Safe-T-Cut, Do I need it?

[tomloughney]

I have one with a sensitivity setting, I needed to make the settings less sensitive. When set at the recommended level it keeps kicking out, in addition when we have a power bump or power loss the unit kicks out. It is mounted in a cabinet, out of sight and it does not kick back on but stays off when the power comes back on. So if there is an outage of power in the morning after we leave, it may not be turned back on until we get home. Soft ice-cream. In addition we added onto the house and have two fuse boxes the second lead some how passes the safe t cut so the second part of the house is not connected. Have had a few guys look at it but they can't figure it out.

I am american and a Chemical Engineer. When I look at the electrical wiring here, exposed wires, twisted pairs, no grounds, 30 amp breakers or more, have had a lamp, a power strip, and a small fan and a small water pump burn the wires until they broke, or melt the wall mounted plug, or destroy a circuit board but never tripping the fuse in the panel. There are very few deaths via electroution in Thailand but based on the very safe, very complex, very inspected wiring in the USA I would have expected the entire country of Thailand to be laying dead near the hairdryer. I begin to wonder if "our" safety standards are really necessary or have they just grown to support the 'safety" industry and don't really give much benefit for the cost.

[Forkinhades]

I wonder how many deaths are NOT reported?

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[Doc46]

Safe T Cut stops you from being electrocuted,,,,,Its cuts the power within Millisecond when it detects the power going trough your body to earth,,/////////////its a must have/////////////////// the new law states that one can,t rent out an house without a Safe T cut switch,and a new house Must have one.

[Forkinhades]

^ Can you provide a link for this, will be handy to attach to the pinned thread.

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[louse1953]

Any shower heater has a built in RCD these days, isn't it ?

Most do, yes. For some reason nobody (?) really knows, the mfg. call it an "ELCB". But, that only protects the shower unit. A front-end RCD will protect all downstream ci

Edited June 23, 2014 by louse1953

[JesseFrank]

I wonder how many deaths are NOT reported?

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Would you advise that I install a safe T cut ?

Haven't had an issue so far.

[bankruatsteve]

I guess the way to respond is: LOL

[Pib]

I wonder how many deaths are NOT reported?

Sent from my SM-G900F using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Would you advise that I install a safe T cut ?

Haven't had an issue so far.

electric-shower.jpg

You are good to go....the power-off switch appears to be within arms reach which should give you enough time to cut off the current flow before you start sizzling in the shower.

But if you have my luck the muscle contractions will cause you to slip, bust your head wide open, and die before being able to reach the switch. Therefore, it's probably better to get a RCD installed.

[Hannuman]

It's much like asking if you "need" insurance. The Safe-T-Cut should have RCD protection (look it up) and will trip if there is any current going from your electric supply (most likely through some appliance) into your body before you are seriously injured. If you sign up, make sure the box has a breaker with a test button on it as "Safe-T-Cut" does make non-RCD units as well.

Please bare with me now, but doesn't a regular fusebox do this?

The idea of ' baring' with you ,especially in the shower is singularly repugnant.

[Travel2003]

Safe T Cut stops you from being electrocuted,,,,,Its cuts the power within Millisecond when it detects the power going trough your body to earth,,/////////////its a must have/////////////////// the new law states that one can,t rent out an house without a Safe T cut switch,and a new house Must have one.

Live in a new Mooban, none of the units here has it.

edit for spelling

Edited June 23, 2014 by Travel2003

[Travel2003]

It's much like asking if you "need" insurance. The Safe-T-Cut should have RCD protection (look it up) and will trip if there is any current going from your electric supply (most likely through some appliance) into your body before you are seriously injured. If you sign up, make sure the box has a breaker with a test button on it as "Safe-T-Cut" does make non-RCD units as well.

Please bare with me now, but doesn't a regular fusebox do this?

The idea of ' baring' with you ,especially in the shower is singularly repugnant.

[minikev]

thaiwasadut is a builder/household product supplier all over Thailand (I think) Certainly all over Chonburi.

They have a range of fuse/trip boxes with safeTcut probably a lot cheaper than the local touts.

Make sure you have a good earth rod into the ground too 250 baht for 2 metres 40cm

[F4UCorsair]

It's much like asking if you "need" insurance. The Safe-T-Cut should have RCD protection (look it up) and will trip if there is any current going from your electric supply (most likely through some appliance) into your body before you are seriously injured. If you sign up, make sure the box has a breaker with a test button on it as "Safe-T-Cut" does make non-RCD units as well.

Please bear with me now, but doesn't a regular fusebox do this?

No it doesn't. A conventional circuit breaker (CB) or fuse pop at the rated current, e.g., 15 amp CB pops at 15 amps.

A Residual Current Device pops at a very low amperage, just a few milliamps, of leakage to earth (through you).

Many countries mandate the installation of RCD's, and they've saved countless lives.

Your heart is stopped by a very small 'electric shock', well under 30 milliamps, that's 30/1000's of one amp.

