Hello from San Diego:
Mark Frankfurth asks about GFCI/RCCB trip levels.
The trip levels vary as a function of the type of
GFCI/RCCB and the region.
Here are some comparisons:
North America Europe
(GFCI) (RCCB)
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Outlet type 5 mA <none>
Breaker type 20 mA 30 mA
Sensor electronic magnetic
Electronic units trip currents can be set for almost
any current. The 5 mA level accomodates the leakage
currents from products plugged into the one or more
protected outlets. The 20 mA accomodates the leakage
current from the wiring and from hard-wired appliances
and from appliances connected to multiple protected
outlets.
The magnetic units are always a part of the circuit
breaker. Because they are magnetic, they cannot be
as sensitive as electronic units. Neverheless, you
can see from the table that the trip current is
reasonable for a building installation.
The electronic units can fail, hence the test button
that you are supposed to test once a month.
The magnetic units are purely magnetic and are not
subject to the failure mechanisms of electronic units.
The UL standard is 943.
Best regards,
Rich
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Richard Nute Quality Department
Hewlett-Packard Company Product Regulations Group
San Diego Division (SDD) Tel : 619 655 3329
16399 West Bernardo Drive FAX : 619 655 4979
San Diego, California 92127 e-mail: [email protected]
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