KSC Engineering

Chamber of Engineers

https://survey.alchemer.eu/s3/91173761/State-of-the-Engineering-Profession-in-Malta?fbclid=IwY2xjawUX9IhwZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMVpvc1l3MUdudzF0cjhWV1BzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEevjMNRmrWTWuiSl_EJfK_2R0DIvvVCLHQuql63JK7Lyn_hNawUvVsPW2S4oI_aem_S37LPjU0HCrd7WfTazNm5w&sg_maintain_session=1&sg_navigate=start&sglocale=en

State of the Engineering Profession in Malta State of the Engineering Profession in Malta.

Rental Property Earth Loop Impedance Safety Check by our team.

Insulation testing of two sets of Steel Wire Armoured Cable for EV charging loads.

🔍 These cables supplied a property for decades. A closer look shows why their condition matters.

These meter tails came from a single-phase 40 A supply in Malta. Under the microscope, the individual metal strands show deep indentations, flattened sections, sharp bends and some apparently cut or broken strands.

There are no apparent signs of arcing in this case. However, the overall condition of the terminations appears unsuitable for continued use.

⚠️ Why does a poor connection matter?

It can cause localised overheating, damage the insulation, create an intermittent supply and, if it deteriorates further, lead to arcing or fire. A poor connection can overheat even below 40 A, without drawing enough current to blow the fuse or trip the circuit breaker.

“It has worked for years” is no guarantee that it remains safe today.

Having electrical installations inspected periodically by a qualified professional can help identify deterioration before it becomes a serious problem.

Buying a property? Look beyond the finishes.

You may have asked an architect to inspect it. That’s an important step—but have you also considered the electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems?

Poorly installed or inadequately planned services can remain hidden until you move in or start renovations. By then, putting them right could cost tens of thousands of euros.

Before committing to a purchase, bring in the right specialists to assess the areas that matter. A closer look now can help you make a more informed decision.

KSC Engineering can assist with the electrical assessment.

🔥 Electrical fires – are MCBs and the *salvavita* always enough?

An interesting technology gaining attention in electrical installations is the Arc Fault Detection Device (AFDD).

⚡ AFDDs are microprocessor-based devices that continuously analyse electrical signals to identify patterns associated with potentially dangerous electrical arcing.

Why is this important?

Certain arc faults, such as those caused by loose or deteriorated connections, can generate significant localised heat and potentially initiate a fire without drawing enough current to trip an MCB.

Similarly, if there is no significant leakage to earth, the RCD (*salvavita*) may also have no reason to operate.

🛡️ AFDDs provide an additional layer of protection specifically intended to detect these conditions.

✅ Advantages:
• Detection of certain arc faults not necessarily detected by MCBs or RCDs
• Additional protection against electrical fires
• Continuous electronic monitoring of the circuit
• Combined AFDD/RCBO devices can provide arc-fault, overcurrent and residual-current protection in one device

⚠️ Considerations:
• Higher cost than conventional protective devices
• Increased electronic complexity
• Possibility of unwanted tripping
• Correct selection and application are important
• They do not replace good workmanship, proper terminations, inspection and testing

🇲🇹 What about Malta?

40 A AFDD/RCBO devices are available, which is particularly interesting given the common 40 A single-phase supply used locally. However, a 40 A rating does not necessarily mean that one AFDD should simply be installed to protect the entire installation. AFDDs are generally considered at final-circuit level, particularly where the potential consequences of an electrical fire are higher.

💡 As this technology becomes more accessible, its potential role in improving electrical fire protection in Malta is certainly worth discussing.

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🔥 DIN-Rail Fire Suppressors: A Useful Additional Layer of Protection — With Important Limitations

DIN-rail fire suppressors are increasingly being proposed as an additional fire-safety measure within electrical distribution boards. The concept is technically valid and potentially useful, particularly given the relatively low cost of these devices. However, they should be understood as **supplementary fire suppression**, rather than as a substitute for appropriate electrical protection, sound installation practice, and maintenance.

⚡ **One of the principal mechanisms associated with electrical fires is electrical arcing**, particularly at loose, deteriorated, contaminated, or otherwise defective electrical connections. Such arcing can generate sufficient localised heat to ignite nearby combustible material.

A key limitation must therefore be recognised:

* 🔥 The suppressor may extinguish or suppress the **resulting combustion**, but it does not necessarily extinguish a **sustained electrical arc**.
* ⚡ The electrical ignition source may consequently remain present until the circuit is automatically disconnected or the fault condition otherwise ceases.
* 🛡️ Conventional **MCBs** are primarily intended to provide protection against overload and short-circuit currents.
* 🛡️ **RCDs**, commonly referred to locally as *salvavita*, are primarily intended to detect residual current and earth-leakage conditions.
* Neither device is specifically designed to detect and interrupt all forms of hazardous series or parallel electrical arcing.

For applications where arc-related fire risk warrants additional consideration, dedicated **Arc Fault Detection Devices (AFDDs)** are available. These devices analyse electrical waveforms for characteristics associated with dangerous arc faults and can disconnect the affected circuit when prescribed conditions are detected. AFDD technology is highly sophisticated, although—as with all protective systems—it should not be regarded as infallible.

🧯 **The role of the DIN-rail suppressor is therefore quite specific.**

It provides an additional layer of protection in a scenario where an electrical fault, including arcing, causes combustible material within the distribution board to ignite. Such a scenario may be more credible where a board is poorly maintained or contains significant accumulations of dust, debris, contamination, or other combustible material.

Upon activation, the device releases an aerosol extinguishing agent intended to suppress the developing fire before it propagates beyond the enclosure.

However, a further limitation follows directly from the operating principle:

⚠️ **If the extinguishing aerosol is depleted while the electrical arc remains active, the potential ignition source is still present and re-ignition may occur.**

The technology itself is not novel; it is essentially a compact application of **condensed aerosol fire-suppression technology used in larger industrial fire-protection systems**.

✅ The principal advantage of these devices is therefore that, despite addressing a relatively specific failure scenario, they can provide an additional layer of protection at comparatively low cost.

From an engineering perspective, the preferred approach remains a layered one:

**Correct design and installation → sound electrical connections → appropriate overcurrent and residual-current protection → inspection and maintenance → AFDD protection where justified → supplementary fire suppression where appropriate.**

DIN-rail fire suppressors can therefore make a useful contribution to electrical fire risk reduction, but they should be viewed as **one element within a wider protection strategy, not as a replacement for addressing the electrical fault that may initiate the fire.**

Newly installed single phase stabiliser at work.

In-Service Inspection & Testing / PAT Testing