TOP10 B-HP RCDs MANUFACTURER: WHO MAKES THE BEST Type B-HP RCD IN 2025?

INTRODUCTION: Why Choosing the Right Type B High-Performance RCCB Manufacturer is Critical

When selecting a Type B HP RCCB, you are not just purchasing a component; you are procuring a core safety barrier, an insurance policy for reliability, and a long-term responsibility for the entire system. The risks associated with an inferior or incompatible product far outweigh any initial cost savings.

Here are the key reasons why this choice is so vital:

1. Fundamental Safety Assurance for Complex Fault Currents

• Technical Nature: Heat pumps, particularly models with variable-speed drives, contain inverters that convert AC power to DC. This process can generate smooth DC leakage currents.

• Difference in Manufacturer Capability:

  • Top-Tier Manufacturers: Their Type B RCDs utilise precision electronic circuits and high-quality magnetic cores to reliably detect and respond to these smooth DC components, ensuring power is cut within milliseconds in the event of a hazard like an insulation fault.

  • Inferior Manufacturers: Their products may fail to correctly distinguish between normal operational noise and dangerous DC fault currents. This leads to two critical failure modes:

    • Failure to Trip (Non-operation): The RCD does not trip during a fault, providing no protection and potentially leading to electric shock or electrical fire.

    • Nuisance Tripping (False operation): Due to poor noise immunity, the RCD trips frequently during normal equipment operation, causing unstable heat pump performance. Interruption of heating during extreme weather can have severe consequences.

2. Compliance with Stringent UK Regulations and Standards

Electrical safety is heavily regulated in the UK. A reliable manufacturer is your partner in achieving compliance.

• Standards Conformity: Products must fully comply with standards such as BS EN 62423 (for Type B RCDs) and BS EN 61008-1. Products from top-tier manufacturers carry UKCA marking backed by independent third-party verification from bodies like the BSI, providing assurance that their claimed performance has been rigorously tested.

• Building Regulations: Installations must comply with the BS 7671 IET Wiring Regulations (18th Edition). These regulations explicitly mandate the use of RCDs capable of detecting DC components (i.e., Type B) in circuits where equipment like inverters could generate DC fault currents.

• Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS): If the heat pump is combined with solar PV, the MCS 020 standard often makes Type B RCDs mandatory. Choosing a product from a non-certified manufacturer can render the entire system non-compliant with MCS, affecting eligibility for government incentives like the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

• Legal Liability: As an engineer or installer, you bear legal responsibility for the systems you install. Using non-compliant, uncertified products exposes you to serious professional negligence liability in the event of an incident.

3. Ensuring System Reliability and User Experience

A heat pump is a core heating asset, and its reliability directly impacts user comfort and safety.

• Surge and EMI Immunity: The electrical grid experiences transient overvoltages and electromagnetic interference. High-performance manufacturers design their RCDs to withstand these disturbances, preventing nuisance tripping during storms or grid fluctuations.

• Mechanical Endurance and Electrical Life: A high-quality Type B HP RCCB typically offers a mechanical endurance of over 10,000 operations and a high short-circuit withstand capacity. This means it will perform reliably for countless switching and protection cycles over the system's lifespan. Inferior products may fail internally after a few years due to contact oxidation or mechanism seizure.

• Stability Across Temperature Ranges: RCDs may be installed in consumer units located in unconditioned spaces. Top-tier manufacturer products are designed to operate stably across the low and high temperatures common in the UK, whereas the performance of inferior products can drift.

4. Access to Professional Technical Support and After-Sales Service

This is a key differentiator between top-tier manufacturers and generic suppliers.

• Design Phase Support: Reliable manufacturers provide detailed technical datasheets, application notes, and even direct technical support to help you select the correct RCD specifications (current rating, sensitivity, etc.) for specific heat pump models and system configurations.

• Installation and Commissioning Support: When complex faults occur, their technical support team can help you quickly diagnose whether the issue lies with the RCD itself, the heat pump unit, or the wiring system.

• Long-Term Product Availability and Warranty: Heat pump systems are designed to last 15+ years. A stable manufacturer guarantees the availability of identical spare parts for many years and stands behind its warranty commitments (typically 5 years or more).

5. Protecting Your Professional Reputation

Your reputation is built on every successful project. Installing a system with an unreliable protection device is like planting a "time bomb." The consequences include:

• Frequent call-backs for repairs.

• Customer complaints and loss of trust.

• Negative reviews on checkatrade or similar sites.

• In the worst case, facing legal action.

A Guide to 10 Key Type B HP RCD Manufacturer（Brands)）

Here are 10 manufacturers(brands) that are well-regarded for their Type B HP RCD offerings, known for their reliability, innovation, and compliance with UK standards.

1. ETEK Electric

• Brand Profile: leader RCCB manufacturer in China, a major global electrical manufacturer from China, offering cost-competitive products while increasingly focusing on quality and international certifications.

• Key Advantages:

  • Value for Money: Provides a more budget-friendly option while still maintaining compliance with essential international standards (e.g., UKCA, IEC).

