Ancient fusebox...??

[ban-all-sheds]

Bear in mind that you could well face resistance from the electrician, as the regulations require, by default, that concealed cables, and sockets, have RCD protection.

There are alternatives to the former, but they will cost more, e.g. steel conduit, or BS 8436[/quote] cable. Or you might get away with a surface fixed cable, if not for all then most of its run, and only a short section needing to be in conduit - only you know the relative positions of CU, cupboards and F/F.

As for the latter, the regulations do allow non-RCD sockets which are specifically labelled or otherwise identified for use for a particular item of equipment.

And as for not knowing if power is lost, get a plug-in power failure alarm.

 

[Adam_151]

Not sure I like the idea of keeping fridge freezer off the RCD in a domestic environment. There was issue a few years ago with one manufacturer recalling a load of appliances due to incidents of them catching fire which I think was due to the defrost heater IIRC? Its quite possible that RCD protection would trip before such an inccident progressed too far and limiting damae to the appliance itself as modern plastics used in appliances dont generally support a flame once the heat source is taken away.

You could use a dedicated RCBO, but this just increases the risk of an accidental trip thats not noticed. But does have the advantages that a fault on the outside lights can't trip the freezer when you go on holiday etc.

in industrial environments essential services circuits might be fitted with an auxilary contact on the protective device to allow signalling of a fault if it trips, but this is a bit overkill for your domestic fridge freezer.

A compromise might be to go for board with RCBOs rather than split RCD, have the kicthen on its own ring, try and keep the boiler off it. Then when you go on holdiday, unplug the kettle, toaster, etc and isolate the wahsing machine and dishwaher etc at the DP fused spurs above the counter top, then you have RCD protection to the freezer, you'll realise that its tripped when you are at home pretty quick (remember that a closed appliance will be alright for close to 24 hours without power on most days of the year) and when you go on holdiday the freezer will be the only thing still on, on that particualar RCBO

 

[JohnD]

RCBOs are great

and maybe an audible alarm for power failure.

my freezer has a dedicated circuit
(though the adjacent microwave is actually on it too)

 

[ban-all-sheds]

when you go on holdiday the freezer will be the only thing still on, on that particualar RCBO

I like to put an ice cube loose in the freezer when I go away.

If it's not there when I get home, I know that for some reason the freezer warmed up, and then cooled down again, and that the food apparently still frozen is suspect.

 

[SUNRAY]

I like to put an ice cube loose in the freezer when I go away.

If it's not there when I get home, I know that for some reason the freezer warmed up, and then cooled down again, and that the food apparently still frozen is suspect.

'Er indoors had always laughed at me for keeping an ice cube in a dish, that was till one boxing day...