| • Electrical
installation in your home |
The electricity supply into
your home comes through the JVVNL meter. Which is sealed,
and should never be touched by anyone other than JVVNL staff.
Any electrical installations from your JVVNL meter into your
home (as opposed to those from the electricity network into
your meter) are your responsibility. All repair work to electrical
installations should be only be carried out by a registered
electrical contractor.Learn how to turn off the electricity
in your home in case of emergencies. |
| • Your Distribution Board
(Miniature Circuit Breaker Board/Fuse Board) |
| Your distribution
board is the central point of your home's electrical system.
It also is the point at which your electrical wiring divides
to provide individual circuits for the various applications
throughout your home. e.g. Lighting, socket outlets, immersion
heater etc. |
|
 |
| • What is an MCB/ a Fuse?
|
| MCBs (Miniature Circuit Breakers)
and fuses are safety devices which cut off the flow of electricity
to a circuit if a fault occurs. They can be found in your
distribution board and come in a variety of strengths to protect
the different circuits around your home. Always install MCBs
of appropriate ratings.
An MCB can be reset when a fault occurs in a circuit, but
a blown fuse must be replaced with one of similar strength.
To reset an MCB simply reset the item to the 'ON' position.
The 'strength' of MCBs and fuses are measured in Amps and
are found stamped or printed on them. |
| • Residual Current Devices
(RCDs)/ELCB |
| RCDs guard against serious electric
shock in the event of an electrical fault. They detect 'leaking'
electricity from a circuit (which can occur when a cable is
damaged for example) and respond by disconnecting the electricity
supply from the circuit. Appliances which come into contact
of water e.g. desert cooler, washing machine, mixer, etc.
are more susceptible to earth leakages and therefore present
greater risk of electrocution.
Most modern homes have an RCD fitted in their distribution/
fuse board, but older homes may need to install one. RCDs
are also available to fit at a socket outlet as a plug- in
item. Plugs which incorporate an RCD should be used for tools
and outdoor equipment if there is no RCD fitted at the distribution
board. |
|
It is crucial to check whether your RCD is
working correctly. To perform this check press the test button
marked 'T' or 'Test' on your RCD fitted at the distribution/
fuse board, all RCDs have one.
If it is working correctly, the power to all socket circuits
will immediately switch off. If the RCD fails to trip have
it replaced immediately by a registered electrical contractor.
Remember reset the RCD after testing to restore power! |