 You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
I have moved to a new home (very happy) and the garage power is run off a RCD (61/20) type b, I have an issue however whenever I turn on my 110V transformer (used for my pressure washer) whereby it trips the breaker on startup unless I turn everything in my garage off first (fridge, mac mini and lights). Once I have turned it on I can use everything fine so I assume this is a surge type issue. The question I have is can I change to a type C breaker (still 20a) and will I need to get it certified and all that?
cheers
You can change the cb to a type C, but you'd need to check the Zs value still complies with BS7671 wiring regs. I don't think a garage alteration would be considered 'notifiable work', but I'm happy to be corrected on that, however as the max permissible Zs for a type C is half that of a type B (B20=1.75 ohms, C20=0.87 ohms) you'd be best getting in an electrician with the correct loop impedance meter to check.
You're dead right about the surge, some transformers have a large inrush current.
Thanks creakingdoor, I will find somewhere local and get someone in then, hopefully should be a simple task and therefore not cost silly money.
thanks for the input.
One of my team may have accidentally tripped out the power to the comms room of a large railway station...after the fool plugged a 110v transformer into their main comms cabinet. The result being all the information displays and automated announcements instantly stopped working...
Another reason to have dual power supplies! And to be carefuly where you plug in 110v transformers!
only tool i have thats 110 is my plaster mixing drill and i would say on jobs its 50/50 the breaker will trip when plugging it in.
all my other tools can run on a smaller transformer but the karcher pressure washer needs a mahooosive transformer and that nearly always trips the CU in the house and not the local one in the garage.