Electric.ie Nov Dec 2020

ELECTRIC.IE • The Magazine & Website for the Irish Electrical Industry • 7 GARO New Regulations for Consumer Units I S 10101:2020 is the latest edition of the National Rules for Electrical Installations, it will come into effect on 1st February 2021. GARO’s newest IS10101 range of consumer units is now available to help support contractors as they prepare for these imminent changes. Key changes for consumer units The main changes to the domestic consumer unit is the provision of a double pole device at the main incomer, all lighting circuits should have Residual Current Protection, & Lighting circuits supplied with 1.5mm cable should have 6 Amp MCB protection. GARO has taken the opportunity when redesigning the consumer unit range to add some significant enhancements. GARO has added a 35mm main earth terminal which is situated beside the Double pole main incomer. This will make the termination of the main cables from the meter box a little easier, especially when using 25mm cable. The standard range of product will feature 2 x RCCB as standard, but GARO will also offer the product ർ Paul Fox, Sales Director of GARO Electric explains how GARO have welcomed these newest regulations and have taken the opportunity to redesign and enhance their range of consumer units. with a single RCCB and 2 X 6 Amp RCBO for lighting. The existing range of 1, 2, & 3 row boards still feature a full removable or drop- down chassis. Surge Protection The standard range will not have surge protection fitted, but it can be easily added to an existing board. The GARO surge protection can also be fed directly using our standard busbar. GARO surge protection does not need additional MCB protection, once there is an upstream overcurrent device less than 250Amps. In a domestic situation, the main overcurrent device is normally rated at 63Amps or 80 Amps. Catering for increased demand in modern homes GARO has also added a new 1 row 18 module consumer unit and a 2 row 36 module consumer unit to the range. This will allow for the additional cabling and circuits in a modern home. They have also increased the number of neutral & earth terminals in all consumer units. The 3 row consumer unit layout has also been modified to take advantage of the new maximum height of 2.15 metres to the top of the highest protective device. This should make installation easier when mounting the product on a solid wall. Product Design and Specification While GARO have a complete range of standard products available, over 50% of sales are for consumer units for a specific site or project. All GARO consumer units are manufactured in our facility in Dublin. They offer a full design and specification service, which includes drawings and schematics for all manufactured products. This means that the electrical contractor does not need to modify the consumer unit on site. It has been specifically designed for the project. Arc Fault Detection Devices GARO have now launched a new range of Arc Fault Detection Devices. This product is a combined AFD & RCBO device, available from 6 – 40 Amps, B & C characteristic, Type A. All GARO RCD devices are now Type A, B or B+. While AFD devices are currently a recommendation in IS10101, it is highly likely they will become mandatory at some stage in the future, due to the additional protection they afford. For any enquiries onGARO products or informationon the impact of the new IS10101 regulations, contact our sales office oryour local Electrical Wholesaler. Main incoming terminals Surge Protection