Is it law that an E/L/Unit must be installed on a domestic (house) installation or can all circuits be individually protected.
Is it law that an E/L/Unit must be installed on a domestic (house) installation or can all circuits be individually protected.
Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today.
You certainly don't have to have ELU protection for the entire installation, just the portions that are required to have ELU protection per SANS 10124-1
If the entire installation is on a single ELU, and you intend to only have a portion of the installation on ELU, just watch out the ELU is not also serving as the main switch.
Last edited by Dave A; 18-Mar-14 at 11:51 AM. Reason: typo
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You can individually protect circuits that require it using 30mA RCBO's. (if you can find a supplier). This won't really be an option if the main switch is an earth leakage unit because you won't be able to achieve discrimination.
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Thanks guys but I have been through the book every which way and can't find any part that says an E/L/U must be installed on a domestic installation, am I missing a page or two
Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today.
Section 6.7.5 deals with Earth leakage protection.
The section has been amended a number of times, including amendment 8 - so make sure your copy is totally up to date (Edition 1.8).
I see amendments from the original code arising in amendments 1, 3, 5, 6 & 8.
There are also other instances where ELU's are required or material to compliance, for example s6.16.1.4 and s6.16.3.2.3
Not to mention s6.15 - but that should be pretty obvious
Last edited by Dave A; 18-Mar-14 at 11:51 AM.
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You dont have to have an earth leakage. But then you can't have plugs, pool pump, sauna, Jacuzzi etc.
These points require earth leakage protection on them.
All I know is that Earth Leakage is only on sockets, not on light circuits. But I have no idea why and would like to know.
Why would one not want a Earth Leakage?
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Hi Houses4Rent a lot of people, I would go so far as to say that the majority of people [I]electricians [I]included do not understand the purpose of a earth leakage unit and consider it unecessary and causes nuisance tripping. Unknown to them the tripping function is there as a protective device and by functioning properly is indicating that there is a fault on the circuits or part of the circuits that are being supplied by the E.L.U. So basically an E.L.U. is a essential safety device designed to protect life and property. Lighting circuits in some installations are not covered by E.L.U. as a safety precaution (make sense, you must have illumination)
Thanks mikilianis. I understood it to be a safety device. As an enginer i believe that everything must have a purpose and I need to understadn its purpose first before I believe anybody claiming that it has not purpose and can simply be ommited. But I am not so sure about the lighting. I rather have no light than not triggering the E/L when accidentally touching a live light circuit wire. Anyway, so far that did not happen to often. I am not a great competancy of electricity and stay away from things which are beyond basic connections.
Something else: I was quoted 5 hours labour (excl materials) to replace a main breaker and put a surge arrestor next to it. Am I right in saying that its a matter of making a few cable connections at the board which - lets be generous - should not take more than an hour maybe?
Houses4Rent
"We treat your investment as we treat our own"
marc@houses4rent.co.za www.houses4rent.co.za
083-3115551
Global Residential Property Investor / Specialized Letting Agent & Property Manager
Well this wonderful rain has got them E/L/U's tripping like there's no tomorrow, damp faults all over the place and money on the floor
Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today.
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