MHRestorations:

I am all for foundation earthing (or its equivalent involving a ring of buried copper, the name escapes me right now). The tricky bit as usual will be getting the general builder to make our lives easy :( Foundation (or rebar) earths have been used for years in the US, where they're known as Ufer grounds (after the chap who suggested the idea, I believe). Brilliant idea.


As for AFDDs... the issue I think is not so much the cost ( as the RCD path taught us, demand will drop the price hugely), but whether they actually DO anything.  And combining it all into one unit leaves me a little cold. I do not trust active electronics in a safety critical role unless maintained regularly. I for example would NOT rely on a smoke alarm system that was not regularly tested, nor indeed the ABS or airbags in my van unless serviced regularly. Domestic switchgear tends to go for up to a decade (even with EICR's being carried out) without a single test.


RCBO's are less of an issue in this regard, because they simply add the RCD functionality onto a normal MCB. Does anyone have the cash to take apart an AFDD and see if this is the case there also? If so, I would be less reticent.

AFDD's have been widely used in America for over a decade, and have been mandatory in Germany for 2 years, as well as in the aviation industry. Its not new technology. Seems like plenty of demand and years to refine the devices to make them cheaper. I hope I'm wrong but I don't think they will get loads cheaper when they are still well off sub-£100 a unit now

MHRestorations:

I am all for foundation earthing (or its equivalent involving a ring of buried copper, the name escapes me right now). The tricky bit as usual will be getting the general builder to make our lives easy :( Foundation (or rebar) earths have been used for years in the US, where they're known as Ufer grounds (after the chap who suggested the idea, I believe). Brilliant idea.


As for AFDDs... the issue I think is not so much the cost ( as the RCD path taught us, demand will drop the price hugely), but whether they actually DO anything.  And combining it all into one unit leaves me a little cold. I do not trust active electronics in a safety critical role unless maintained regularly. I for example would NOT rely on a smoke alarm system that was not regularly tested, nor indeed the ABS or airbags in my van unless serviced regularly. Domestic switchgear tends to go for up to a decade (even with EICR's being carried out) without a single test.


RCBO's are less of an issue in this regard, because they simply add the RCD functionality onto a normal MCB. Does anyone have the cash to take apart an AFDD and see if this is the case there also? If so, I would be less reticent.

AFDD's have been widely used in America for over a decade, and have been mandatory in Germany for 2 years, as well as in the aviation industry. Its not new technology. Seems like plenty of demand and years to refine the devices to make them cheaper. I hope I'm wrong but I don't think they will get loads cheaper when they are still well off sub-£100 a unit now