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!
STEVE MEARS: I HOPE THAT THIS ISN’T THIS PARTICULAR COMPANY’S BEST INSTALLATION…
Although it is seen on EICRs, this is not a common occurrence. There are issues with accessibility from the roller shutter door blocking access etc., but that taken into account, I’m only looking at the CU orientation in this instance.
When manufacturers conduct type testing on their distribution equipment, the thermal efficiency and heat dissipation are tested. These tests, however, are carried out in the orientation that that particular equipment is designed to work in.
Where consumer units are designed to be in a horizontal orientation and are then fitted in a vertical orientation, it’s possible that their thermal properties can be altered.
As heat rises, the build-up of any heat can affect the operation of devices by reducing the time the bi-metal strip used for overload protection takes to operate, leading to unwanted tripping.
As well as the bi-metal strip, the often-complex electronics in many RCDs and RCBOs and MCBs etc., can be damaged by excessive heat and will fail to operate as they are designed to.
Many manufacturers have stated that their consumer units cannot be installed in a vertical orientation, but individual manufacturers’ advice should be sought in each case. Where manufacturers have stated their equipment can be compromised if not fitted in the correct orientation, there is a potential for danger, which can only be coded one way.
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