Multi branch radial circuit terminating into DB

I have been informed that we can no longer terminate two or more branches of a radial circuit into the DB/CU. Because of increased fault currents potentially exceeding the breaking capacity of the protective device, if there were two simultaneous faults on the two branches. But it is still acceptable to split the radial into branches when it leaves the DB/CU after the first point of utilisation(which could be very close to the origin of the circuit). I am struggling to understand the significant difference in fault currents between these two scenarios. I was directed to Fig15B in the big book, where it no longer depicts a radial circuit's two branches connected to the DB/CU. Does that potentially small length of the radial circuit's conductors at the beginning of the circuit, before it branches, add enough extra impedance to make a difference?

Parents
  • Joy Not from YouTube! It was on an annual assessment. The circuit in question was a 20A radial supply socket outlets and the like, wired with two branches into the circuit breaker. The only reference cited was Fig15B. Maybe I misunderstood what was being said, but I don't think so. Thinking

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  • Joy Not from YouTube! It was on an annual assessment. The circuit in question was a 20A radial supply socket outlets and the like, wired with two branches into the circuit breaker. The only reference cited was Fig15B. Maybe I misunderstood what was being said, but I don't think so. Thinking

Children
  • That is rather worrying!

    Suppose that two appliances on consecutive sockets shorted simultaneously. Would that make a difference?

  • I might worry about the assessor to be honest. Ideally anyone doing inspection of any kind needs to be a notch or two above the chaps at the coal face whose work they are looking at. This is because they  need to be able to pick stuff up and run with it very quickly, in any situation, and could be faced with almost anything at zero notice, while the installer may specialise and only do alarms, or never do heating or something.. 

    Here however I am confident  your doubts are right, and the assessor is not.

    Mike.

  • The only reference cited was Fig15B.

    Interesting ... Figure 15B is "informative" not "Normative".

    Are we to understand that we can only wire radials in BS 6004 Flat T&E because that's all that's in the Note under the Figure? Well ... no, that's not the case.

    OR perhaps the fact you can't "spur off a spur" in a radial ... well, no, that's not he case either!

    Fig 15B is used to illustrate a principle, not provide every permutation possible for a radial circuit.

  • quite so. And a bit of a worrying attitude from an 'Assessor'

    Mike.