ABB has launched a series of residual current devices (RCDs) said to be very immune to nuisance tripping.
The company says the AP-R has been developed to overcome the problems associated with unwanted tripping caused by atmospheric or operational overvoltages.
According to the manufacturer, mains disturbances can often cause an RCD to trip even though there is no true earth fault. These are often caused by transient overvoltages associated with loads starting, stopping or being switched, electric motors or even fluorescent lighting systems.
The company says the unit contains an electronic circuit which can distinguish between temporary leakage caused by disturbances on the mains and permanent leakage due to actual faults.
The device The AP-R device has a surge resistance value 12 times that of a conventional RCD with ratings of 3000A based on an 8/20 wave. It also meets the AS/NZS61008 for RCD’s and AS/NZS61009 for RCBO’s.