This is only a preview of the February 2000 issue of Silicon Chip. You can view 34 of the 96 pages in the full issue, including the advertisments. For full access, purchase the issue for $10.00 or subscribe for access to the latest issues. Items relevant to "A Digital Voltmeter For Your Car":
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2 Silicon Chip
Use those Safety Switches
for extra protection
This month we feature an RCD Checker
in our line-up of constructional projects. It
is quite a simple unit and won’t take long to
put together. It is the solution to a problem
that we have been concerned about for some
time – how do you do a proper test of an RCD
or Safety Switch, as they are more commonly
referred to? Sure, you can press their self-test
button but that does not simulate the normal
fault condition whereby Active current gets
shunted to the Earth wire.
So the RCD Checker is our answer and we
think it could even become the basis for a standard tester to be included in
any electrician’s toolkit.
That’s all well and good but we are also concerned that many people
(our readers included) still do not use Safety Switches where they are in
hazardous situations. Perhaps the most common situation is where people
are using power tools outdoors and running them from long extension leads.
On building sites it is mandatory to use safety switches but people working
at home are often more at risk, using older and less well-maintained power
tools and often with dodgy extension leads.
That’s bad enough, but the situation with musicians and amateur theatre
groups is often much worse. At least most power tools these days are double-insulated but the equipment used by many bands and musicians is often
quite unsafe. In fact, it is not at all uncommon for musicians to disconnect
the earth on amplifiers to eliminate hum loops. These situations are just
accidents waiting to happen.
Potentially even worse is the situation where people bring their compact
music system out of the house and down by the pool so that they can have
music while they frolic. But frolicking generally means splashing about,
meaning that water can get splashed over the music system. If it does get
splashed, nothing might happen but there is also the possibility that water
finding its way into the equipment might create a leakage path between the
240VAC Active and the exposed metal parts of the case. If that happens,
the appliance could be live and lethal. Paradoxically, that is more likely
if the equipment is “double insulated”, because there will not be an Earth
connection to safely shunt leakage current away.
The more you think about it, Safety Switches are a good idea. While they
won’t necessarily protect people who are stupid, they are good insurance
against unforeseen malfunctions in mains-powered equipment.
If your home does not have a Safety Switch, now is the time to have one or
two fitted. They are relatively inexpensive. Why have two? It is a good idea
to have the power circuits split up with the kitchen and laundry protected
by separate RCDs. That way, if a fault develops in the laundry and trips the
RCD, it won’t kill the power to your fridge and freezer in the kitchen and
possibly cause food spoilage.
And if you often use power tools away from home, it is probably a good
idea to buy a portable Safety Switch as well. What’s the point of being fully
protected at home if you get fried elsewhere?
Leo Simpson
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