TT supply

Need some help please. I've got an overhead supply with no earth. When I moved in about 20 years ago there was an old cast iron fusebox with wired ceramic fuses. All the earth conductors for the (radial) circuits were twisted together and clamped to the fusebox casing, but there was no connection to earth. Also the meter tails were old VIR cable about 6mm² and were heating up.

The first thing I did was to put in a new CU and an earth rod, connected by

16mm² sheathed earth cable, and new 16mm² double sheathed tails. The CU has MCB's and a 30mA RCD main switch which controls all the circuits. Since then I've rewired all the circuits one by one and put in equipotential bonding, now altered to comply with 16th Edition, which I'm pretty sure would pass inspection. The problem is the OSG says I should have a 100mA RCD for non-ground floor sockets - I don't understand the reason for this. Do I need to change the CU again? I would have thought my 30mA RCD was even safer.

Also, I've never tested the impedance/resistance of the earth rod and I don't understand what I need to do here. The rod is driven into the earth oversite under the floorboards in the understairs cupboard. I drove it in about 1m but it would not go any further - either I hit the chalk or a big flint - so I cut off the top 200mm or so.

What do I need to do to bring the installation up to modern standards please? I've got the latest OSG but it doesn't explain in words I understand.

TIA Peter

Reply to
Peter Taylor
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The 100mA RCD is for fire protection, not direct contact protection. I have a TT system and have tow earth rods. One at hte front of the house near the consumer unit and the other at the rear near the water mains pipe. I don't have an the 100 mA RCD. This requirement may just be for new installtion TT systems? Neil

Reply to
Niel A. Farrow

I have a TT system with a split board, 30ma rcd protection on 45A cooker circuit and 2 x 32 A ring ccts. The rest is protected by a 100ma MCB main switch. If you have a TT system all sockets should be RCD protected. You need to test the impendence of your earth rod as the rod and the ground or earth are the fault path back to the transformer where you get your supply. You will find it on page 148 of OSG and earth resistance of your spike when tested against any of your final ring ccts must be below 200 ohms ( yes i know that sounds high ) when tested against any ring cct. My spike was 51 ohms and had a disconnection speed less than 0.4 s which is in spec

Reply to
Wheelbarrowbob

Reply to
sparky

Modern practice for TT circuits is to have a time delayed 100mA RCD for the entire installation. Then, you either use a split load consumer unit with

30mA RCD for sockets, or use a standard consumer unit with 30mA RCBOs for socket circuits.

The regs don't require 30mA RCDs on upstairs socket circuits, although they probably should for additional direct protection.

The rationale behind it is that in the event of an earth fault on the socket circuits (particularly those used outside), it won't cut the lights, as the

30mA instant RCDs are guaranteed to trip before the 100mA time delay.

This can be measured with the correct equipment. (See "TT Earthing" thread).

I'd replace the 30mA RCD with a 100mA Type S. Then replace the socket circuit MCBs with Type B 30mA RCBOs of the same rating. Any circuits running fixed equipment in the bathrooms should also be off RCBOs. You can probably keep the old consumer unit, if it is DIN rail and you can find single width RCBOs for it.

The alternative is to replace the consumer unit with a split load. The isolator switch is then replaced by the 100mA Type S (or you can have it in a separate box and keep the isolator). You then load your RCD requiring circuits to the RCD side and the non-RCD requiring circuits to the isolator/Type S side.

The final alternative is to upgrade your electricity supply to TN-C-S. This may or may not be available and you may or may not have to pay for it. You'd still need to do the split load/RCBO thing, and you might have to upgrade your main equipotential bonding.

However, you current installation would be regarded as "not to current specification" rather than dangerous and there is no pressing need to do anything, apart from test your earth rod.

Christian.

Reply to
Christian McArdle

Excellent advice Christian, thank you very much. I've saved your message and will be looking to change the CU soon. As for testing the earth rod, unless I can borrow or hire an instrument locally I think I will be asking a pro to come and do it.

Thanks also to Neil Bob & Sparky. I enquired about PME a while ago and they said it wasn't possible, even though the substation is at the back of my garden!

Reply to
Peter Taylor

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