Which RCD ?

MouldyOldDough

We are having 3 new sockets fitted in our living room and the installer also wants to change (upgrade) the RCD to a type A from  type AC.

We only had the consumer unit changed 10 years ago - with MCB's replacing fuses - does this imply that they failed to replace the  RCD's (how many should we have) with the correct ones at the time ?

QrizB

Type A is an upgrade from Type AC.

From 

https://electrical.theiet.org/wiring-matters/years/2019/77-september-2019/which-rcd-type/

Some European countries have already banned the general use of Type AC RCDs and some manufacturers have stopped making them, supplying Type A in place of Type AC.

Rodders53

What brand of Consumer Unit and MCBs/RCDs are currently fitted?

No the new rules wrt RCD type changed only around 2018/19... so the usual type AC ones were fitted at the time.  (A few on the ball sparks may have suggested the better - but then far more expensive - alternatives; but not got the job as a result).

Todays 'standard' is to fit combined RCD/MCB in one unit, called RCBOs, so that each circuit is separately protected and only that circuit goes off in a fault scenario.  Some will break both live and neutral (my preference) while others only break the live.   They also now recommend fitting a Surge Protection Device (SPD) to the whole house.

Standards evolve but are usually not retrospective.

MouldyOldDough

Rodders53 said:

What brand of Consumer Unit and MCBs/RCDs are currently fitted?

No the new rules wrt RCD type changed only around 2018/19... so the usual type AC ones were fitted at the time.  (A few on the ball sparks may have suggested the better - but then far more expensive - alternatives; but not got the job as a result).

Todays 'standard' is to fit combined RCD/MCB in one unit, called RCBOs, so that each circuit is separately protected and only that circuit goes off in a fault scenario.  Some will break both live and neutral (my preference) while others only break the live.   They also now recommend fitting a Surge Protection Device (SPD) to the whole house.

Standards evolve but are usually not retrospective.

I don't know what the brands are - I can't see any labels

Rodders53

MouldyOldDough said:  I don't know what the brands are - I can't see any labels

A clear in-focus photo of the CU with lid open will allow identification, I expect.

Ectophile

MouldyOldDough said:

We are having 3 new sockets fitted in our living room and the installer also wants to change (upgrade) the RCD to a type A from  type AC.

We only had the consumer unit changed 10 years ago - with MCB's replacing fuses - does this imply that they failed to replace the  RCD's (how many should we have) with the correct ones at the time ?

Ten years ago, type AC RCDs were perfectly normal.  Would you have agreed to pay extra to get type A ones?