In our last blog “Safety switches vs. surge diverters vs. circuit breakers” we looked at the differences and benefits of all three to ensure that your house is as safe as possible. Remember, safety switches save you, while surge diverters and circuit breakers save your home and equipment.
Safety switches, also known as residual current devices (RCDs), are installed in your building’s switchboard to provide protection against electrocution and fires caused by electrical faults.
It is important that your existing safety switches (RCDs) be tested every six months to ensure the mechanism is working freely. Testing is really easy – all you have to do is push the “test” button on the front face of the switch (note: if your safety switch doesn’t have this button, you might find you’re actually looking at a circuit breaker). Once the button is pushed, the safety switch should trip and reset by closing. Job done! How easy is that?
Be aware though, that some appliances will need to be reset after this test, for example your clocks/radios. So, why not take advantage of power outages to test your switches (after the power is reconnected and prior to resetting your appliances). You could also use daylight savings dates as a reminder to test your switches before changing your clocks!
Without a safety switch installed, there are a number of everyday occurrences that could be putting you and your family at risk in your home. That’s why we’ve highlighted the most common causes of triggered safety switches so you know where to look for potential problems.