# Whole house RCD



## frank (Feb 6, 2007)

No problem. But watch out for possible circuit tripping problems. The may well exist but not apparent until you fit the RCD

Frank


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## Paulusgnome (Mar 28, 2009)

Two potential problems that I can see with what you are proposing :
1) Any trip of the RCD will kill power to the whole house.
2) The leakage current of the whole installation may be enough to cause nuisance tripping, or enough to give you a razor-thin margin against nuisance tripping.

This might be OK as a temporary measure, but would lead to wailing and gnashing of teeth as a permanent one.


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

As other mention about the RCD if you actaully use them expect to see them trip out pretty fast if the netural is crosslinked. That part you have to pay attetion to it.

The safest way is megger it or use the PAT to make sure they are ok before you actually engerized the RCD MCCB and pay attetion to the earth connections as well { this may come back and bite your backend if not pay attetion to it }

And double check the fuse or MCBO for proper sizeing as well.

Merci,
Marc


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## Mattman (Jan 6, 2012)

As paulusgnome said, one trip would knock out whole house, put RCBOs in for each circuit, u can get RCBOs for around £15 each, don't quote me on that, look around for prices!


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## Berlioz (Jan 13, 2012)

*RCD all hause*

Not the best idea. My doughter had such house (Canterberry). Twise a week they sat in the dark. After all I found the reason. A bath above the kitchen socket. When my grandson took a bath-tne water ran down (inside the wall), RSD tripped. But it might be the leackage due to: every 1A gives us 0,4mkA, every cooking -up to 5mA, every washing m.-5mA, PC-1-2mA. But you know it better.


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## dmxtothemax (Jun 15, 2010)

I would not instal a whole house rcd !
Nuisance tripping could plunge the whole house into darkness !
Instead instal a minimum of two rcds !
One for lighting circuits !
And one for power circuits !
Since the most likely rcd trip is a power circuit,
It will still leave the lights working !
This way no one will fall down the steps,
in the middle of the night cause theres no lights !


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## Docara (May 6, 2009)

NO NO NO NO

Think about it. Though I cant remember the reg number straight of bat you're breaking the one that talks about minimising disruption (or similar) thats why we split out circuits up like we do - eg. on one RCD goes upstairs lights and downstairs sockets etc etc.

The only time you can use RCD in the configuration you want is when you have a TT supply and cannot achieve adequate disconnection times because of the earth rod impedance being to high (dry ground etc). 

What type of supply do you have TT, TN-S, TN-C-S

Don't forget to measure (verify) Earth Loop and take it from there.

I'd look in to changing the DB.

Regards
Matt


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