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Challenges of RCD and Surge Protection with Smart Home Devices

Mudassar

With the rapid adoption of smart home devices and IoT loads, modern electrical installations are becoming increasingly complex. While BS 7671 (18th Edition) provides detailed requirements for RCD protection, surge protection, and earthing, many installers are reporting practical issues such as nuisance trips, unexpected load interactions, and challenges integrating these devices safely.

I’d like to open a discussion on:

  • Are current BS 7671 requirements sufficient to handle the growing number of smart devices?
  • What real-world challenges have you faced in protecting these installations while ensuring compliance?
  • Are there any best practices or workarounds for minimizing RCD trips and surge issues in smart-enabled homes?

I’m looking forward to hearing your experiences, insights, and recommendations from both domestic and commercial perspectives.

Parents

  • Can you clarify if you think these are true direct safety issues from 'faulty' modern electronic equipment, or implied 'unsafe' scenarios from nuisance tripping, or unsafe operations from nuisance operation/commands?

    From my perspective, one of the biggest accumulating 'nuisance' is the conflict between all the EMC RFI [electro-magnetic compatibility radio frequency interference] filters that are, by design, deliberately dumping leakage currents, from the Live circuit, into the Earth Circuit (notionally isolated at the MET main earth terminal) to such an extent that the RCB (residual current breaker) function operates. 

    Older folks may remember when the old IBM PCs had a power 'kettle lead' link through the PC to power the VDU (visual display unit). These failed retrospective EMC testing so the power leads for the PC and display became separated so that they were allowed twice the leakage currents, needed to filter the two unit's conducted EMC & RFI.

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  • Can you clarify if you think these are true direct safety issues from 'faulty' modern electronic equipment, or implied 'unsafe' scenarios from nuisance tripping, or unsafe operations from nuisance operation/commands?

    From my perspective, one of the biggest accumulating 'nuisance' is the conflict between all the EMC RFI [electro-magnetic compatibility radio frequency interference] filters that are, by design, deliberately dumping leakage currents, from the Live circuit, into the Earth Circuit (notionally isolated at the MET main earth terminal) to such an extent that the RCB (residual current breaker) function operates. 

    Older folks may remember when the old IBM PCs had a power 'kettle lead' link through the PC to power the VDU (visual display unit). These failed retrospective EMC testing so the power leads for the PC and display became separated so that they were allowed twice the leakage currents, needed to filter the two unit's conducted EMC & RFI.

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