Importance of RCD Protection
Residual Current Devices
Importance of RCD Protection
With over 2 decades of experience and offering absolute customer service, Micron Group offer premium RCD testing and Installation services. Our electricians use calibrated testers to install, test and commission Residual Current Devices or RCDs to businesses across Australia.
Protecting people and property from electrical hazards is a top priority for any responsible manager or business owner alike. In both homes and workplaces across the country residual current devices (or RCDs) play a key role in ensuring faulty equipment and cabling is safely and quickly de-energised before fire breaks out or worse, someone suffers a life-threatening electric shock. A 30mA-rated RCD is calibrated to trip before fibrillation of the heart takes place and a 10mA-rated unit before muscular contraction.
RCD Testing and Installation
CATEGORY:
Residual Current Devices
TYPE:
Protection
CASE STUDY:
RCD Testing
RCD Testing
Micron Group use specialized RCD test equipment to test and certify your RCDs to the highest standard. Like anything, RCDs can degrade and become faulty over time. It is therefore critical that regular testing by a licenced electrician with calibrated specialist equipment be conducted and any faulty units replaced as a priority.
“AS/NZS 3760 states RCDs Must Be Injection Tested Every 12 Months”
Australian Standards mandates injection testing be conducted annually and recommend “push button” testing in between times. Push Button Testing helps eliminate the ‘gluing effect’ or ‘mechanical sticking’ prone to RCDs. Review the NSW testing requirements here Safework RCD Testing Requirements
RCD Injection Testing
Injection testing of RCDS is mandatory and conducted by injecting milliamp currents by use of a specialized tester into the RCD to cause the unit to trip. Micron Group Test and Record parameters such as date, switchboard location, trip time, injected current and issue our customers a full report to ensure compliance with AS/NZ3760.
Micron electricians conduct a Push Button Test to determine the overall mechanical operation of the RCD at intervals applicable to the environment (to avoid gluing). On an annual basis Micron conduct an Injection Test, a more detailed test that involves an electrical connection between the Active and Neutral conductor to the test equipment in accordance and compliance with AS/NZ3760. Both tests will interrupt power.
Rapid Test Automated RCD Injection Testing
Micron electricians supply and install Rapid Test automated commissioning modules to all types of switchboards. The Rapid Test System ‘RTS’ is a Wi-Fi based system which allows testing to be performed quickly and safely. After installation RCDs are tested either directly at the unit or at power outlets located throughout the building which may be time consuming. Rapid Test allows for a fast automated test to be completed by a specialized Wi-Fi monitored system installed within the switchboard.
RCD Injection Testing Requirements
Must NOT trip at the half rated trip current
Must trip within 300ms of rated current 30mA and 100mA
Must trip within 40ms of the rated current 10mA units
Must trip within 40ms at five times its rated trip current
RCD Testing
CATEGORY:
Residual Current Devices
TYPE:
Protection
CASE STUDY:
RCD Installation
Micron Group will assist you in advising where RCDs should be installed in your premises, what type should be installed, and what circuits need to be protected. We supply and install single and three phase units to commercial and industrial switchboards to help ensure the safety of your staff and visitors. Our licenced electricians will test and certify all installations using calibrated testing equipment ensuring your RCDs operate correctly.
Installation of 30ma RCDs
RCDs with a minimum residual current of 30 mA are the most common type, and as per ASNZ 3000 it is now a requirement to install RCDs to all final subcircuits rated 32 A or less, for all socket-outlets, lighting, direct connected handheld equipment, and direct connected equipment that presents an increased risk of electric shock. Our expert electricians can advise on your situation.
Installation of 10ma RCDs
10mA units have an increased response rate and recommended for installation in high-risk areas such as childcare centres, hospitals, aged care facilities, and medical precincts providing additional protection to human life.
In cases where units are nuisance tripping, our electricians will analyse the load to calculate the total leakage of all connected equipment to ensure it is under the 15mA limit. Using specialised metering equipment Micron Group conduct earth loop impedance testing and earth leakage current testing to determine if the individual circuit or devices have any leakage to earth.
RCD Regulations Regarding Upgrade of Circuits and New Installations
New builds, including fitouts are required to have protection installed on all final subcircuits including lighting circuits (AS/NZS 3000: clause 2.6.3.2). Additionally, any modification to existing circuits (such as relocating or adding a power point or light) is considered ‘new’ and must therefore ensure protection is in place (AS/NZS 3000: Clause 2.6.3.4). Review the Safework NSW managing electrical risk requirements here Safework Managing Electrical Risks Requirements
RCD Installation
CATEGORY:
Switchboards
TYPE:
Regulation
CASE STUDY:
RCDs and Circuit Breakers
Differences BetweenCircuit Breakers, RCDs & RCBOs
A standard circuit breaker is engineered to trip due to overload (where too many items are connected to a circuit) or the sudden fault current caused by a short circuit, but while circuit breakers and fuses generally do a great job protecting your electrical infrastructure, they are not sensitive enough to protect people who may encounter live wires or equipment. RCDs allow for next level protection.
Connected before your circuit breaker or integrated into the circuit breaker itself (a RCBO), a Residual Current Device is designed to detect current leakages as low as 10mA, (ten one thousands of an amp) up to a maximum of 30mA, and trip in under 300ms when an earth leakage fault is detected. When Micron Group are testing and installing RCDs the following requirements must be considered.
RCD Circuit limitations and Australian Standards
To stay under the 15mA level above which RCDs may trip, the following limits apply:
• Maximum of three circuits protected by any single RCD (AS/NZS 3000:2007 Clause 2.6.2.4)
• Maximum of 10 computers per office circuit. Each PC can have up to 1.5mA of earth leakage current due to the noise filter on the power supply.
• Maximum of 30 light points with electronic ballasts. An electronic ballast typically adds 0.3-0.5 mA of leakage.
residual current devices (RCD)
CATEGORY:
Electrical
TYPE:
Circuit Breakers
CASE STUDY:
Safety
RCDs Testing Services
Micron Group RCD Testing Services
When you engage Micron Group to perform RCD testing or installation, you will be engaging Micron’s licenced and qualified electricians with over 2 decades of experience to work on your infrastructure. You can rest assured we use the latest calibrated equipment to exhaustively test and evaluate each RCD.
After our test procedure, you will also receive a detailed certified report capturing all statistics including the trip time, trip current in milliamps, switchboard location of each unit and a proposal for rectifying any faults found.
From a small office to an entire precinct or university campus our licensed electricians can assist with any RCD testing and installation requirement. Contact the team today to book your next test and safeguard your business. Get in Touch Today 02 9221 6155
testing residual current devices (RCD) to Australian Standards
CATEGORY:
Electrical
TYPE:
Testing & Installation
CASE STUDY:
Statuatory Testing
