RCDs explained

An RCD, or residual current device, is a life-saving device which is designed to prevent you from getting a fatal electric shock if you touch something live, such as a bare wire. It can also provide some protection against electrical fires. RCDs offer a level of personal protection that ordinary fuses and circuit-breakers cannot provide.

What does an RCD do?

An RCD is a sensitive safety device that switches off electricity automatically if there is a fault. An RCD is designed to protect against the risks of electrocution and fire caused by earth faults.  For example, if you cut through the cable when mowing the lawn and accidentally touched the exposed live wires or a faulty appliance overheats causing electric current to flow to earth. It can trip in a little as 10ms (Milliseconds) which will limit the amount of current passing through your body (30 milliamps) They are designed to limit the current to 30ma as it only takes 80ma of current to cause death by asphyxiation from an electrical shock.

How does it work?

An RCD constantly monitors the electric current flowing through one or more circuits it is used to protect. If it detects electricity flowing down an unintended path, such as through a person who has touched a live part, the RCD will switch the circuit off very quickly, significantly reducing the risk of death or serious injury.

 What are the main types of RCD?

RCDs can help protect you from electric shock in potentially dangerous areas like bathrooms and gardens, and there are various types of RCDs that can be used to make sure you are always as safe as possible.

Fixed RCDs

These are installed in the consumer unit (fusebox) and can provide protection to individual or groups of circuits. A fixed RCD provides the highest level of protection as it protects all the wiring and the sockets on a circuit, and any connected appliances.

Socket-Outlet RCDs

These are special socket-outlets with an RCD built into them which can be used in place of a standard socket-outlet. This type of RCD provides protection only to the person in contact with equipment, including its lead, plugged into the special socket-outlet.

Portable RCDs

These plug into any standard socket-outlet. An appliance can then be plugged into the RCD. They are useful when neither fixed nor socket-outlet RCDs are available but, as with socket-outlet RCDs, they provide protection only to the person in contact with the equipment, including its lead, plugged into the portable RCD.

Are RCDs reliable?

We’ve found that fixed RCDs are about 97% reliable. This improves if they are tested regularly. If you have fixed RCD protection, it will reduce the risk of electric shock to you and your family. It can also protect your home against the risk of fire caused by faulty wiring or appliances.

Remember – Although RCD protection reduces the risk of death or injury from electric shock  it does not reduce the need to be careful. Have your wiring checked at least once every 10 years to ensure the safety of you, your family and your home. If you find a fault with your wiring, or an appliance, stop using it immediately and contact a Registered Electrician.

 Don’t forget to test – You should test all fixed and socket RCDs about every three months. Manufacturers recommend that portable RCDs are tested every time you use them. Beware – If you hold the test button in for a long time and the RCD does not switch off the electricity supply, then get advice from a registered electrician. The test button on all of these devices will only let you know the mechanics of the RCD is functioning correctly it will not let you know if the RCD is operating in the correct time (ms) or the correct value (ma). Theses test can only be performed by a qualified electrician.

Local Electric Limited are a Coleford electrician service offering all kinds of electrical services from singles sockets to full house rewires. Specialising in EICR (Electrical Installation Conditions Reports) for pre property purchase reports to landlord safety certificates, all at competitive prices.

Local Treasure

Not knowing what to do on the Bank Holiday Sunday, we decided to search out some gardens I had heard mentioned, somewhere in Chepstow. My partner has very good knowledge of Chepstow using the Chepstow road network on a daily basis. Even so it still took us quite a while to search out Wyndcliffe Court Gardens, but when we finally arrived at our chosen destination......wow! It is a local treasure, but in my opinion under promoted and non existent signposting! It really is a hidden gem and the tearoom with tables on the patio is a pure delight to a tearoom fanatic such as myself. 

Having previously discussed tourism on the Tuesday evening at CAP, I felt that Wyndcliffe Court Gardens are just another example of how, we in the Forest and Wye Valley undersell ourselves. For anyone who hasn't visited this local treasure I highly recommend a visit on a bright dry sunny day. It is also a fine example of another local enterprise.

'Ode CAP Thursday Club' 

At six o’clock, the annoying sound
Of an alarm clock crashing to the ground,
I thrash around to mute the notes
And now it’s buried in my Totes!
My wife complains, I say with wit,
“I’ve already put a sock in it!”
It must be Thursday, joy of joys,
As I find the clock and kill the noise,
I’m off to CAP to hear Paul say,
“The best way to start your working day”.
As Paul decides who’ll take the floor,
Cecile the Books bursts through the door;
Her admin systems are the best
But late again she has a rest!
Every member talks in turn
That about their business we might learn;
Sharifa’s bow ties, Laura’s knitting
And Andy B with Ariel fitting.
There’s Grantly Rogers, Pet Supplies
And Tracy Ashford’s legal eyes.
Sharon’s there to sell your house
Megabyte Ben will clean your mouse.
A back passage that is shiny bright?
Dave Leopold will see you right.
Andrea sends you somewhere sunny
Whilst Charlotte P in on the money;
Andy tells of Graphics Shack
And Alison wants her Lemon back.
Photography? Please keep it local,
A point on which she’s very vocal!
No matter what you must insure
We have a Rev who knows the score.
To make the most of staff resources
With Karen Gane you should join forces;
Think you’re dyslexic, please don’t jest,
Kris Ventris Field will run a test.
Then Eric W says out loud,
“I’ll stick your data on a cloud”.
Power of Attorneys, protecting the weak?
Just contact Val if its help you seek
And should you need to advertise
Forest Jo will put you wise.
If your web traffic is to slow,
Andrew Callard’s in the know;
Nick Johnson is the mortgage king
Whist Ian does his social thing.
Want your kids to have a ball?
Paul’s Best Parteez does it all.
Who else is there for goodness sake?
Ah, Sarah Jones, she’ll bake a cake.
I guess that just leaves little me
Your friendly face from Leigh-on-Sea.

