Those who don’t already know what an RCBO is and why is it so important to keep your family and your property safe from electrical hazards, let me explain.

Unlike an RCD – a typical safety switch that we all are aware of, an RCBO (DIN Rail mountable RCD with integral overcurrent protection – forget the jargon) combines a safety switch with a circuit breaker providing exceptional electrical protection for your home against earth leakage as well as overcurrent/short circuit.

Recently, we were called by one of our customers to fix a power circuit safety switch tripping. Upon inspection we found that the customer still had two RCBO’s (from Mack and Lanson) installed that were long recalled from the market after being declared faulty and not up to Australia’s electrical safety standards.

To help our residential electrical customers keep their family and properties safe, we believe it’s important to know the following:

Recalled Mack and Lanson RCBOs

• The Mack and Lanson RCBO devices were supplied by CrispTech Pty Ltd and L&H group respectively and were sold nationally between 16 September 2010 and 5 November 2010, according to Australian Product Safety.
• Both products failed the 6 kA short circuit test in contravention of the relevant mandatory standard.
• Possible hazard included the risk of electrical shock in the rare event of a high fault current at full rated capacity.

Affected models include:

Furthermore, the Energy Safe Victoria website outlines the complete list of RCBOs that comply with the ESV’s additional testing and verification requirements, thereby prohibiting the supply of all compact RCBOs from 1 July, 2018 that do not pass the tests.

What customers need to do?

• If you are a building owner or manager, you should check your switchboards to make sure that it does not have a recalled RCBO.
• The affected models can be identified by the model number. So before any new installation check with your electrician to make sure it complies.
• Do not insist on installation of an RCBO that you already have and that is not approved by ESV.
• Keep an eye for faulty RCBOs on your property. To test: Push the RCBO’s test button and hold it for at least five seconds, even if the switch turns off. Turn the RCBO back on and press the test button again. The RCBO should turn off. If it does not, the RCBO is defective and should be replaced.
• Act responsibly. Before selling a property with a faulty or recalled RCBO, make sure you replace it to ensure buyer’s safety.
• If you have an RCBO installed that doesn’t fall under the list of the approved models, you can call your local electrician Mr. Electric Geelong to get it replaced immediately.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article doesn’t imply that only the above given models or suppliers have been recalled. There could be others as well, which you can find out by checking out the list of RCBO’s that comply with the safety standards.