The thought of modern society without electricity is unthinkable. As electricity has become an integral part of our daily routine, so have the incidents of electrocution due to electric current. In India, a total of 9606 people died due to electrocution, in 2016.

The rate has recently dropped, all thanks to new and safe technologies that are being invented and made better every day. There was a time when deaths and injuries due to electric shocks and earth leakage due to due to the flow of electric power from electronic devices were a thing of the day—especially in monsoons or in the bathrooms due to faulty or low-quality wiring.

Now we have devices such as RCCB ‘Residual Current Circuit Breaker’ which are a part of the electrical circuits in the distribution board. They act as a protective device and protect one from electrical damages.

What is RCCB?

RCCB stands for Residual Current Circuit Breaker and is a protective device which senses the power flowing and offers protection against mishaps like earth leakage. It follows the principle of ‘Kirchhoff’s Current Law’ which states that ‘The amount of current entering the circuit must be equal to the amount of current leaving the circuit,’ i.e. the sum of the total (incoming + outgoing) current should be 0.

RCCB has a sensing machine inside called the CBCT (Core Balance Current Transformer) which senses the current entering and leaving the circuit. Whenever a current leakage is sensed, the relay associated with CBCT gets energised and trips the RCCB.

Advantages of RCCB

1. Trips the circuit breaker even if the Earth continuity is not available.
2. RCCB is entirely accurate.
3. No individual earthing of devices is required.
4. It is easy and simple to set up.

Importance of RCCB in your Distribution Board

RCCB’s are connected parallel to the MCB in the distribution board. This is so as MCB’s give protection against overload and short circuit, and RCCB offers the protection against earth leakage and electrocution. To understand the incoming and outgoing current, RCCB requires the neutral to be present.

In distribution boards such as the PPI ‘Per Phase Isolation’, RCCB is installed in such a manner that the phase which is experiencing a current leakage only that RCCB should trip and other phases can continue to work without any disturbance.

The primary function of an RCCB in your distribution board is to protect a person from the chances of electrocution, earth fault or fires. They are mainly used in households as well as mid-level offices. If ever, there is a sudden earth fault, the circuit will trip swiftly, and the person is therefore safeguarded from an electric shock.

With Diwali around the corner, it’s time to promise to save your loved ones from any harm that might be caused due to them. If you’re looking at renovating your house or updating your electrical control system, then don’t forget to add such protective devices.

You should also go through Indoasian’s 40A 30MA DP Caretron RCCB. Made from quality raw material, it aims at safeguarding your house and loved ones from any possible threats.