As above. I have just seen some RCBO/AFDD all in one devices presumeably for domestic boards. Cost £112.00 + VAT each. So we are looking at a £ 1500.00 CU change for a basic 8 way .
Somebody is having a laugh aren't they.
Gary
There were a lot of negative comments on the DPC about them - from cost and their lack of proven effectiveness in real-world examples, to their inability to react under low load currents (<2.5A say - so perhaps useless for most domestic lighting circuits with low energy lamps) to the upper limit of 32A meaning they're not provided for the large circuits (e.g. showers or submains) most prone to overheating/arcing terminals.
You can't really use one AFDD to cover multiple final circuits so there's no option of a cut-price introduction like there was for RCDs (we originally had a single front end RCD/ELCB, then split load boards, then RCBOs).
I suspect they'll stay as an option, but to my mind JPEL/64 would be very "brave" to make them compulsory at this time.
- Andy.
Personally, I think a full regulatory impact assessment should be carried out before something like this, which potentially has a huge economic impact, is considered for being made mandatory.
The assessment should look at the total cost (not just for each installation), provide evidence of effectiveness, show how many fires will be prevented (along with an assessment of the savings - human and financial), consider the effects they may have on installation reliability (how often will they fail?), determine their operating limitations (low current, etc), ...
Has anyone yet made a tester for them?
“Jon Steward in reply to keylevel
Like most things currently in this world, just chucked out there with little thought, bit like the new forum.”
And Part S of the Building Regulations, I listened to Paul Meenan on the Fix Radio Electrical Show podcast on the way home talking to Thomas Nagy, good intentions but not really thought out.
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