Ways to check on the performance of the RCD

RCD is timely disconnect the mains power in the formation of the leakage current and the preservation of human life. And by setting the device in your home network, we hope that it will be long and reliably. But the technique can occasionally fail. It is for this reason that before installation and during operation to perform validation RCD. In this article I will tell you how you can make a check of the system.

For example, the apparatus will be discussed with VD1-63 breaking current of 30 mA.

Important. I want to say right away that a comprehensive RCD test without the use of special equipment is impossible. At home you can only check the operation of the device according to the nominal current value.

Test button

We start looking at options with the most simple and affordable way to do all comers. Namely, by pressing the normal button "Test", onaya is almost all produced versions RCD.

Clicking this button, you make an imitation of the leakage current, the size thereof is precisely equal to the nominal parameter that is machine sensible.

After triggering the "Test" button will turn off the RCD obligation, provided that the product is properly connected to your home network and is operational.

In the majority of cases such a check would be sufficient to check the operating status of the product. And we move on.

Check RCD with lamps and resistors.

To check the operation is necessary to simulate the leakage current. Thus, the need for:

Equipment wire.

Light (ideally, of course, to find a common incandescent lamp 10-15 W).

Resistance.

Pliers, electrical tape, screwdriver.

Before proceeding to the assembly of our screening test lamp is necessary to calculate and choose the right resistance to the successful operation of the RCD from the installation of 30 mA.

It is for this first calculate how much current flows through the selected contact bulb. And this is done by the formula from school physics course, namely: I = P / U, here P - Power the chosen lamp and U - voltage in our home network with you, and so we get I = 10/230 = 0.043 A or 43 mA. And thus calculated resistance equal to R = U / I = 220 / 0,043 = 5 116 ohms.

As we can see from the calculation, if we are going to use only the light bulb, the current flowing through it will be redundant and testing will be extremely rough. In order to reduce the current to the desired level of 30 mA is necessary in our screening add circuit resistance.

A desired amount, let's just calculate. Thus, our designed with you at 30mA RCD means to obtain a value upon accession screening device it should be leveled resistance R = U / I, hence obtain 230 / 0.03 = 7667 ohms. And it is our lamp is already producing 5116 ohms, ie. E. we are with you will need to add resistance of 7667 - 5116 = 2550 ohms.

Such resistance can be found in any store or electronics you it could be still on hand as parts of old appliances. Driving such control print looks like this:

Check via RCDs

In case, if you have a three-wire network, perform functional test RCDs can be literally at any outlet. Thereof to insert one end into the hole outlet, and the second on the ground contact (if you have inserted, and nothing happened, and do not disable you got to the neutral wire, just juggle the end protruding from the socket to the next slot). Thereafter, a disconnecting device to disconnect obliged.

In the case of the two-wire network in the apartment, the RCD can only perform a health check in the manifold: to attach one end thereof to the input of zero on the RCD and the second output phase. In this case, the machine also obliged to work.

Important. Safe and proper operation of the RCD is guaranteed only in the three-wire system with the protective ground.

What can be done if, after clicking on the "Test" nothing happens

After completing the easiest and affordable check, you were annoyed to malfunctions RCD. This does not mean that the unit is completely defective, perhaps simply out of order is the mechanism of the device testing and the rest of the protection is working. You can see this just by using a modified kontrolku.

If you've checked and realized that nespraven only "test", then the device can of course continue to operate, but it is better to make a replacement.

That is such a simple way, you can ensure efficiency newly acquired or already installed protective devices.

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