In the letter from Bob Charlick (EMC, September 2008), he makes much of the ‘experts’ who test installations and pretend it’s a skilled, essential job when it isn’t.

We should therefore welcome the new 17th Edition. If it actually is the ‘Book of the Residual-Current Device’, well hurrah!

How many years have us old boys been saying that all we need is an RCD at the mains position? Now we can make Mr Charlick and his like redundant, test the RCD as specified and go home and have a biscuit.

Those of us who have been around long enough also know that most results are filled in back in the van.

Let’s not pretend that running miles of single cables around a building to measure the earth loop at the end of the circuit is really important. Dismantling mains units and accessories can cause more problems than they solve.

Unfortunately, Mr Charlick, the Megger is not dead. How else do you fault-find on a circuit? What should be dead is the pretence that a tester person is highly skilled or crucial. Fit an RCD and test it properly – job done!

Andrew Ferguson, Solent Power Systems, Wiltshire

Source

Electrical and Mechanical Contractor