Electrical safety in Seville, Spain: surge protectors, RCDs and automatic reclosers

Surge protector installation in Seville: transient and permanent surges

Summer storms and the cuts and reconnections of the grid cause voltage spikes that burn out routers, TVs, induction hobs and boiler electronics. There are two types of protection and it is worth having both:

• Transient surges: very short spikes from lightning or switching on the grid. The protector diverts them to earth.
• Permanent overvoltage: the voltage stays high for seconds or minutes, for example when the neutral of the supply cable breaks. The protector cuts the supply until it returns to normal.

The protector is fitted in the fuse board (ITC-BT-23) and is compulsory for EV chargers and solar installations. As a reference, the device costs 60 to 200 euros and fitting it 50 to 100 euros, plus VAT. If a storm has already left you without power or with burnt appliances, call our emergency electrician, and if your fuse board has no room for new devices, it may be time for a fuse board replacement.

RCDs that protect without tripping for no reason

The 30 mA RCD (diferencial) is the device that saves lives: it cuts the power as soon as it detects earth leakage. But today’s homes are full of electronics that create small leakage currents, and a standard RCD can trip with no real danger. Super-immunised RCDs and Type A, F or B RCDs avoid those trips with LED lighting, induction hobs, variable speed drives and chargers. Replacing one costs roughly 90 to 250 euros installed. First we rule out a real leak: if the RCD trips, you need to know why. We explain it in RCD keeps tripping.

Automatic reclosers and selectivity

With good selectivity, when there is a fault only the nearest device trips, not the whole home or business. Automatic reclosers switch back on after a trip if the fault has gone, which is very useful in second homes and cold rooms. Many foreign owners who spend part of the year away from Seville fit one so the fridge and freezer survive a storm. An installed recloser costs 150 to 400 euros.

Fire detection, UPS and generators

• Fire and smoke detection: home smoke, heat and carbon monoxide detectors (30 to 60 euros installed) and control panels for premises and garages under RIPCI. In buildings we coordinate it with the rest of the services for homeowners’ associations.
• UPS: uninterruptible power for computers, servers, tills and critical equipment.
• Generators: with automatic or manual changeover, and the emergency supplies that ITC-BT-28 requires in some premises open to the public.

Safety measurements

An installation can look perfect and still have poor earthing or an RCD that does not trip. With calibrated instruments we measure earth resistance, cable insulation, loop impedance and the trip time of each RCD, and give you a report. 70 to 150 euros. Guide prices for the whole speciality are on the prices page, and the other specialities in services.

Protection work covered by other services

Three more jobs in this speciality are carried out within other services:

• Lightning protection for houses: for villas and isolated or elevated country houses we carry out a risk assessment under the Building Code (DB-SUA 8) and, if needed, install a lightning rod with its down conductor and earthing, coordinated with the internal protection. Average market cost around 6,500 euros, in a range of 5,100 to 9,000 euros. Explained in lightning protection.
• Removing hazards: loose cables, open junction boxes, broken or unearthed sockets and switches without covers. In homes with children or elderly people we fit safety covers and close every dangerous point, 25 to 50 euros per point. It is part of our electrical inspection.
• Protection for solar and EV charging: DC protection for the panels, surge arresters and Type B RCDs or RCDs with DC detection for chargers. It is included in the solar and EV charger installations we carry out, and explained on our surge protection page.