RB, the contractor was in the process of applying to RECI.
Can you advise if I am correct in saying that in domestic properties, the contractor can provide an earth terminal by connecting neutral bar and earth bar in consumer unit providing a separate electrode is installed and that there is no DP isolator upstream?
Looks like my information is wrong. Came from the contractor hitherto mentioned. So if the neutralising link is connected to the service head can it only be carried out by ESB? Interesting difference also in definition of terms, in this case, protective conductors.
There will be two Allen key terminals for the connection which must be done by the contractor.
The live tails will connect to the meter and a contractor's seal must be fitted. The phase conductor will almost always need to run through a main overcurrent device in the bottom RHS of the Permalli Box (unless less than 3m tails are used when a switch fuse could be used in the DB).
Things are a bit different from BS7671 but you get used to it. I probably know ET101 better than BS7671 now!
