Why it is a good idea to have an RCD in your home

A Residual Current Device (RCD) is a safety device that forms part of your electrical installation. If a fault or accident occurs with either the wiring or the electrical appliance you are using, the power will be cut in a fraction of a second. It has been a requirement to fit an RCD in homes since 2008 with new consumerunits/fuse boards having dual RCD protection which give you and loved ones electrical protection all over your home. If you don't currently have RCD protection in your home and you are not planning to upgrade your consumer unit, there are other methods of obtaining RCD protection by using RCD sockets or a portable RCD. However, there is nothing to match the protection obtained by having RCD protection via your consumer unit.

Of course new consumer units will need to be installed by a qualified electrician who will ensure the RCD is installed correctly and is working. One of the common questions we get asked here at FulcherEdwards about RCD protection is “what is the difference between a fuse and an RCD?” Many customers feel they are sufficiently protected by ensuring they are using the correct fuse in electrical appliances. Unfortunately, as important as a fuse is, they are limited in their capabilities and should not be used as life saving devices. An RCD is a life saving device, if you were to accidentally touch a live cable in your home for example the RCD would activate. If you were reliant on a fuse then this would not activate and you would receive an electric shock which may cost you your life.

An RCD is activated automatically, it activates so quickly that you would not be aware of what had happened until the realisation of what could have happened has sunk in. RCD protection in homes has saved lives and avoided many cases of serious electrical injury in homes since they became compulsory to fit on new consumer units in 2008. Unfortunately there are still 13 million homes without or inadequate RCD protection. A recent government report indicated that up to 4,000 house fires could be prevented if more homes had RCD protection.

Once installed, much like a smoke alarm, an RCD will need to tested at regular intervals, at least quarterly, to ensure it is working. To test an RCD, simply go to your consumer unit and find the button which is marked T (for test) by pressing this button, you will cut out the electrical supply to the areas of the home it protects, simply press the button on again and the supply will switch back on. It is important to get advice from a qualified electrician if the RCD does not switch the electrical supply off when it is tested.

Here at Fulcher Edwards we would recommend to all London home owners to consider upgrading their consumer unit if they do not have RCD protection. Alternatively obtaining some RCD protection in your home is better than none at all. A portable RCD will cost around £10 and we would recommend using a portable RCD for outdoor jobs such as mowing the lawn. This way, you will be protected if you make a mistake and chop through the cable for example. It is worth bearing in mind though that only the appliance in use will offer RCD protection and no internal wiring in your home will be protected.

Remember an RCD will provide protection that fuses and circuit breakers are unable to provide. If there was one electrical job we here at Fulcher Edwards would recommend you do in your home this year, we would always recommend the installation a dual RCD consumer unit – it will protect you and your family as well as your home for years to come.