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34 E L EC TR I C AL CONNEC T I ON
W I N T E R 20 1 6
HOLD FIRE! A BURNING ISSUE
O
ver the past few years several
products and installations have
been a burning issue for the
Australian market.
Quite understandably, the state
regulators have been keen to ‘clear a
firebreak’ and provide safe boundaries for
electrical contractors to work within.
It’s not hard to know what I mean:
downlights and solar isolators.
These have been causing much
discussion in our industry and at
government level. There has been much
to-ing and fro-ing among all stakeholders
to find an answer.
There are a couple of other fire-safety
products that don’t cause the same
sort of ‘spot fires’, but they do need an
overhaul. I will provide an update on
smoke detectors and a new product in the
market, the arc fault detection
device (AFDD).
Let’s deal with downlights first.
My recent article dealt with the new
downlight classifications, which have now
been included in our performance and
safety Standard.
There is a specific marking that will
allow electricians, wholesalers and even
the home owner (that’s probably a sore
point) to know exactly what they are
buying and for which application.
It’s a terrific move forward for our
industry, as these downlights were a huge
issue during the Federal Government’s
insulation grant. Where there was smoke,
there was fire!
The Australian/New Zealand
Standard is adopted from the European
International Standards, but it now has
extra requirements that need to be
taken into account for our harsh
Australian environment.
These products will soon require a
Certificate of Approval, meaning they
will need to be tested and verified by
an independent test laboratory and
submitted for approval before they can
be sold in Australia or New Zealand.
At last, a way of keeping low-quality
products at bay. Look for the regulatory
compliance mark (RCM) triangle and tick
on the packaging and product.
Similarly, the DC solar isolators
have been causing grief for installers,
manufacturers and governments alike.
One of my recent articles alluded to
some of the problems that these isolating
switches have been causing. Again, where
there was smoke, there was fire.
Many of the problems came about due
to poor manufacture and poor installation
of roof-top solar isolators. Put these two
together and you are asking for trouble.
Correct installation of isolators is
paramount for the prevention of fires in
the first instance. It’s all about using the
correct ingress protection (IP) rating for
the application.
Usually these items are in an exposed
position on the roof and it is necessary
to ensure that an IP56 rating (fire-
hose force of water) is maintained by
tightening the enclosure and cover to the
correct torques.
Caps must be fitted and conduits must
go to the bottom of the enclosure so that
any condensation caused by hot days and
cold nights is diverted into the conduit
rather than the bottom of the enclosure.
Indeed, the installation of a specific
IP56 drain plug to the bottom of the
enclosure will allow condensation to
drip out of the enclosure but won’t allow
water from the fire hose to get in.
Anyone who has installed IP56-rated
enclosures on mine sites or on farms will
know these tricks.
Buying reputable solar isolators is
crucial, as many installed units were
REGULATORY CHANGES ARE
ABOUT CLEARING ‘DEAD
WOOD’ PRODUCTS FROM OUR
INSTALLATIONS AND ADOPTING
MEASURES TO PREVENT FIRES.
GARYBUSBRIDGE
REPORTS.
THE BUZZ