Wiring Regs Amendment To Be Fast-tracked Over RCD Issue

Welcome to our ONE HUNDREDTH news weekly!

In this week’s news…

A special amendment to the Wiring Regs is being fast tracked after reports that RCDs are being incorrectly connected to solar and and battery systems…

..installers are warned that a new UK cyber law is set to ban a raft of smart home kit…

…and are you ready for the footballing event of the year?

Welcome to Electrical News Weekly in association with Solar Trade Sales, whether you're listening in the van, on site, or down at the wholesale counter.

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Show Notes 🗒️

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Time Stamps ⏱
00:00 Electrical News Weekly 06th May 2024
00:45 Special wiring regs amendment being fast tracked
01:48 You can give your views on the amendment change
02:10 Cyber law set to ban some smart home kit
03:23 Opening of music venue delayed because of electrical problems
04:16 Come and cheer the sparkies at Soccer Trade
06:06 How would you like a free trip to Dublin?
06:33 Get £100 off lighting on the new LumXpert app
07:15 Question of the week
07:51 Collingwood unveils downlight with built in PIR
08:28 Quickwire introduces two new junction boxes
08:58 RF Solutions reveals din-mounted version of the Ferret
09:20 ABB unveils plastic conduit made from recovered fishing nets
09:37 Have you considered an electric van?
10:18 We want to hear from you!
10:38 Thanks to our premium partners
12:10 Challenge words and winners
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[anthonybragg]

How long have we have solar now, this problem with RCD's/RCBO's should have been picked up before the previous amendment.

[Cjrelectrical]

Thanks guys got the soccer trade segment beautifully delivered. Anyone wanting to grab a ticket please do. 👍 I will be there

[mfr]

It seems extraordinary that this bi-directional issue of RCDs, MCBs and solar systems is only now being addressed. I remember mentioning a possible issue years ago and was told by those wiser than me that the devices would work either way without trouble. How can the IET not have addressed this when solar first became a common installation? However, as others have pointed out, the grid tie inverters should drop out on loss of grid

[sergiofernandez]

Happy 100th episode Joe and team eFixx. Its a significant achievement. Well done

[MorzakEV]

EV chargers may be exempt from the latest cyber regulations, but they are already required to meet The Electric Vehicles (Smart Charge Points) Regulations 2021 which has it's own cyber security requirements and is in law.

[Jasonf-kmmq]

Thank you for 100 episodes and your CPD training.
Centipede (100), morph

[aarbee_]

congrats on 100 episodes! 🥳🎉
heres to 100 more guys! 🍻🎉

[AintBigAintClever]

In practice an RCBO or RCD getting powered from "the wrong side" by the solar or battery system should only do so until the inverter realises it's lost the grid (as the trip coil will have done its job). Once it detects loss of supply it should shut down to prevent backfeeding (within 500mS from what I've read so far) which will kill power to the coil.
Question is, should a trip coil be able to handle half a second's worth of power?

[odinnln]

Since the issue of this version of the regs there has been ammendment after amendment whatever happened to getting it right first time?

[sirjohng]

Does this mean that my 12 year old solar panel installation may be dangerous? I had a new main consumer board installed at the same time by a registered contractor. We have had a couple of 'trips' due to fault in our oven but otherwise all seems OK. Should I have this problem checked out?

[niceguyuk]

"Sorry madam, your consumer unit needs to be renewed as you have no RCD protection" Then "sorry madam, yes you have an RCD but its the wrong type as you have LED lights so thats another £100+ please." This industry is becoming a f**ing joke.

[kathrynwhitby]

Quick question from a viewer.
Storage heater Consumer Units.
When upgrading from cartridge fuse to breaker type boxes, should a customer be asking for MCB's or RCBO's? TIA

[sebastiannielsen]

2:15 - No its incorrect. I readed up on the law. It will be illegal to SELL (eg, retail) things that aren't compliant. This includes installing, IF you are selling the item with the install. HOWEVER, you may install a consumer supplied item, even if the compliance end date is expired or is non-compliant according to the cybersecurity law.
So its not the installation itself that is illegal, but the sale of the item. A consumer may install vulnerable products in their own home aswell (for example, smart plug-in sockets that you connect between socket and plug).

(compliance end date is a specific date set by the manufacturer, where the item may no longer be sold. Selling items past the "sell before" date is a criminal offense, as a item is considered non-compliant after that date, like expired meat food)

They even have a exception for "Used or second hand products", meaning, anything that the installer did not buy, is not in scope for the legalisation. As soon as the customer opens the packaging on the product, the product becomes "used or second hand" in legaliese, meaning, a electrician can install a heat pump, solar inverter, smart switch that the consumer bought and unpacked.

[davidcassidy]

When is ratified can you do a correct design video. As a home owner i can then check what I've got and know what an electrician should install. I ask this as my install is now ten years old and hence likely to be not up to standard. Thanks for the videos keep up the good work

[AAaa-wuel]

So they must now refund all the wrong wiring regulation books they sold or exchange them for free for the right ones.

[djoneselec]

Congrats on this great channel, to which i learn every week from, has reached 100. Here is to 100 more !
PS bring back the beard !

[johnwarwick]

I watched this a week or so ago and been thinking about it since. The issue is the trip coil staying energised and burning out. As 99% of solar devices are grid tied ( even with battery storage) then As soon as the Rcd trips then the solar inverter will shutdown ( due to the loss os the power grid) therefor there won’t be any power on the load side of the Rcd. Not saying it’s not necessary to fit bidirectional units but there will be loads of sparks giving these a C2 on inspections. Have I misunderstood this 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

[fredfred]

I have seen some inverters add a DC component to their grid feed. Not sure how to prevent that. AC and DC rcds will not trip, as the DC is in a perfect loop back to the substation.

[chandreshvarsani]

Strongly think that if manufacturers provide advise which lead a designer or installer to protect a energy generation device on a uni directional protection device without highlighting consequences then they should be liable for misinformation and not making the distinction between bi-directional and uni-directional devices. See that solar and battery decides have been around for decades. This should have been addressed in Amendment 2 or sooner

[John-the-Bass]

I think your word is centipede. Makes sense as this is your 100th blog. Thanks