Wiring of the Distribution Board with RCD (Residual Current Devices) – Single Phase Home Supply
Electrical Wiring Installation of the Distribution Board with RCD (Single Phase Home Supply from Utility Pole & Energy Meter to the Consumer Unit)
What is Distribution Board?
Distribution board is a safe system designed for house or building that included protective devices, isolator switches, circuit breaker and fuses to connect safely the cables and wires to the sub circuits and final sub circuits including their associated Live (Phase) Neutral and Earth conductors. Distribution board is also known as “Fuse Board“, “Panel Board” or “Consumer Unit“. following are the types of Distribution boards.
- Related Wiring Tutorial: Wiring of the Distribution Board (Single Phase Supply From Utility Pole & Energy Meter to the Consumer Unit)
Types of Distribution Boards
- Main Distribution Board (MDB)
- Sub Distribution Board (SDB)
- Final Distribution Board (FDB)
MDB = Main Distribution Board
A distribution board unit installed in the buildings which firstly receive the incoming single phase electric supply (AC low voltage (LV) (230V AC or 120V AC in US) from transformer secondary through electric pole and energy meter or the distribution company’s electric service provider outlets is known as Main Distribution Board.
Main Distribution Board (MDB) is also known as Fuse board or consumer unit where the main protective and isolation devices are installed to provide electricity in a safe range to the connected electrical appliances.
Related Wiring Tutorials:
- Different Types of Wiring Systems and Methods of Electrical Wiring
- How To Wire Switches in Parallel?
SDB = Sub Distribution Board
The Distribution Board which is used to distribute electrical wiring and circuits within a selected area in a building or house, i.e. floor in a multi storey building. The Sub distribution board is connected and supplied from the Main Distribution Board through different wires and cables rated according to the load requirement.
FDB = Final Distribution Board
The Distribution Board which provide electric supply to the Final and Sub Final Circuits is known as Final Distribution Board. FDB (Final Distribution Board) directly connected through SDB (Sub Distribution Board) and the final switches are used to control the connected electrical devices and appliances such as light, air-conditioner, fan etc.
Wiring Accessories for Single Phase Distribution Board
Main Distribution Board or Fuse Boards (Consumer Unit) usually contains on the following three main units to control and distribute electric supply to the different connected appliances and devices through electrical wiring cables and wires.
- DP = Double Pole MCB (The main isolator or main switch).
- RCD (Also DP) Residual Current Devices for safety.
- SP = Single Pole MCB (Circuit Breakers and Fuses).
- MCB & CB = Miniature Circuit Breaker and Circuit Breaker.
The above mentioned electrical wiring accessories and protective devices are used to control and distribute electric supply (safely to connected electrical appliances) around your home. The following diagram is showing single phase home electric supply and wiring of distribution board with RCD.
Related Electrical Wiring Guide: How To Wire a 3-Phase kWh Energy meter?
How to Wire RCD (Residual Current Device) ?
In this Single Phase home supply wiring diagram, the main supply (Single Phase Live (Red Wire) and Neutral (Black Wire) comes from the secondary of the transformer (3 Phase 4 Wire (Star) System) to the single phase energy meter (Note that Single Phase supply is 230V AC and 120V AC in US). These two lines (Line and Neutral) from energy meter are connected to the Double Pole MCB isolator switch. They Live Wire is connected to the RCD and then to the common busbar segment of Single Pole MCBs. The outgoing lines from MCBS (SP) are connected to the final circuits and sub final circuit and electrical devices like fan, lights, switches etc.
The Neutral are connected through Energy meter, MCB (DP), RCD and then to the Neutral Link. All the sub circuits, sub circuits can be connected to the Neutral Link. Keep in mind all the electrical devices and appliances should be connected to the Earth Link for safety which is directly connected to the earth electrode and earth plate for proper earthing and grounding.
In the following single phase electrical wiring for home supply, We used 63A MCB (DP), 63A RCD (DP) and different rating if MCBs (SP) such as 20A, 16A, 10A etc according to your need.
Details of each sections are given below the fig.
Click Image to enlarge
We have used Red for Live or Phase , Black for Neutral and Green for Earth Wire. You may use the specific area codes i.e. IEC – International Electrotechnical Commission (UK, EU etc) or NEC (National Electrical Code [US & Canada] where; NEC: Single Phase 120V AC: Black = Phase or Line, White = Neutral and Green/Yellow = Earth Conductor Three Phase 208 AC: Black = Phase 1 or Line1, Red= Line 2, Blue= Line 3, White / Gray = Neutral and Green/Yellow = Earth Conductor IEC: Single Phase 230V AC: Brown= Phase or Line, Blue= Neutral and Green = Earth Conductor Three Phase 208 AC: Grey= Phase 1 or Line1, Black= Line 2, Brown= Line 3, Blue = Neutral and Green= Earth Conductor
Below is the given wiring diagram of Single Phase Distribution Board with RCD in both NEC and IEC electrical wiring color codes. The same description and detailes can be used as mentioned for the above fig 1.
Double Pole MCB (DP) = The Isolator or Main Switch)
This is the main operating switch which is used to control the electric power supply in the building(s). The main switch can be used to immediately turn ON or OFF the main electric supply to the connected appliances in case of emergency like short circuits, electric shock, fire, or while working on the main board, sub circuit or final sub circuits to troubleshoot and for maintenance purposes. Multiple or separate mains switch board or fuse board may be used if more supply unites are installed in the system i.e. storage heater etc.
