Guides · TOSUNLUX
Which circuit breaker and which RCCB for a villa or an apartment?
A home distribution board rests on three levels: a residual current device that protects people, one circuit breaker per circuit that protects the cables and, in Morocco, a voltage protector that protects appliances when the grid fluctuates. Here is how to choose each one, with the TOSUNLUX (Tosun) references available from FAPELEC.
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The short answer
- One circuit breaker per circuit: 10 or 16 A for lighting, 16 or 20 A for sockets, 20 A for dedicated circuits, 32 A for the cooktop.
- 30 mA residual current devices at the head of each group of circuits: type AC for general use, type A for the washing machine and the cooktop.
- A voltage protector at the head of the panel: TDP-1 in single phase, TDP-3 in three phase.
- The breaker rating depends on the cable cross-section, never on the appliance alone.
1. One circuit breaker per circuit, chosen for the cable
The circuit breaker protects the cable against overloads and short circuits. Its rating must never exceed what the cable cross-section can carry. The table below follows the usual practice of the NF C 15-100 standard as applied in Morocco; your electrician confirms it according to line length and installation method.
| Circuit | Cable cross-section (copper) | Circuit breaker | TOSUNLUX reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lighting | 1.5 mm² | 10 A or 16 A | TSB3-63 1P 10A · TSB3-63 1P 16A |
| Socket outlets | 1.5 mm² | 16 A | TSB3-63 1P 16A · TSN4-32 1P+N 16A |
| Socket outlets | 2.5 mm² | 20 A | TSB3-63 1P 20A |
| Washing machine, oven, water heater | 2.5 mm² | 20 A | TSB3-63 1P 20A |
| Cooktop (single phase) | 6 mm² | 32 A | TSB3-63 1P 32A · TSN4-32 1P+N 32A |
FAPELEC stocks TSB3-63 miniature circuit breakers from 10 to 63 A, in 1, 2, 3 and 4 poles, with a breaking capacity of 6 kA up to 40 A (4.5 kA at 50-63 A), compliant with IEC 60898-1. To save space, the TSN4-32 phase + neutral breaker switches phase and neutral in a single 17.8 mm module, in 16 A or 32 A.
2. Which curve: B, C or D?
The curve sets the magnetic trip threshold, that is the reaction to a high inrush current. TSB3-63 breakers come in curves B, C and D.
Curve C suits most circuits in a home. Curve B trips earlier: it is chosen for long lines or circuits without inrush current. Curve D tolerates high starting currents (motors, transformers); it has no place on the socket circuits of a home.
3. The residual current device: 30 mA to protect people
A circuit breaker does not protect against electric shock. That is the job of the residual current device: it trips as soon as a leakage current to earth exceeds its sensitivity. In a home, people are protected at 30 mA.
TSL3-63 residual current circuit breakers come in 2 poles (1P+N) and 4 poles (3P+N), from 25 to 63 A, at 30 mA and 300 mA, classes AC and A, compliant with IEC/EN 61008-1. The RCCB rating must be at least equal to the circuits it feeds, taking the incoming breaker into account.
In practice, circuits are spread over several 30 mA RCCBs, about eight circuits each, rather than all behind one: a fault on one circuit then does not leave the whole house in the dark. Type A is reserved for the washing machine and cooktop circuits, whose electronics can produce leakage that type AC does not detect. To go further: 30 mA or 300 mA, type AC or type A.
4. Protecting appliances from grid variations
Overvoltage and undervoltage on the grid damage refrigerators, air conditioners, pumps and electronics. The TDP-1 (single phase 220 V) is installed at the head of the panel: it cuts off in 0.01 s above an overvoltage threshold adjustable from 230 to 300 V, in 0.1 s below a threshold adjustable from 120 to 210 V, then restores power after an adjustable delay of 10 to 600 s. It comes in 32, 40, 63 and 80 A. On a 380 V three-phase supply, the TDP-3 is used.
Details are in the guide protecting appliances from overvoltage and undervoltage.
5. Three-phase villa
A villa with a three-phase supply follows the same rules, with 4-pole devices at the head: TSB3-63 4P from 16 to 63 A, TSL3-63 4P from 25 to 63 A at 30 or 300 mA, and the TDP-3, which monitors the phase-neutral voltage of each phase (3P+N connection, neutral required). Final circuits stay single phase and are spread across the three phases.
Outdoors (garage, garden, plant room), a HT IP65 weatherproof enclosure from 5 to 24 modules protects the devices from dust and water jets.
Frequently asked questions
Which breaker rating for the sockets of a house?
16 A on a 1.5 mm² cable or 20 A on a 2.5 mm² cable, following the usual practice of NF C 15-100. In the TOSUNLUX range: TSB3-63 1P 16A or 1P 20A.
Is a 30 mA RCCB needed in a home?
Yes. People are protected against electric shock at 30 mA. TSL3-63 residual current circuit breakers come in 30 mA, 2 and 4 poles, from 25 to 63 A.
Curve B or C for a house?
Curve C suits most circuits in a home. Curve B is chosen for long lines or circuits without inrush current.
How to protect appliances from grid outages and overvoltage?
With a voltage protector at the head of the panel: TDP-1 for single phase 220 V, TDP-3 for three phase 380 V, from 32 to 80 A.
TOSUNLUX series mentioned
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