Get one fitted as a matter of urgency.

Edited June 24, 2014 by F4UCorsair

[F4UCorsair]

I wonder how many deaths are NOT reported?

Sent from my SM-G900F using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Would you advise that I install a safe T cut ?

Haven't had an issue so far.

electric-shower.jpg

You only have one 'issue'. There will be no second 'issue' because you'll likely be dead.

If you are aware of the need to have one, and don't fit it, you are nuts!! You have only one life.

I just checked your link, and surely that's not a pic of your shower??? If it is, don't get in it until you have the required RCD in place.

Incidentally these devices have been sold under different names over the years, Residual Current Device, Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker, Safe-T-Cut are only three of which I'm aware.

Edited June 24, 2014 by F4UCorsair

[Forkinhades]

Lets be clear on this peeps

0.03A is well below the 0.1A which would be required to severely shock someone, and below 0.2A that will kill.

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[Forkinhades]

^ also remember the time that these devises take to open. Which will be no more than 40ms.

[F4UCorsair]

^ also remember the time that these devises take to open. Which will be no more than 40ms.

So anybody who doesn't have one fitted, regardless of cost, is nuts.

[Forkinhades]

^ ahem, TiT

[emanphoto]

Further on this question, when does one REPLACE their safety cut? Here's a shot of our main power panel and the safety cut it houses. We're having our entire house re-done so electrical is included in this project. Yay! Grounded outlets!

Is pushing the test button on the safety cut be the best determinant of whether to replace it or not? I don't mess w/electrical stuff, period, but hitting a test button is within my realm of doable electrical work.

Thanks.

[Crossy]

Without special kit you're limited to using the 'Test' button, if it works why replace it?

[Travel2003]

This is my fusebox at home.

So I need this special Safety cut connected on the main line before the fusebox?

Btw (edited) they offer a whole range of sizes and price classes.

Edited June 24, 2014 by Travel2003

[Crossy]

This is my fusebox at home.

So I need this special Safety cut connected on the main line before the fusebox?

Btw (edited) they offer a whole range of sizes and price classes.

Correct.

Ensure you do get the RCBO unit characterised by it having a "Test" button.

[F4UCorsair]

This is my fusebox at home.

So I need this special Safety cut connected on the main line before the fusebox?

Btw (edited) they offer a whole range of sizes and price classes.

They/some come in a size equal to about two of the circuit breakers you have. That seems like a lot of CB's for a house, so perhaps some aren't used? Some don't have what circuit they control marked, so maybe that is the case.

Frequently they are put in the center of the circuit breaker board, so it may mean shuffling a couple of the existing along to accommodate.

Price may be an indicator of quality, not sure. If you test monthly (it cuts out all circuits (now including lights in Australia, whereas a few years ago it was only power circuits), you get a warning if it's faulty and it can be replaced.

Edited June 24, 2014 by F4UCorsair

[Forkinhades]

If square do a safety cut for that model, then it will just replace the main switch on the left hand side.

Xy will advise if Square do one. Im sure they do for that model.

If not you will need a external device which would need to be housed next to your DB

[Crossy]

SquareD do indeed to RCBO main switches for their consumer units.

Sadly, if you do manage to find one (or an outlet that will order for you) they are more expensive than the Safe-T-Cut alternative.

Unless you want a neat plug-and-play solution the Safe-T-Cut on the front end is the easy fix.

[emanphoto]

Thanks!

I will test it then!

Without special kit you're limited to using the 'Test' button, if it works why replace it?

[lopburi3]

Without special kit you're limited to using the 'Test' button, if it works why replace it?

Mine as stated is 35 years old and still working - with real world tests. Latest was one of those plastic windup zip extension cords when abrasion on plastic lip had removed enough insulation to allow direct contact with live wire. Not pleasant but electric was killed before I. And a note to self to never use such units again - only round extensions cords. Even when we know better things can bite so best to have protection.

If you want compact Clipsal makes models that fit into there normal compact breaker panels - I have two of them. They do not appear very heavy duty but seem to be fine in normal household usage.

[JesseFrank]

SquareD do indeed to RCBO main switches for their consumer units.

Sadly, if you do manage to find one (or an outlet that will order for you) they are more expensive than the Safe-T-Cut alternative.

Unless you want a neat plug-and-play solution the Safe-T-Cut on the front end is the easy fix.

I maybe wrong, but I think that ABB fits in a square D box, and they are more economical in price. I think that's the reason that I have plugs and switches from Shneider but my breakers from ABB.

[Crossy]

SquareD are plug-in, ABB are DIN rail.

No they don't fit one another.

SquareD do make DIN mount equipment, but the consumer units they sell here are plug-in.

[Travel2003]

As I feared, the discussion is already over my head in understanding.

The Safe-T-Cut guys are here now, and want to sell me a 20 000 Baht gadget.

Although there are several sizes and prices in their catalogue.

Guess I am been taken to the cleaners here.