SPECIAL FEATURE
CIRCUIT PROTECTION & SWITCHGEAR
WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF FITTING A IP65 CONSUMER UNIT OUTSIDE? Verso Electrical looks at IP65 consumer units and what you should consider when fitting them outdoors.
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P65 consumer units have been around for a very long time and can be used for many applications but are often used where the units may encounter water, such as the outdoors. An IP rating is an ingress rating given to an electrical product based on its ability to resist the ingress of both solids and liquids, which in turn gives it weatherproof properties, which is why you will often find IP65/66 units being referred to as ‘weatherproof’. The rating is given to these products before they have had any adjustments made to them by the consumer. They are tested by blasting water jets at them from all different angles. When the units are tested they don’t take into consideration drilled holes and the thermal derating of
Alongside this risk you will also need to think about the thermal derating of your RCD/RCBO. Thermal derating of RCD/RCBO’s can vary across different manufacturers, which is why it is very important to get the thermal derating factors from your chosen circuit protection manufacturer. The thermal derating will affect the RCD/RCBO’s tripping capacity. When the external atmosphere’s temperature rises in the summer months, the protection devices will trip quicker. On the other hand, when the temperature outside drops, the protection device does the exact opposite and doesn’t trip as fast. When temperatures drop outside in the winter, your 32a RCBO that is protecting your EV charger may encounter a problem, but as the tripping time is increased due to the temperature drop, your RCBO will not trip, leading to a very expensive problem. Although the IP65 consumer units are manufactured to have weatherproof characteristics, unfortunately the RCBO’s are not. They cannot work in certain capacities of heat. Although hundreds of electricians are fitting these IP65 consumer units outside, Verso recommends that you do the necessary checks, such as contacting your circuit protection manufacturer and requesting the thermal derating factors of its RCBO’s. Verso says it does not currently offer a IP65 consumer unit but when it does, it will not be marketing it for use outside of the property, unless something is put in place that will mitigate the risk of alternating the tripping times of its protection devices. Verso says it is dedicated to providing electricians with the highest level of quality and safety and operates with complete transparency. Verso’s Managing Director, William Winter, is taking a very proactive approach to busting myths in the electrical community and taking a deeper dive into topics such as AFDD’s and how they can stop nuisance tripping, earth leakage and why it is on the rise, surge protection devices, and everything to do with Amendment 2 and its changes.
the devices that are going to be fitted inside of the units. So yes, IP65 consumer units do have weatherproof properties, however there are certain instances that can reduce their efficiency in being weatherproof. One of the risks of a IP65 consumer unit is that if you were to drill a hole into the IP65 consumer unit or any other IP65 accessory, such as an outdoor socket, you would reduce its IP properties. To reduce the risk of water entering your unit you can gland any wires into the consumer unit from the bottom, to avoid the downfall of rain and seal any of the holes with silicone. This would reduce the ingress of water, however, it is important to note that although water/dust may not be able to find its way into the consumer unit, it would still reduce the IP65 unit of its IP properties.
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Verso Electrical, versoelectrical.co.uk
by Click®
Consumer Units Elucian by Click® brings to the market a comprehensive Consumer Unit and Circuit Protection range. It covers a broad range of installations and offers a number of features and benefits that will enhance the products’ convenience, flexibility and safety properties.
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