DRIVING WITH CLEAR VISION

Your windscreen is a very important part of your car. It forms the integral strength between the cars bulkhead and the roof.  Sort of a role cage!

When you get a stone chip, usually caused by debris thrown up by either a passing vehicle or an on coming vehicle, the surface tension of the glass has broken.

The glass has now become extremely unstable and can crack at any time,  the  problem is, you don't know when!  

With all chips there is always an impact point, the point where the glass was hit. This can be varying in size, depending on the size and shape of the debris and how the glass was hit. This will also determine on how the final finish will look like.

When a chip is caused, air is introduced in to the damage, this air must be extracted in order to fill the fracture properly.

Once the damage has been repaired properly, it should last for the life time of the glass.

Here are a few important factors to remember

• Always get a stone chip repaired within a couple of days of it happening.
• This will prevent contamination (dirty water and screen wash etc ) making the fracture dirty.
• Never allow a chip to develop in to a crack.
• Never allow a crack to be at two different points at the edge of the screen, this means, effectively, the glass is in two pieces and very dangerous.
• When a chip is caused, try to look ‘through’ the screen and not it especially if the chip is in drivers side. This will help you avoid looking at the chip and being distracting. Get it repaired as soon as possible.
• Never try to repair a chip or fill it with ANY type of glue.

Stress - a Monster or a Mouse

Stress is a word that comes up a lot in all walks of life, but particularly in business. It has been found to be one of the major causes of poor productivity, illness and absenteeism.

Relaxation is heard less often and when it is spoken, maybe it is with a wistful tone or with a glass of wine in hand! Nothing wrong with the wine, (in moderation, it is a suppressant not a relaxant), but when was the last time you felt properly relaxed and what does that term mean to you?

To be a bit technical for a mo - sorry it comes from being a Biologist in a "previous life".

Strictly speaking being truly relaxed means switching into one of two nervous systems - the Parasympathetic. This is the house keeping mode as it were. All systems are in repair, rejuvenate, revive and relax mode. There is no sense of alarm. The muscles are neutral, the mind calm and one is filled with an ''Inner smile" ( See William Bloom "The Endorphin Effect"). Think of antelope peacefully grazing in the Savannah.

The other nervous system is the Sympathetic, though it is sympathetic only to your survival. Return to the antelope a moment. All peace and quiet, then one of them hears stealthy footsteps in the long grass nearby. "LION!" Instantly, adrenaline courses through the blood stream, heads go up, heart rates increase, blood pressure goes up to bring a quick supply to active muscles, backs and legs tense… and in a springing bound the whole herd has gone.

Generally, you don't meet too many lions in your day to day life, but many situations make you feel as if one may be around the corner. The trigger varies from person to person, but something rings alarm bells, in an instant adrenaline is released and all of the above physiological changes, and many more, take place. True, you think more clearly, work more quickly, but you can't run away or turn and fight (well not usually if you want to keep your job/client/customer), neither do the stressors go away, if anything they can increase in number. So all these "stress hormones" keep circulating all day, especially if one deadline piles up on another.

OK. So you need some adrenaline to perform well, even to get out of bed in the morning. However, if you have a lot of it all day, day after day, without ever turning it off or releasing it through vigorous activity (a brisk walk, run or a visit to the gym) and also feel you have no control over the stressors, no choice to do something else... bingo! Stress! 

I won't get even more technical at this point, suffice to say, that this state, though helpful in the short term,  if it goes on over a period of time has a damaging effect on just about every system in your body and your health and well-being suffer. Stress becomes a "monster".

As a Reflexologist, I know that my treatment can have a beneficial effect on elevated stress levels. One client who was experiencing a particularly stressful period of time in his business, reflected that it had been the regular treatments that had helped him get through it effectively. Other clients have remarked, with a sigh, "I haven't felt so relaxed for ages" or "I don't think I knew what relaxation was until now". This may be that the gentle treatment of Reflexology encourages the body to switch over into the Parasympathetic system. The body and the mind can become truly relaxed.

In this state, there is less sense of urgency; that pile of "things to do now" looks smaller; you can think more creatively about a particular problem; you feel more patient. As another client said, " I can live my life better". You can breathe. Stress has become a "mouse".

Things to make you go "Hmmm?!"