Design & Installation

The height requirements for electrical equipment in dwellings

This article will consider the various requirements relating to the mounting heights of electrical equipment in dwellings. The aim of this article is to explain the requirements of BS 7671, Part M of the Building Regulations for England and Wales and BS 8300: 2009 (Design of buildings and their approaches to meet the needs of disabled people) relating to the mounting heights of electrical equipment in dwellings. In addition, the article will include…

What should you know about the cross-sectional area of neutral conductors?

This article from the ECA technical team provides some easy-to-follow technical advice on the cross-sectional area of neutral conductors. Generally, circuits are designed with the same cross-sectional area neutral conductors as the line conductor. Indeed, BS7671:2008 Regulation 524.2.1 states: “The neutral conductor, if any, shall have a cross-sectional area not less than that of the line conductor: In single-phase, two-wire circuits, whatever the cross-sectional are In polyphase and single-phase three-wire circuits,…

What is circuit protection?

Circuit protection, at its simplest, is the intentional addition of a ‘weak link’ in an electrical circuit. This link will be broken in the event of a fault – whether that’s high temperature, excessive current or a short circuit in a conductor, thus protecting the electrical circuit it’s part of from damage. Why are circuit protective devices important? Protective devices are important because they ensure that under fault conditions, a…