ᐅ Is an Additional Circuit Breaker / RCD Really Necessary for a Home Office?
Created on: 9 Jun 2020 17:23
K
kati1337
Hello!
I need to ask again because we have very little knowledge about electrical work. I’m not sure if our electrician is overcharging us or if these additional costs are necessary and reasonable.
We have planned an office where we want to set up 2 gaming PCs. Originally, we planned for 18 power outlets there (just to have enough), but we are now reducing that to 8. For each PC, we will probably need a power strip (1 computer, 2 monitors, possibly some small devices like a label printer).
The electrician says:
Can it really be true that this creates a chain of costs like this? Is it necessary?
He says that if we don’t do the separate circuit and RCD/GFCI, we can save on the larger distribution panel, but then we wouldn’t be allowed to use power strips there (which he says would be a major fire hazard).
I’m surprised because we have run exactly this setup in our current house (30 years old, with only one RCD/GFCI for everything) for almost 10 years without any problems (or fires). Are we risking our lives every day for years, or is the truth somewhere in between?
I’m not sure what to do here right now.
I need to ask again because we have very little knowledge about electrical work. I’m not sure if our electrician is overcharging us or if these additional costs are necessary and reasonable.
We have planned an office where we want to set up 2 gaming PCs. Originally, we planned for 18 power outlets there (just to have enough), but we are now reducing that to 8. For each PC, we will probably need a power strip (1 computer, 2 monitors, possibly some small devices like a label printer).
The electrician says:
- We need a separate circuit for the office: 150€
- A separate residual current device (RCD) / ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI): 115€
- And because we get an additional circuit and RCD/GFCI, we also need a larger distribution panel: 490€
Can it really be true that this creates a chain of costs like this? Is it necessary?
He says that if we don’t do the separate circuit and RCD/GFCI, we can save on the larger distribution panel, but then we wouldn’t be allowed to use power strips there (which he says would be a major fire hazard).
I’m surprised because we have run exactly this setup in our current house (30 years old, with only one RCD/GFCI for everything) for almost 10 years without any problems (or fires). Are we risking our lives every day for years, or is the truth somewhere in between?
I’m not sure what to do here right now.
K
knalltüte9 Jun 2020 19:46kati1337 schrieb:
...Some things were explained to us very well and in detail, for example why the CAT cables should be installed in the wall without conduit...But I am really curious about THAT explanation now...Why is a dedicated RCD necessary for the computers? Usually, the computer is just plugged into a standard outlet... Do the hairdryer and toaster each get their own RCD as well? I just don’t understand that. And why does adding 15 more outlets drastically increase the required space in the distribution board? As I said, either it was completely poorly planned or it’s a rip-off.
Regarding CAT cable without conduit in the wall: I’m also curious why anyone would do that.
And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with good quality power strips and using them correctly. Of course, many want to avoid that visually in new builds, but that’s purely an aesthetic issue.
Regarding CAT cable without conduit in the wall: I’m also curious why anyone would do that.
And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with good quality power strips and using them correctly. Of course, many want to avoid that visually in new builds, but that’s purely an aesthetic issue.
Sorry, but why would you install CAT cables in the wall without a conduit? That makes no sense.
And you can measure without a patch panel as well.
You probably won't get a certified report either.
For 600€ you can get a patch panel from Metz including keystone jacks and still have money left over.
Should the panel also be placed in the office? Like in a small server cabinet or something?
And you can measure without a patch panel as well.
You probably won't get a certified report either.
For 600€ you can get a patch panel from Metz including keystone jacks and still have money left over.
Should the panel also be placed in the office? Like in a small server cabinet or something?
Vicky Pedia9 Jun 2020 19:50kati1337 schrieb:
Regarding the topic of the office / dedicated circuit / RCD the following response was given:
"If you reduce the number of outlets by 15
and the office does not have a separate feed
and no dedicated RCD, which is unfortunately necessary for the PCs,
then the larger distribution panel can be omitted.
However, please do not use power strips there.
That would pose a significant fire hazard."
I still don't quite know what to make of this. I have used power strips all my life and have never seen one catch fire. Of course, a PC does not need its own dedicated feed, but the oven and the electric vehicle charging station do. In general, using a power strip is not a good solution and should always be avoided. The number of outlets is physically irrelevant. You just have to understand that each circuit can only supply a maximum current. A standard circuit breaker is rated for 10A. So you can only draw 10A total—this could be 10 outlets at 1A each or 2 outlets at 5A each, and so on. My PC (please don’t get upset!!! high-performance PC) draws just under 1kW.
To explain: 240 volts x 1 ampere = 240 watts.
And by the way: there can be no fire hazard in a properly installed electrical system. The built-in safety mechanisms are designed to reliably prevent that!!!
K
knalltüte9 Jun 2020 19:54For 600 €, you can get
a 19" wall cabinet, 8-12 U height: 100 € (basic) up to 220 € (better quality)
MetzConnect modular patch panel including 24 Keystone modules: 180 €
Zyxel 24-port Gigabit managed switch: 130 €
a handful of CAT6a / PIMF patch cables in various colors with Hirose connectors
and if you buy all this equipment cheaply, you can even include 2 hours of installation within the 600 € budget.
So if the electrician staples the CAT cables into the wall without the required protective conduit, they should later remove them and clean up the mess from the floor.
a 19" wall cabinet, 8-12 U height: 100 € (basic) up to 220 € (better quality)
MetzConnect modular patch panel including 24 Keystone modules: 180 €
Zyxel 24-port Gigabit managed switch: 130 €
a handful of CAT6a / PIMF patch cables in various colors with Hirose connectors
and if you buy all this equipment cheaply, you can even include 2 hours of installation within the 600 € budget.
So if the electrician staples the CAT cables into the wall without the required protective conduit, they should later remove them and clean up the mess from the floor.
In the house, a main circuit breaker should be installed before the meter, meaning the main fuses. For a wooden house, a fire protection switch should (must) be included. If there is a photovoltaic system, surge protection is necessary. Then at least two RCDs (residual current devices) are required. Also, make sure there is extra space for future expansions (e-car), additional circuit breakers, energy management systems, possibly actuators or a timer, and so on. Of course, a PC might be rated at 700W. But have you ever measured what it actually consumes? What is your current annual electricity consumption in kWh? 700W is not always the input power; sometimes it’s the output. A regular office PC doesn’t draw more than about 40W anymore (thanks to SSDs and Intel power management). At my company, I’m running a few ESXi servers for virtual desktops, each with 2 x 1.6kW, but the Tesla graphics cards are really demanding under continuous load...
Back to the topic: I don’t understand why more sockets would require more space in the panel. The cables do not run into a star pattern, nor are circuits grouped together. In our case, every room has its own supply line with its own protection device. The stove is on a separate circuit, of course... But this is really something for the general contractor and the electrician to handle. We didn’t have to pay extra for the larger panel or anything else.
Back to the topic: I don’t understand why more sockets would require more space in the panel. The cables do not run into a star pattern, nor are circuits grouped together. In our case, every room has its own supply line with its own protection device. The stove is on a separate circuit, of course... But this is really something for the general contractor and the electrician to handle. We didn’t have to pay extra for the larger panel or anything else.
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