Does your fuseboard at your Hersham home offer full protection to you and your family? Adding RCD protection to your fuseboard gives you added peace of mind that you are fully protected from the risk of electrical shocks.
Any electrical work which has not been installed correctly with an experienced and qualified electrician puts you at greater risk of electrical fires and hazards. Precision Electrical Services in Hersham take electrical safety seriously and it is our top priority to make sure your electrics are safe and to a regulated standard.
What is an RCD?
An RCD, also known as Residual Current Device, is a device installed on your fuseboard which offers additional protection to the safety of any person who comes into contact with electrical dangers such as exposed wires. Unlike your fusebox, which adds protection to your circuits, a Residual Current Device (RCD) offers personal protection. This will lower life-threatening dangers such as electrical shocks or fires.
What Does an RCD do?
Imagine cutting the grass with the lawn mower and you accidently cut through the wire. An easy mistake to make. If you were to then to touch the broken, exposed wires still attached to its power source, you could get a fatal shock. Adding an RCD upgrade to your fuse board will give you extra protection and minimalize the harm to yourself or someone else. The RCD’s job is to detect when there is an electrical fault and will switch off the electricity automatically, stopping life threatening injuries.
How Does an RCD Work?
By constantly checking the electrical current through the chosen circuit, an RCD will be able to identify whether there is an error within the current and will switch off the electricity immediately to stop any dangers. Some of the causes for an RCD to switch off would be; accidental damage such as the lawn mower incident, faults within the appliances or if any electrics come in contact with water.
Types of RCD
There are various types of RCD, each adding personal protection in different ways. A fixed RCD is installed to your consumer unit. This will add protection to your circuits and offers the highest level of protection by protecting wiring, sockets and any connected appliances. Then there are portable RCDs. These are plugged into a standard socket outlet which don’t have fixed RCD protection, offering any connected appliance the same level of personal safety.
You can easily check whether or not you have RCD protection on your fuse board by going to your consumer unit and looking for a device with a pushbutton marked ‘T’ or Test. That button is part of your RCD. There may also be a label stating, ‘test quarterly’. It is essential to test your RCD regularly to ensure it is operating correctly and protecting you from dangers.
Although RCD installation gives you added protection from faults and damage, it is still important to keep on top of your electrics and continue to seek help from an electrician if you experience any electrical issues. If you need more help on RCD installation, then contact Precision Electrical Services who can offer friendly advice to help keep you safe around electrics. We are NICEIC approved, offering you the peace of mind that your electrics will be handled with care.
