ᐅ Residual current devices in the kitchen – older house

Hello, we have purchased an older house. We plan to take down the kitchen tomorrow. We just noticed this switch (see photo) in the kitchen. What kind of switch is this? What should we be aware of? Is it enough to turn off all circuits at the main electrical panel? The panel is very old as well (see photo)… as you can tell, we are complete beginners. We look forward to helpful answers!

Best regards

Ronja_Haus schrieb:

Hello, we have bought an older house.

How old is the house? I know that those with expertise here would have all the electrical wiring replaced.
And I admit: I wouldn’t trust the technology either, but I’m more of a layperson in this area.

The internet says this:
“Residual current devices (RCDs), formerly from the company SCHUPA, now part of GEWISS. These were once widespread under the brand name ‘Spinnennetz’ (spider web).”

Try googling “Spinnennetz + residual current device.” However, in 2024, this device is more of a museum piece than something suitable for a modern kitchen.

The electrical system throughout the house seems quite simple. Ideally, the entire house wiring should be completely redone. The distribution board does not have any additional RCDs or circuit breakers dedicated to the kitchen. RCDs are an important safety feature that you definitely want to have. It is also likely that a three-phase supply line is missing for the modern stove in the kitchen.

The switch on the left is also in my mother-in-law’s 1960s house – it controls the oven.

BobRoss schrieb:

The internet says:
"Residual current device (RCD) from the former company SCHUPA, now part of GEWISS. It used to be very common under the brand name 'spider web'."

Just google “spider web + residual current device.” However, in 2024 this component is more of a museum piece than something for the modern kitchen.

The electrical system throughout the house seems quite straightforward. The entire wiring should ideally be completely redone. There is no additional RCD or circuit breaker for the kitchen in the distribution board. An RCD is a safety feature you definitely want to have. It is also likely that a three-phase supply is missing for a modern stove in the kitchen.

Thank you very much for your reply!
We will definitely have the whole electrical system replaced! Even as a layperson, I find the current setup quite alarming by today’s standards.

Jesse Custer schrieb:

The switch on the left is also in my mother-in-law’s 1960s house – it turns on the stove.

Thanks! We had already suspected something like that. Now at least we know what we are dealing with.