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17th Edition of the wiring regulations
BS7671:2008
The 17th Edition of the Wiring Regulations came into effect on July 1 2008. There have
been significant changes from the previous editions of the wiring regulations which meant
that for many installations, the traditional configurations for consumer units have changed.
The regulations require for most installations the increased use of RCDs. For residential
installations the following changes in particular are required:-
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Regulations
Regulation 522.6.101 & 522.6.102 – Cables concealed in walls or partitions
Regulation 522.6.101 Describes methods of protecting cables concealed in walls or partitions.
For practical purposes and for most residential installations Regulation 522.6.102 will be applied where circuits will
be protected by means of a 30mA RCD.
Regulation 411.3.3 – Socket outlets
Regulation 411.3.3 Describes the need to protect socket outlets up to 20A for general use by ordinary persons
e.g. home owners, and mobile equipment used outdoors up to 32A. There are exceptions, but in most cases this
will mean such circuits must be protected by a 30mA RCD.
Regulation 314.1 – Division of circuits
Regulation 314.1 Describes the requirements to divide circuits in order to meet several needs.
Point iv means that circuits should not all be protected by an individual RCD.
Section 701 – Locations containing a bath or shower
Under certain conditions 13A sockets can be installed in bathrooms, these must be protected by a 30mA RCD.