Need help with cracking those EICR codes? The technical team at NAPIT, with the help of the 18th Edition Codebreakers publication, answer your latest coding queries. Click on the photos for a closer look!
DANNY: THIS SOLAR INSTALLER TAPPED OFF THE POWER FROM THE MK MAIN SWITCH (80 A RCD RCCB 100 MILLIAMP) USING 2.5MM TWIN AND EARTH PVC CABLE STRAIGHT OFF THE MAIN 16MM TAILS!
Regardless of cost, it is never acceptable to connect to a CU in this way, through lack of spare ways. There should have been a CU upgrade, to ensure the PV array could be correctly connected. Even though the PV circuit feeds into the outgoing side of a device, in a properly installed system, it is also considered a circuit and needs to be adequately protected against overcurrent and requires adequate isolation for maintenance.
Overcurrent protective devices are usually sized in accordance with the instructions provided by the inverter manufacturer. In this case, the PV array is connected to the incoming supply side of the ELCB isolator (see image,above left) so there may not be any overcurrent, or fault protection, as the photos we have are limiting the information we can use.
If used as an isolator (as the label suggests), the ELCB won’t isolate the PV array circuit. The cables between the PV isolator (see image, above right) and the ELCB incoming terminals, will be constantly Live with no way to isolate, or make safe for maintenance.
There is a potential for both shock and fire damage in this installation as it stands and can only be coded one way. Without further information on the complete install, its difficult to see just how poor this workmanship is.
That’s the rub though, it’s a poorly installed system, with a likely potential for danger, and needs to be remedied before it causes harm.
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