Protecting Fridge/freezer...

[banzare]

Hi All,

I am going to have a new consumer unit fitted as the old is wire fuses and wooden backed (Wylex).

However, as all will be on RCD I am concerned about my fridge/freezer being cut-off if RCD trips. Leading to mushy mess in freezer etc....

Any advice on best way forward most welcome?

Thanks

 

[batty]

Wooden fuse box so probably a considerably old installation. I generally use RCBO boards which means if there is a fault only one circuit is affected . Obviously if your appliance is on this circuit it will be without power. More info on your installation is required to make best judgement. How many circuits E.T.C. Welcome to the forum by the way.

 

[Apache]

To be honest you have to look at the risk versus benefit. The new RCDs can be very sensitive, but they only trip when there is a fault. I'd rather have mushy food than be killed cutting through the lawnmover cable!

Occasionally when you have a consumer unit (= fuse board) change there can be issues uncovered. They can either be with the installation itself or the appliances.

Any issues are due to FAULTS that need rectifying. That can mean the old freezer that has been in the family 40 years needs to go. That said with refrigeration technology things have got very much more energy efficient in the last 10 years so the new replacement will pay for itself quickly.

 

[batty]

As pache says generally trip only trip when there is a fault. My house is on a 16th edition split load board. So we have four computers, two fridges one freezer, Cooker is not RCD protected and the last time RCD tripped was about 6 years ago when a washing machine went faulty. So most of the installation goes through one RCD with no problems. One day I will upgrade to an RCBO board but at the moment I am to busy with work. 

 

[Steve3948]

Freezer Contents Insurance  :innocent

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Have a new circuit wired just for the freezer when the fusebox is changed

 

[m4tty]

+1 above. How easy would it be to run a new radial circuit for fridge freezer surface mounted. Would it all be hidden ?

 

[Steve3948]

Trouble is  they sell the house then someone uses said socket for mowing the lawn   ray

 

[batty]

Make it a single socket with label fridge only. Although I would go RCBO route and then have it on its own RCBO at least that when it catches on fire hopefully RCBO will trip.

 

[steptoe]

the problem I have with freezers on their own circuit is,

will you notice it has tripped?

mine on the kitchen ring, hasnt tripped yet,

as someone pointed out, if it does trip it because there is a fault somewhere.

 

[batty]

The problem with thread so far we can only guess. I have had customers with old installations all going through one RCD that if they had a power cut when power comes back on the trip will trip. Now with modern trips this shouldn't happen. But if there is a lot of leakage on the system when power comes back on everything comes back on RCD thinks a fault so trips out. Obviously if he goes split board with two RCD's this is unlikely to happen anyway. I think more info on his home is needed.

 

[Apache]

For all we know this guy might be on TT and need an RCD on his freezer.

I think a freezer on its own circuit is FAR FAR FAR more likely to develop a problem un-noticed. If your ring main goes off you will know very quickly.

 

[batty]

Not if your in the sun I think that's what his worry is. My wife's grandfather would never have an RCD in his bungalow. Although I did slip one RCBO in.

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Trouble is  they sell the house then someone uses said socket for mowing the lawn   ray

Just because I wire a separate circuit for the fridge/freezers does not mean I don't Rcd protect it. I normally would also wire the door bell & burglar alarm (if fitted) to the same circuit so you would know if the power had failed.

 

[Bruspark]

No one mentioned that distributing the appliances that often leak a little (washers, kettles, immersion heaters PC /IT equipment, fridges etc) by design or otherwise around multiple 30mA RCBOs gives the whole installation a bit more headroom compared to traditional 1RCD where once the total leakage tops say 12mA it's likely to go 'over the edge' on any random (and therefore confusing) switch on, power event or fuse blow.

Practicing what I preach I've put all RCBO boards with separate fridge/freezer, alarm, smoke and boiler circuits in the 2 houses I've owned since it was first practical (not cheap) and having lived with it for a total of 10 years+ now still feel the benefits outweigh the risks others mentioned. It can be complicated to work out let alone explain all the pro and cons though. For me the 'better overall immunity to random stuff i see in other houses' is the decider not the separate smokes vs lighting circuit +smokes debates ( though my smokes have battery backup as does my alarm). Of course cost of the kit is an issue for many!

Personally I suspect my kids would notice fridge failure within the hour at any time of day so I'm ok with that being on the same supply as the freezer ...
 

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Hi All,

I am going to have a new consumer unit fitted as the old is wire fuses and wooden backed (Wylex).

However, as all will be on RCD I am concerned about my fridge/freezer being cut-off if RCD trips. Leading to mushy mess in freezer etc....

Any advice on best way forward most welcome?

Thanks

Domestic fridge freezer...

in the typical domestic property....???????

advice...

Best way forward is just have it wired in the most economical and convenient way for your home requirements and budget...

and don't get all paranoid about RCD's tripping off on their own and causing irrecoverable damage.

You are more likely to get a power cut than have the RCD trip off for no apparent reason.

Most fridge freezers are happy for several hours without power before any serious defrost sets in...

If RCD's were such high risk issues with freezers then millions of homes would be losing their freezer contents day in day out....

The only people who need dedicated freezer circuits in a domestic environment IMHO are those who also.

always carry an umbrella in case it rains...

always have some sticking plasters in their pocket in case they cut themselves...

always have a spare can of petrol in the car in case they run out of fuel...

always carry two debit cards, three credit cards and cash, just in case one is not working...

always have a back-up generator wired ready to switch in in case of a power cut...

always have several gallons of water stored in plastic tanks in case the water supply goes off..

and keeps several bottles of gas so the camping stove can be used if the gas supply fails.

reconsider the REAL risk, then just wired it like 1000's & 1000's of other properties part of the RCD protected kitchen ring or radial!

Guinness

p.s.

welcome to the forum!

 

[Chr!s]

Just stick some prysmian afumex in .

 

[binky]

issue is when they trip whilst on holiday losing freezer contents. It doesn't happen that often, but if a dedicated circuit can be thrown in whilst changing CU with little hassle, then I think its worth doing. I also like to separate water heaters / boilers - nothing worse than losing half the house, mid winter, and not being able to stay warm / wash the kids etc etc.

 

[batty]

I am just doing a refurb and as its separate fridge and freezer I have put these on two separate circuits. So when the day comes when one fails at least only half the food could be lost.

 

[Steve3948]

Well my fridge and freezer have not tripped in the last 38 years that I've been living a married life.

Of the 100's maybe more of the installs I've done in the last 48 years has a customer lost contents of freezer due to trip going while not around.

So based on that theory I think the odds are pretty good about it not being an issue.

Yes one day someone will lose contents, and most home contents insurance cover this anyway.

Like Special say's is it worth the extra work and cost to the customer, is it overkill.

Each of us have our own ideas on what's needed and what's not, its something I have never done or felt the need to, but if the clients happy then we are happy.