Distribution Board

What Is a Distribution Board?

Distribution boards, also known as distribution panel boards, are playing an important role in today’s electrical system. It can distribute the current into several circuit elements and ensure the smooth flow of them to protect your electrical system, thus ensuring the safety during the use.

The distribution boards ZHONG SHAO can support are complete units and the circuit breaker is already installed on them, so this doesn’t need you to install an additional one. Contact us immediately for a quote.

What are the Functions of a Distribution Board?

When it comes to the specific functions of a distribution board, well, it is far away from just distributing the current. In the following I will give you a detailed introduction, thus you can know why a distribution board is significant in the electrical system.

Distribute the Current

Actually, it is the fundamental function of your distribution board. During the use, the distribution board will receive the current from the main power supply and distribute it though the bar made of copper or other materials. Thus the current will match the needs of appliances with different consumption levels.

Guarantee The Safety Of The Current Distribution

Generally, a distribution board needs to be equipped with a circuit breaker and its own residual current protection device (RCD). Equipment like these is designed to further guarantee safety during electrical safety. For example, if the electrical appliances experience an emergency like current overload or short circuits, the circuit breaker and the RCD will work to cut the electrical supply to protect the whole system and avoid threatening human safety.

Make The Electrical Supply More Stable

Apart from what we said above, one of the distribution board’s important functions is to stabilize the electrical supply process. Actually, it is like an assistant to help the current find its right ways to different appliances and help these devices work fluently. Without a distribution board, the whole process will be in a mess.

The Components Of a Distribution Board

The Main Switch

the main switch is where the current enters the distribution board, and it controls almost all of the current supply of the whole distribution board. If users need to cut the power, what they need to do is just turn off the switch, this is very convenient.

The Enclosure

The enclosure of a power distribution unit also serves as a crucial protective structure. Circuit breakers and wiring are shielded within the housing, preventing dust and moisture from the external environment from damaging the electrical system. Typically, these enclosures have waterproof, dust proof, and corrosion resistant designs to safeguard the internal components while ensuring long term service life.

Circuit Breaker

A distribution board will have several circuit breakers, each of them works to protect the corresponding line. When short circuits, electrical leakage, or other hazardous conditions occur in the line, the circuit breaker corresponding to this line will automatically trip to ensure the power supply is cut off, thus guaranteeing the safety of the system.  

Residual Current Protection Device

Actually, besides the circuit breaker, the protections of a distribution board also includes the residual current protection device, if the leakage of the electric current happens, the RCD will shut off the whole electrical supply in several micro seconds to protect your safety.

Neutral and Ground Bus Bar

Electrical connection is a critical safety measure when wiring the circuits. In residential electrical systems, neutral and ground wires are indispensable. And  in distribution boards, the installation of neutral and ground bus bars also ensures proper circuit connections and grounding protection, further reducing operational risks.

Where Areas Need Distribution Boards?

Industries and Their Warehouses

In big industries, the distribution board works to distribute the current for many devices. Unlike the small size electrical appliances in family residences, the devices used in industries will consume more electricity and need the distribution boards with high load capacity, thus ensuring the safety in the industries and the warehouse environment.

Construction Sites

Construction site electrical equipment also requires distribution cabinets for circuit distribution and safety assurance. In this field, equipment typically requiring distribution cabinets includes welding machines, tower cranes, and similar machinery.

Due to the outdoor nature of construction sites, the distribution boards you need must have enhanced weather resistance to withstand the varying climates, along with greater load bearing capacity to support the operation of larger equipment.

Shopping Malls, Office Buildings, and Other Structures

Within some modern buildings, distribution boards must also accommodate the power distribution needs of multiple electrical systems. You may need distribution boards with greater current carrying capacity to support the operation of the entire building’s electrical infrastructure including elevator systems, ventilation systems, lighting systems, and more, the functions of the distribution board are more demanding and critical.

Hospitals

The smooth operation of hospitals also relies on the stable performance of power distribution boards. These boards must supply power to a wide range of medical equipment, including continuously operating MRI machines, patient monitors, and more. This is not only essential for hospital operations but also critically important for patient safety.

Common Problems And Their Solutions

Frequent Tripping

During the operation of your distribution board, if you find that the device has problems like frequent tripping, it is a sign that the device is being overloaded or has a short circuit. However, no matter what the causes are, you need to cut off the connection quickly and take an overall check.

If it is overloaded, you need to distribute the current into different appliances or change a new distribution with larger load capacity.

And if there is a short cut in it, you should check if the wire is broken and ask a professional electrician for a solution.

Short Circuit

If there is a short circuit in this distribution board, you may smell the smoke like something is burning and see the sparkles. And this problem may be caused by the direct contact of the neutral wire and ground wire. It is better to cut off the electricity supply and replace the broken components with high quality ones.

Unstable Current

It may be difficult for you to observe whether the current flow is stable, but you can judge by these signs. If you notice flickering lights or stuttering operation in certain appliances while the power is on, you can easily determine this is caused by unstable current.

At this point, you should also disconnect these unstable devices, check the appliances’ power consumption and grounding status. Of course, the most accurate approach is to seek assistance from a professional technician to resolve the issue.

How To Install a Distribution Board?

• Firstly, you need to find a proper place for your distribution board. What you should notice is that the device can’t be placed directly under the sunlight and needs good ventilation to avoid the high temperature generated harming it, then, you are better to leave enough space for the post maintenance.
• After the placement, you can’t ignore the steps for grounding the wire, this is very necessary for the safety during the use, so you must ensure the connection is proper.
• Then, you can take a check for the necessaries of the distribution board like circuit breaker, busbars and others, ensuring that they are all in good working order and fully functional.
• As inappropriate installation methods could cause danger, it is most important for you to find licensed technical personnel to undergo the installation process. And after all the connections are completed, it is also wise for you to label each appliance’s circuit. This will greatly facilitate future maintenance and troubleshooting.

The Factors Needed To Consider When Purchasing

Load Capacity

The load capacity of a distribution board is a parameter you must verify when purchasing. This factor also refers to the rated current of a distribution board, which determines the maximum current capacity a distribution board can support.

If you need to use it in an environment with high electricity consumption, you need to find a model with higher rated current to offer stable support, as insufficient load capacity can lead to failures or even the collapse of the entire power system.

The Accessories

You also should choose high quality accessories for your distribution board, this is vital to guarantee the service life of it. And the accessories you can choose include the circuit breakers, RCD, terminal block and so on. You must verify the brands of them and the materials they use, you are better to choose these components from the major brands. If you want to eliminate the hassle of the selection, it is equally wise to purchase distribution boards already equipped with these accessories.

Quality Certification

Safety is equally important when making your selection. You must verify that the distribution board you purchase complies with safety standards and possesses internationally recognized safety certifications. This is the most reliable way to confirm its quality. In the electrical field, common certifications include CE, ISO 9001, UL, and others. You must request these certifications from the manufacturer and select products that meet the safety requirements of your region.