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Are RCD's Required?

Nano Brewery
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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    Chris Pearson:
    Nano Brewery:
    Chris Pearson:

    Could you not have an RCD incomer in the DB?


    Cheers Chris.  I was hoping to keep all elements on separate circuits, and also have RCDs on all circuits, just so if one develops a fault the other 3 will continue to operate, and any fault will be quicker and easier to detect?




    No, I wouldn't look at it that way. Each element will have its own MCB/fuse. A short circuit would trip the MCB, but not the RCD. A fault (i.e. to earth) might trip both. Ok, that is a bit of a bother if the whole lot goes off. I am not sure how that affects your business, but if it slows down a batch, is that an issue? If it occurred, you can still isolate the faulty element by its MCB.






    Cheers Chris.  With this in mind, maybe the option of an RCD to MCB (or an RCBO) in the Distribution Board, then feeding out to the Control Panel would be the way to go?  It would then just be the Control Panel (Elements) that would go out in the event of an Earth fault and not the whole place? 


    ...Would I even require an MCB in the Distribution Board for the Control Panel feed, or could I just feed direct from the RCD?  At present the Control Panel has 6 individual circuits, with Rail Mounted Cartridge Fuses and Contactors installed on each.


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  • 0
    Chris Pearson:
    Nano Brewery:
    Chris Pearson:

    Could you not have an RCD incomer in the DB?


    Cheers Chris.  I was hoping to keep all elements on separate circuits, and also have RCDs on all circuits, just so if one develops a fault the other 3 will continue to operate, and any fault will be quicker and easier to detect?




    No, I wouldn't look at it that way. Each element will have its own MCB/fuse. A short circuit would trip the MCB, but not the RCD. A fault (i.e. to earth) might trip both. Ok, that is a bit of a bother if the whole lot goes off. I am not sure how that affects your business, but if it slows down a batch, is that an issue? If it occurred, you can still isolate the faulty element by its MCB.






    Cheers Chris.  With this in mind, maybe the option of an RCD to MCB (or an RCBO) in the Distribution Board, then feeding out to the Control Panel would be the way to go?  It would then just be the Control Panel (Elements) that would go out in the event of an Earth fault and not the whole place? 


    ...Would I even require an MCB in the Distribution Board for the Control Panel feed, or could I just feed direct from the RCD?  At present the Control Panel has 6 individual circuits, with Rail Mounted Cartridge Fuses and Contactors installed on each.


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