RCD Accidental Trigger Guard

thingiverse

This is to prevent accidental physical triggering of a non-integral RCD without affecting its normal operation in any way. I live in a block of flats where there's a communal services cupboard for everybody's gas and electricity meters, as well as consumer units for various communal and private circuits within the building. The key has to hang outside for access by emergency services, although it's kept locked. Some of the meters are pre-payment type, requiring residents to put credit onto an electronic card which is then inserted into their meter. People need constant access to top-up the meter at any time of night or day, making it open to all. To make matters worse, despite a proliferation of signs and notices prohibiting it, the cupboard gets repeatedly used and abused by people storing umbrellas, muddy shoes, gardening equipment, parcels, and anything else they fancy. These are usually the same individuals who can't be bothered to lock the cupboard afterwards! The most annoying thing for me is that at least once a month, someone entering the cupboard brushes against my main RCD installation, either triggering the "test" button or knocking the main switch into the "off" position. The result is the same in both cases: it immediately cuts all electrical power to my property. It's easy enough to reset, but I then have the irritating process of resetting all the clocks and other assorted devices that depend on a constant supply to function properly. I finally had enough when some careless person knocked the RCD just after I'd soaped up in the shower. Just what you need while standing in a bath, in a windowless room, with water cascading down! As you can imagine, I exclaimed "oh gosh!" Then the water went cold too because the gas boiler had no power to its control circuitry! This is my solution - it's designed to fit tightly over my specific RCD switch housing and should reduce accidental triggering. It's a deliberately tight friction fit that can be levered off but won't fall off without deliberate action. It's now nearly impossible to trigger the RCD by brushing up against it, and full operation has been tested and confirmed. I'm hoping that my avoidable power outages will be reduced to zero. That's put the spark back into my life, and I'm off for a nice shower - safe in the knowledge that I won't be plunged into darkness and icy water.