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Are RCD's Required?

Hi, looking to understand if an RCD would be a required regulation (and/or just highly recommended) in the following situation.  The additional cost of installing four or five 3-Phase RCDs is quite substantial and I would prefer to avoid it if still deemed as safe and not legally required.  Earthing system is TN-C-S.


For connecting up 4x Immersion Elements (9kW, 9kW, 6kW, 3kW) in Brewery Tanks I am looking at either:


A.  SWA Cable clipped direct to basket from the Control Panel to IP rated Plugs/Sockets mounted on the wall.  Then floating SY Cable (recommended by electrician) from the wall to the Tanks, which is about a 2m run.  Thinking Plugs/Sockets just to make life easy if I ever want to move things around and also for easier access for cleaning.


B.  Same as above but swapping the Plugs/Sockets for Isolators.


Look forward to your feedback and opinions.  Cheers.
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  • I do not expect you to be heating things if no operator is present, so a single RCD covering everything would be perfectly satisfactory. I suggest the plugs and sockets are a good idea in any food area, as cleaning is much easier if things are all on castors. That and a 3ph board are not too expensive and save the isolator cost completely, you simply unplug items to isolate. You may find 3 circuits, of 16A each perfectly satisfactory for the moment, with 16A BS4343 sockets (red) but leave space in the board for expansion later! IP67 ones are probably unnecessary unless you live in a permanent spray of water, which I doubt! Turn off the RCD before using a pressure washer.
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  • I do not expect you to be heating things if no operator is present, so a single RCD covering everything would be perfectly satisfactory. I suggest the plugs and sockets are a good idea in any food area, as cleaning is much easier if things are all on castors. That and a 3ph board are not too expensive and save the isolator cost completely, you simply unplug items to isolate. You may find 3 circuits, of 16A each perfectly satisfactory for the moment, with 16A BS4343 sockets (red) but leave space in the board for expansion later! IP67 ones are probably unnecessary unless you live in a permanent spray of water, which I doubt! Turn off the RCD before using a pressure washer.
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