There are many considerations for the modern electrician. In this era of mounting legislation coupled with blame culture, safety is paramount in every part of the product specification process. Conversely, amid the all-encompassing industry focus on efficiency, time is of the essence. Deepak Sharad, category manager at Schneider Electric, offers some insight into the safest and speediest choice in circuit protection.
The role of the modern contractor is most certainly a challenging one. With demanding project schedules and shrinking margins, it is critical to get on and off the job as quickly as possible, while ever-changing codes and regulations throw further obstacles in the contractor’s path. As such, the need to work more efficiently while retaining the highest degree of safety is greater than ever before.
Added to the equation is the uptake in the home appliances industry. From hi-tech televisions and computers, through to coffee machines, kitchen equipment and grooming technologies, recent years have seen an explosion of electrical products, which have become an integral part of our everyday life. This means there is an onus on the contractor to supply the measures and means to ensure optimum power performance and continuity at all times.
One such product is the new Resi9 range of consumer units from Schneider Electric. Set to aid the ease in how contractors install circuit protection products, Resi9 is a plug on device which removes the need to cable one of the terminals. As such, all outgoing devices can be connected in seconds and, with no incoming terminal to tighten, the correct mechanical connection force is guaranteed every time. The result is significantly reduced commissioning time, meaning one less terminal to torque test.
The busbar assembly is fully encapsulated, providing complete finger safety and increasing the overall safety of the product. Installers can save time when individually disconnecting or applying devices to the DIN rail.
Continuity of supply
With a wide range of switch dis-connectors, RCDs and MCBs, complemented by a single pole RCBO Class A, Resi9 can even provide continuity of supply in the event of fault. Of course, the use of RCBOs comes as a major benefit of the end user, limiting down time to a single circuit.
To ensure that the wrong cables cannot be incorrectly inserted, the Resi9’s terminals have been fitted with insulated pull up safety shutters. It also features redesigned, curved colour coded toggles and a clearly marked front face, making it even easier to use.
Fashionable as functional, it also comes complete with a white or smoked front cover, offering homeowners the option to match the product to their interior. This sleek new appearance has been introduced to meet increasingly style conscious homeowner’s demands for a product that is aesthetically pleasing.
Looking more holistically, Resi9 can also accept a wide range of control devices, making it suitable to be used in conjunction with a wide range of devices as part of a cohesive energy management strategy. This will come as a major benefit as more and more homeowners gravitate towards sustainable solutions.
Resi9 also offers complete peace of mind with a product offering that is guaranteed to all applicable standards and certifications.
Indeed, these are testing times for the installer, tasked with a challenging marketplace and ever-complex product specification process. However, the good news is that leading manufacturers are continuing to develop new innovations to make easier work of the job in hand.