  • Rapidly Improving Quality: Significant investment in modern manufacturing and R&D has led to a notable improvement in product quality and reliability.

  • Wide Availability: Their products are widely available for brand sell,OEM&ODM cooperation with famous brands 

  • Type B-HP RCD Model:EKL6-100BHP

2.FuseBox

• Brand Profile: A well-known value brand in the UK, famous for its highly competitive pricing and products that meet basic compliance requirements. Popular in budget-conscious projects.

• Key Advantages:

  • High Cost-Effectiveness: Its primary advantage is providing a compliant Type B RCD solution where budget is a primary constraint, making essential protection for heat pumps and EVs more affordable.

  • Compliant with UK Regulations: Products are designed to meet BS 7671 and carry UKCA marking, ensuring basic compliance.

  • Market Availability: Widely sold through major electrical wholesalers, making it easy to procure.

3. Siemens

• Brand Profile: A German engineering powerhouse with a deep heritage in electrical engineering and manufacturing excellence.

• Key Advantages:

  • Engineering Precision: Siemens Type B RCDs are celebrated for their accuracy, stability, and resistance to nuisance tripping, even in electrically noisy environments.

  • High Performance: Designed to meet the most demanding specifications, particularly suited for industrial settings, large commercial heat pump systems, and infrastructure projects.

  • Quality Assurance: Stringent manufacturing controls ensure consistent performance and long-term reliability.

4. Hager

• Brand Profile: A family-owned company with a very strong focus on the electrical distribution market. Highly trusted by UK electricians for its quality and user-friendly designs.

• Key Advantages:

  • User-Centric Design: Features like the easy-to-wire terminals and clear terminal markings make installation faster and more reliable.

  • Trusted Brand: Hager has built an exceptional reputation for quality and reliability in the UK over many decades.

  • Optimised for UK Market: Their products are perfectly tailored to meet BS 7671 regulations and the practical needs of British electricians.

  • Type B-HP RCD Model:CDB525HP/CDB540HP/CDB563HP

5. Doepke

• Brand Profile: A specialist manufacturer focused exclusively on RCD technology. They are often considered the "experts' choice" for complex and demanding applications.

• Key Advantages:

  • Unmatched Expertise: As a specialist, Doepke offers deep technical knowledge and a very wide range of Type B devices, including specialised models for EV charging and solar PV.

  • High-Performance Options: They offer devices with higher pulse withstand capabilities, making them ideal for applications with long cable runs or significant inrush currents.

  • Technical Support: They provide excellent, expert-level technical support for complex project specifications.

  • Type B-HP RCD Model:DFS2&DFS4 series

6. Eaton

• Brand Profile: A multinational power management company, Eaton produces a comprehensive range of electrical components under brands like MEM (a historically strong UK brand) and xEffect.

• Key Advantages:

  • MEM Heritage: The MEM brand carries significant weight and trust in the UK commercial and industrial sectors.

  • Robust Product Portfolio: Offers a wide array of Type B solutions, from compact domestic units to heavy-duty industrial models.

  • Proven Durability: Known for producing robust and long-lasting electrical components.

7. Legrand

• Brand Profile: A global specialist in electrical and digital building infrastructures, with a portfolio including the popular UK brand, Volex.

• Key Advantages:

  • Aesthetic & Functional Design: Legrand often integrates aesthetic considerations with technical performance, suitable for visible installations.

  • Comprehensive System Approach: Provides a full ecosystem of distribution board components that are designed to work together flawlessly.

  • Innovation: Continuously invests in R&D to improve safety features and form factors.

8. Europa

• Brand Profile: A longstanding UK brand under Electrium (now part of Eaton). It is a classic, trusted name with a rigorous approach to design and certification.

• Key Advantages:

  • UK Heritage: A classic British brand with high trust among engineers and installers, known for rugged durability.

  • Strong Technical Backing: As part of Eaton/Electrium, products benefit from robust R&D, testing, and certification capabilities.

  • Reliability & Longevity: Known for stable performance and long mechanical life, ideal for long-term reliability in residential and commercial heat pump projects.

9. Crabtree

• Brand Profile: A classic British brand with a long history, now part of the Electralink group. It is a trusted name, particularly in the domestic and commercial sectors.

• Key Advantages:

  • Strong Brand Recognition: A familiar and trusted name for many homeowners and contractors in the UK.

  • UK-Focused: Products are designed with the UK electrician and market in mind.

  • Reliable Performance: Offers a solid range of Type B RCDs that deliver dependable protection for standard applications.

10. BG Electrical

• Brand Profile: A UK-based brand that is part of the Luceco PLC. They are known for providing reliable, good-value electrical accessories.

• Key Advantages:

  • Competitive Pricing: Positioned as a high-quality yet cost-effective alternative to the premium European brands.

  • UK Standards Compliance: All products are designed to meet relevant British and European standards.

  • Growing Range: Continuously expanding their product portfolio to include advanced protective devices like Type B RCDs.