RCD Accidental Trigger Guard

This is to prevent accidental physical triggering of a non-integral RCD, without affecting its normal operation in any way.

I live in a block of flats (or apartments, if you prefer) where there is a communal services cupboard for everybody's gas and electricity meters, and for the consumer units (fuse boards) for all the various communal and private circuits within the building. It's kept locked but the key has to hang outside for access by the emergency services.

Some of the meters are of the "pre-payment" type, where a resident puts credit onto an electronic card which is then inserted into their meter. People need to be able to get in and top-up the meter at any time of night or day, So it's basically open access to all.

To make matters worse, and despite a proliferation of signs and notices to the contrary, the cupboard gets repeatedly used and abused by people storing umbrellas, muddy shoes, gardening equipment, parcels, and anything else they fancy. These are usually the same idiots who can't be bothered to lock the cupboard afterwards, either!

But the most annoying thing for me is that, at least once a month, somebody entering the cupboard manages to brush against the main RCD belonging to my installation. They either trigger the "test" button, or knock the main switch into the "off" position. The result is the same in either case: It immediately cuts all electrical power to my property.

It's easy enough to reset, but I then have the irritating process of resetting all the clocks and other assorted devices that depend upon a constant supply in order to function properly.

I finally had enough yesterday when some pillock knocked the damn thing just after I'd soaped up in the shower. Yep, just what you need whilst standing in a bath, in a windowless room, with water cascading down!! As you can imagine I said "oh gosh!" (or words to that effect!). Then the water went cold too because the gas boiler had no power to its control circuitry!

So this is my solution. It's designed to fit tightly over my specific RCD switch housing, and should reduce (hopefully, eliminate) accidental triggering.

It is a deliberately tight friction fit. It can be levered off, but it cannot fall off without deliberate action to remove it. It's now nearly impossible to trigger the RCD by brushing up against it. Full operation of the RCD has been tested and confirmed, and I am now hoping that my avoidable power outages will be reduced to zero.

So that's put the spark back into my life, and I'm off for a nice shower - safe in the knowledge that I won't be plunged into darkness and icy water.

Happy Christmas folks!

Category: DIY