RCBO spacing

[martygturner]

Any definitive guidance out there on RCBO spacing, just going through some quotes for a flat referb, one has a note on it specifying that a 12 way board was needed to correctly space out the RCBO's to minimise " overheating and fire risk"... the two others spec a 8 way board ( its a tiny flat)

Is this something new ?

the last one we had done was installed with no spacing but the rcbo's were installed in a mix ie 32amp,6amp,32amp,16 ,,, as that electrician said they should not be ordered traditionally largest to smallest along the busbar to minimise heating but said that was to prevent unwanted tripping.

Any regs out there or is this just a case of I fink...

 

[Murdochcat]

Go back 40 years and it was recommended that they were arranged largest to smallest rating from the main switch but these things come down to best practice and personal choice of the spark.

What you don't want is a new board full up with no spacing. As for over heating - this is a questionable comment - unless you plan to have a hot tub circuit directly next to your EV point

These days I tend to "group" circuits - so radials like hob and oven, then gap, then socket circuits, gap, then radials, gap then lights, gap then outdoor circuits

How many circuits?

 

[AndyPRK]

No regulation on spaces.
You do require spare ways for expansion though.

 

[EFLImpudence]

What can we think up to bamboozle people with next year?

 

[JohnW2]

Go back 40 years and it was recommended that they were arranged largest to smallest rating from the main switch but these things come down to best practice and personal choice of the spark. ... What you don't want is a new board full up with no spacing. As for over heating - this is a questionable comment - unless you plan to have a hot tub circuit directly next to your EV point

No regulation on spaces. ... You do require spare ways for expansion though.

I agree with the above. However, some manufacturers have something to say about this, as per this relating to Wylex MCBs ...

In practice I doubt that many devices are "loaded at or approaching their nominal rates currents" for significant periods of time at all, whether adjacent or not.