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How many earth leakage circuit breakers are required in the meter box?

Since 1975, new and modified home installations in the Netherlands must have residual current devices (RCDs). These are usually integrated into the distribution board. How many RCDs do you need, and what requirements must they meet?

General rules

These are the general rules regarding earth leakage circuit breakers in the Netherlands:

  • Residual current circuit breakers of 500 mA (=0.50 A) or of the AC type are no longer permitted.
  • For installations built after 1996, all final circuits in the distribution board must be distributed behind two 30mA earth leakage circuit breakers. This also applies when modifying existing distribution boards.
  • In domestic installations, a maximum of four groups may be connected behind one earth leakage circuit breaker.
  • A main switch is mandatory in homes for which the building permit was issued after September 1, 2005, and in installations that have been significantly modified after this date.

Which earth leakage circuit breakers do you need?

Some older homes don't yet have a residual current device (RCD). However, if you decide to replace, expand, or modify the fuse box, a RCD is legally required. This is where things often go wrong because the wrong RCDs are used. It's important to know that there are different types, each with their own specific technical specifications. RCDs are available in four classes: A, AC, B, and High Immunity. There are also electromagnetic and electronic RCDs. For a residential home, a Class A 30mA electromagnetic RCD is almost always the best choice. Only in exceptional cases can you also opt for 100mA or 300mA RCDs.

How many earth leakage circuit breakers do you need?

In the past, a distinction was made between wet and dry circuits. Bathrooms and kitchens were considered wet circuits. Only the outlets in the dry circuits required protection. Nowadays, all outlets must be protected with a residual current device (RCD). There must be at least two, as it's unwise to connect all circuits to a single RCD. If this switch were to trip, the entire system would be de-energized. It's best to distribute the circuits on a single floor to both RCDs. This prevents a single floor from being completely without power in the event of a fault.

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