Why electronic and not electromechanical ELCBs ?

South Africa's 40 years of experience in the manufacture and application of sensitive earth leakage protection devices, together with the global experiences covering millions of installed units over several decades have resulted in a better understanding of not only the advantages, but also of the limitations of ELCBs. In Europe, where electromechanical ELCBs are used almost exclusively, the question of reliability of installed ELCBs has become a subject of major concern and attention. The popular hype regarding perceived reliability of electronic components was not sufficient to prevent the major South African manufacturer, some five years ago from changing their entire ELCB range from electromechanical to electronic technology ELCBs. The improvements in reliability that resulted from this decision are complemented by their freedom from safety performance limitations often found in lower specification electromechanical earth leakage circuit breakers.