do i need to replace this

Not an professional electrician, but providing the successful safety check was fairly recent and it still works I don't know of any necessity to replace it as current electrical regulations are not retrospective.
If you want to bring all your installation up to date then have a full rewire at some stage in the future but you might be advised to wait until next year when it is understand steel consumer units become law but these are becoming available now. Screwfix stock them.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/wylex-10-way-metal-high-integrity-consumer-unit-2-rcds/7705h

 

According to the bloke on that web site link you have given, he says....

These devices are no longer used, as they have a significant flaw. If the fault is between live and a circuit earth, they will disconnect the supply. However, if the fault is between live and some other earth (such as a person or a metal water pipe), they will NOT disconnect, as the voltage on the circuit earth will not change.

So, I would say it needs replacing, but I'm not a spark either. Still, I'm surprised it was flagged up as safe.

 

If you had an old wood backed Wylex fuse box it would be strongly suggested that it be replaced . But this would not be illegal even though it had no RCD at all as the regulations are not retrospective. No doubt the pro's will tell us whether they would pass it as safe!

 

Paul, some regs ARE retrospective. With regards to the bonding, if it's not up to the current standard it needs to be before any work is done with regard to alterations so I would say it would be the same with any wood based accessorie.

 

If that was in my place, I would be replacing it asap, regardless whether it passed as safe.

 

Bomb it out. .

Obsolete since early 80's

Replacement 30mA RCD with enclosure for around £50.00

(You will then find out if your install has any latent faults in it, as new item is inbalance of line conductors, whereas the Brontosaurus your replacing was fault voltage operated. Also guessing you still have a rewire-able Wylex fuseboard)

Si

 

That's a voltage operated ELCB which as Sparky said is now obsolete, the modern version would be a 30m/a RCD.
It is advisable to replace it although only necessary regs. wise if you have any additions or alterations done to the installation.

 

Seeing as you can't actually test them with an RCD tester I don't know how the guy could have certified it as 'safe'.

It would be interesting to see his I^n and 5xI^n readings

 

The answer is yes. Those voltage operated earth leakage devices have been pronounced unsafe and must be changed. This is nothing to do with retrospect, it is known to be dangerous because it won't operate under certain fault conditions. This is one instance where technology proved to be flawed and when it was recognised was withdrawn. You must replace it. It is a safety issue. Looks like another 'invented' test stateit. You cannot test a voltage operated device with a current based tester.

 

also all my work is checked and signed off by a fully trained spark all i am doing is the labor side of the work he passes all work before it is made live

Use of a licence number for not his installed work. . .

 

A registered spark CAN NOT sign off anyone else's work unless it's his own or he is bent. If he DOES sign off your work as his own he will be accepting full responsibility for it. I think it's extremely unlikely any spark would do this unless he had 100% confidence you have done your bit right. The only other way is notify BC, pay the fee, and have them sign it off.

 

ELCBs cannot be used as the earth fault protection on a TT system, and have not been permitted to for MANY years.

They look for a voltage on the earth of the installation in reference to a rod (essentially looking for fault current flowing down the earth from the consumer unit to the rod). With parallel paths, this makes the system worthless. It also does not protect against shock (current through you).

If your current consumer unit has RCD protection, then this ELCB would essentially be surplus and just an isolator, assuming your main earth conductor was not run through it. I would still prefer to see it gone, as it's current rating is only 60amp, and it won't have a BS number to be used as a main switch.

 

Probably not what you want to hear, Alex, but that's the downside of using 'friends' to test electrics, they don't give you the correct advice.