What you should know about connecting difavtomat: all the most important

The issue of safety in the arrangement of the electrical network, without a doubt, is of great importance. It is important to completely eliminate the risk in the operation of the network, to make it safe not only for users, but also for connected equipment. All these tasks are designed to be performed by a difavtomat - a device that is installed in any scheme. Today we’ll talk about what you need to know when connecting a difavtomat.

What is a differential machine for?

What is the purpose of using a diffuser? Its main task is to prevent injury to the user in direct contact with the network. The device not only instantly detects a short circuit, but is also able to respond to energy leakage if the wiring is damaged.

Thus, the differential machine will help to avoid the consequences of a short circuit, overheating of the wiring during a power surge, leakage through the ground. All these abilities will save your life and property in the event of an emergency.

If you use a difavtomat, there is no need to select an RCD with grounding, since this device is already included in the kit. As a result, the device is very compact and takes up a minimum of space in the electrical panel.

PHOTO: ceramica-sp.ru

A little about the design of the device: it is made of dielectric materials, the design has special fasteners for mounting on a shield. The internals of the difavtomat consist of a 2-pole or 4-pole switch and a built-in differential protection module. This module is essentially a transformer that changes the differential current in electrical wiring.

If there is any leakage, the balance is lost and forms a magnetic pulse that triggers the switch.

What you need to know about labeling difavtomatov

It is not easy for a beginner in electrics to distinguish an RCD from a differential machine. What you should pay attention to:

• for the presence of a button with the name "test" - it is it that distinguishes the equipment of the RCD and difavtomat from standard automatic machines;
• on the marking at the bottom of the device, which is different depending on the type of device: indicators in amperes are only on RCDs, and difautomats are marked with a Latin letter and a number like C32.

What other designations are there on differential automata and what do they mean?

1. Voltage - the designation indicates the rating at which the network can operate. If the line has 1 phase, they usually put 230 V, if 3 phases, then 400 V. In this case, letter designations can be both in Cyrillic and in Latin. It is important to study the denomination before using it on the line.
2. Leakage current setting - indicated in milliamps and can have a value from 500 to 10. This indicator indicates at what leakage the difavtomat will open the circuit.
3. Operating current - its rating indicates safe conditions for connected equipment. There are standard options with ratings from 10 to 50 A.
4. The speed of action is an important indicator, denoted by the Latin B, C or D. For domestic use, markings B and C are sufficient.
5. The leakage current is marked as follows: B - direct current, direct pulsating current and sinusoidal alternating current, A - sinusoidal and pulsating, AC - only sinusoidal. If in the marking you meet another designation, the letters S or G, know that they indicate the presence of a trigger delay function, measured in milliseconds: S is 200-300 ms, G is 60-80 ms.

PHOTO: encom74.ru

For example, domestic models have the following positions:

• name, usually short for "residual current circuit breaker";
• manufacturer's name - in Russian or English;
• current strength and limit value indicator - is of particular importance for industrial connection and usually a large margin of "strength" for domestic use;
• under the current strength, the type of current for which this device is suitable is indicated;
• a small diagram in which the main elements of the device are marked: releases, transformer, relay, amplifier and test button;
• temperature range of use of the device, indicated in degrees, sometimes with the designation of a snowflake. It is worth paying special attention to this marking when selecting machines for rooms in which there is no heating;
• the presence or absence of certification is evidenced by the designation of GOST and the code for determining the certificate of conformity;
• nominal current indicator for which this difavtomat is suitable;
• setting - that is, an indicator of the breaking current, which is measured in amperes.

Diagrams for connecting difavtomatov: basic information

Options for connecting differential automata are due to the features and characteristics of the devices themselves. You need to understand the likely schemes to ensure maximum protection, otherwise you not only risk wasting money, but also endanger your life and property.

One difavtomat on input

Such a scheme assumes that there will be only one difavtomat, which is installed immediately after the electric meter. All circuits of the network are connected to the outputs of the device. If you want to turn off the circuits if necessary, put limit switches at the source of each network. With this solution, you will be able to diagnose and repair the network in separate rooms without completely disconnecting the house from the power supply.

A scheme with one differential machine is considered the cheapest. But, despite the budget output, it provides a guarantee of safety for users in case of accidental contact with the power source.

Important! To understand how to properly connect one differential machine, you need to think through and correlate the total power of the connected devices.

PHOTO: oooevna.ru

Two-level scheme

A more pragmatic system is considered in which there is one differential automaton at the input and several more at the second level in each circuit.

To equip such a circuit, you will need a special shield in which you can connect.

To save money, experts recommend choosing less powerful devices for the second level. The efficiency of the system will not be affected.

It makes sense to close devices that consume a lot of energy into an individual circuit: a washing machine, an electric stove, a refrigerator, etc.

The scheme at two levels is safe and reliable, RCBOs in it duplicate each other, and the search for a leak in this case is greatly facilitated. You can, if necessary, turn off a separate circuit for repair.

PHOTO: stroychik.ru

One level RCBO

The fundamental difference from a two-level system is only that there is no common difavtomat at the entrance. On the one hand, you save on the second device, on the other hand, you will need a common bus for switching and no dubbing. It is this absence that makes the scheme less reliable and therefore less popular.

RCBO without earthing

If there is no grounding in the contra, then in principle the installation of difavtomatov does not differ. The only difference is the presence of a ground wire. Installation in this case is much easier, but, on the other hand, the risk is higher. If your wiring belongs to an old house, then grounding there, in principle, may not be provided.

A differential device can protect a person from electric shock in case of accidental contact no worse than a ground loop.

Three-phase network

To connect powerful devices, you may need a network of 380 V. In this case, the RCBO connection scheme is not fundamentally different, but the requirements for the design of the devices are completely different. With a three-phase connection, the difavtomat must have 4 input and output terminals. With this scheme, grounding is mandatory, this is an additional guarantee of safety.

Selective difavtomatov

As already mentioned, there are RCBOs with delayed response in case of a possible leak. Such devices are used only in two-level circuits. Use in other schemes is not intended.

PHOTO: stroychik.ru

How to connect difavtomat correctly

Once you have decided on the type of circuit, you can purchase suitable devices and proceed with installation, following the general rules.

Before starting work, check the integrity of the device.

Any installation of machines is carried out with a complete de-energization of the facility. Remember to verify that there is no current using an indicator device.

The RCBO is mounted on a DIN rail, fixed with latches, and then bare wires are connected to it: from the top - the input, the bottom - the output.

After complete connection, you can apply current and check the operation of the machine.

How the connection process looks like - in this video:

What errors are often encountered when connecting RCBOs

If the RCBO is connected inattentively and incorrectly, the device will not work properly and may even lose its functionality. The following errors can lead to such problems:

• connecting the neutral conductor directly with other neutral conductors - leads to false alarms due to the difference in current values;
• the inputs and outputs in the difavtomat are mixed up - the incoming wires should be only the top ones;
• neutral conductor connected without RCBO;
• zero and phase are reversed - in this case, the device may completely fail.

These are some of the common mistakes that are easy to avoid. Do you use RCBOs in your home? Share your impressions of his work in the comments!