RCD (DP) = Residual Current Devices for Safety
A (RCD) Residual-Current Device, or (RCCB) Residual-Current Circuit Breaker, is an electrical wiring device or switch that disconnects or trip a circuit whenever it detects that the electric current is not balanced between the energized conductor (L) and the return neutral conductor (N). And then instantly disconnect the electricity flow in the connected circuits by operating in the safe mode automatically to avoid electric hazards.
- Related Wiring Tutorial: Staircase Wiring Circuit Diagram – How to Control a Lamp from 2 Places by 2-Way Switches?
CB (SP) = Single Pole Circuit Breakers
Circuit Breaker is a device like a fuse which makes and breaks the circuit. In other words, Circuit Breaker is a device which switch ON and OFF electric supply at normal and abnormal condition respectively. These are automatic protection devices in the Main Switch Board or Fuse-Box that switch off a circuit if they detect a fault. Circuit Breaker may be Single Pole (SP), DP-Double Pole (DP) and Triple Pole (TP). The size of the fuse and Circuit Breaker are similar to use, but Circuit Breaker is more safe to use as compared to fuses due to automatic operation as you can reset it again if it trips ever.
You may also check the related Electrical Wiring Installation Tutorials given below.
- How to Wire a GFCI Circuit Breaker? 1, 2, 3 & 4 Poles GFCIs Wiring
- How to Wire GFCI Combo Switch and Outlet – GFCI Switch/Outlet Wiring Diagrams
- How to wire a GFCI Outlet? – GFCI Wiring Circuit Diagrams
- Single-Phase Electrical Wiring installation in a Multi-Story Building
- Three-Phase Electrical Wiring installation in a Multi-Story Building
- Three Phase Electrical Wiring Installation in Home
- Basic Homr Electrical Wiring Installation Diagrams & Tutorials
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It is hard to understand electrical distribution if you dont have background.
Does it matter Witch side you put the live and neutral on the underside of the incoming rcd I’ve seen it on the right hand side is that ok
It doesn’t matter if you don’t cross matched them but most RD will indicate N and L input.
Please send me the DC circuit theory.
anyway my man ,i think the diagram z well designed to understand
it good..
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it good to know the connection from the main DB to the final distribution board.
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You can connect the sub-circuit or final sub circuit to the out put of SP (Single Pole) Circuit breaker.. in other words, click on image and check the SP's breakers outputs (1-8)… you can see the mentioned title as "Live Wires or Phase Supply to the Sub Circuits or Final Sub circuits".
Can anybody advise me The wiring diagram of USB socket for house wiring.
can you please tell me in this wiring diagram, should we connect earth bus bar with neutral bus bar? i have seen this connection often. is this configuration is correct?
No
Hi there
Am looking for wiring diagram for single phase without RCD CONNECTION FROM ENERGY METRE PLS PROVIDE ONE FOR ME
THANK YOU
Dear… Link is already given in the above post… Thanks
http://s304.photobucket.com/user/jrda328/media/Join_zpsmufavywv.jpg.html
Hi, I need to check with you guys if the edited image on the attached pic is possible to do.
This is for the purpose of optimizing my home plug speed, since the Router is connected on a different circuit (Living Room) from my Bedroom circuit.
Yes you can… But why did you short the output of the CB? Why do you not want to use 20A CB instead?
I would like to installed a RCCB at the main consumer line distribution box where the other lines outs. so which is better it installed RCCB or RCBO.
perfect and clear design, I want to draw my own, would be soo nice of you to advise me about the tools you used to draw this wiring, it is very easy to understand.
thanks
`13860 watts of power consumption ? Isn’t it too much of power consumption ?
As it is single phase so I assume minimum 220 volts supply.
Main MCB is of 63AMP ! So total power consumption limit is 13860!
Isn’t is too high ?
Very confused am, because I think total consumption load in India on a single phase connection allowed is 7500 watt max. So the main MCB should be a 30AMP one.
Please enlighten me.
IT IS BETTER TO CONSIDER WATTS AS AMPS,
so 13860watts = 13860/220volts=63 amps.
Also 7500Watts/220=34.09Amps. So the main MCB should be double that figure.
perfect, Brian Walters ,I am very proud of you.i will make you a friend if you accept.
Can I use only circuit breaker without isolator from the distribution board of the single phase connection at home?
Very good explanation
How to calculate the rating of mcb,red and numbers of such devices in a building.
Also explain with the diagram how to control different loads my each mcb.
Good description and easy to follow. This is a good post for students.
Participants are often seen writing views with somewhat contradicting experience on electrical practices.
It may be a best advice if a reliable tutorial on each confusion is offered by the head of this forum.
Thanks.
Pls sir. I want to know the number of solar panel and battery volts, also the voltage of inverter to use on a duplex that has about 4000 watts bulb, 9 television and 2 refrigerator. Please help me with the calculations.
Hi there,
Here is the complete guide about solar panel installation with step by step calculation. Thanks
electrical technology is a work but how to 3 phase ln the house
Which one between Main switch and Earth leakage do we connect supply from energy meter
Thank you very much, this is very helpful
Please when was this published