Show and carnival wiring checker
Show wiring RCD checks, plus site wiring depth and height.
Reads Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 and AS/NZS 3002:2021. Tables checked 1 Oct 2026.
Try a job 6
Each job fills in example values. Replace them with your values.
- Supply a show ring from a generatorThe RCD and wiring rules for 32 A circuits at a show on a generator.
- Supply a food stallThe RCD rules for a 16 A stall circuit from the network.
- Check a buried cable at a fair groundWhether 0.5 m of cover is enough where pegs are driven.
- Check an aerial over a walkwayWhether a 3 m aerial height passes.
- Supply an amusement rideThe rules for a 63 A circuit that feeds a ride.
- Supply a market in AustraliaThe show rules in Australia for a 20 A circuit.
Inputs
Worked example with the default inputs. The live calculator replaces it when the page loads.
- Country
- New Zealand
- Wiring
- Event wiring for the show or carnival
- Method of supply
- Electrical installation connection facility
- Final subcircuit rating
- 20 A
- RCD rated residual current
- 30 mA
Maximum rated residual current
30mA
- Final subcircuit rating the clause applies to
- No cap in the clause
- Periodic assessment interval
- 1 year maximum
This result is a design aid. Verify it against the current standard.
Calculation steps
- Method of supplyEvent wiring fed from a connection facility (Cl 3.2.1)
AS/NZS 3002:2021 Cl 3.2.1
- Maximum rated residual currentResult30mA
AS/NZS 3002:2021 Cl 3.2.1.2
- Final subcircuit rating the clause applies toThe clause sets no rating cap
AS/NZS 3002:2021 Cl 3.2.1.2
- Device the clause calls forType A minimum, to AS/NZS 61008.1, AS/NZS 61009.1 or IEC 62423
AS/NZS 3002:2021 Cl 3.2.1.2
- Conductors the device must operate inEach live conductor, so every active and the neutral
AS/NZS 3002:2021 Cl 3.2.1.2
- HRC fuse base, lowest IP ratingIP2X, rated with the fuse carrier taken out
AS/NZS 3002:2021 Cl 2.4.2.1
- Connection facility enclosure, lowest IP ratingIP23 to AS 60529, with as many cables terminated as the enclosure allows, or under an equally protective cover
AS/NZS 3002:2021 Cl 2.7.6.2
- Periodic assessment interval for a carnival or fair ground1 year maximum
Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 reg 75(1)
About this calculator
How this is calculated
The tool checks the RCD protection of show, carnival and fair ground wiring. It reads AS/NZS 3002:2021 and the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010.
- Method of supply. You pick how the event wiring is supplied. The tool reads Cl 3.2.1 for that method.
- Rated residual current. It reads the maximum from Cl 3.2.1.2 and compares your device with it.
- Final subcircuit rating. It says whether the clause caps the rating of the subcircuit it applies to.
- Device and conductors. It names the device the clause calls for, and the conductors it must operate in.
- Enclosures. It gives the lowest IP rating for an HRC fuse base (Cl 2.4.2.1) and a connection facility (Cl 2.7.6.2).
- Interval. It gives the reg 75(1) assessment interval for a carnival or fair ground.
Worked example
- Event wiring from a connection facility, 20 A socket-outlets, 30 mA RCD. The maximum rated residual current is 30 mA, so the device passes. The clause sets no cap on the subcircuit rating. The assessment interval is 1 year maximum.
Limits
The tool compares the rated residual current only. It does not check the device type or the number of poles. It does not decide whether an exception applies. The depth and height checks cover installation wiring only. AmpSize holds pages 1 to 21 of the standard. It does not hold Section 4, or Appendices C and D.
The tool suits a check of event wiring before it connects. It compares the rating you enter with the clause. It does not replace the check by a competent person that Cl 3.2.1.1 describes. Record where the overcurrent and RCD devices sit, so supply can return fast after a trip.
See also: RCD selection, RCD types and where required and Assessment intervals.
Questions
Each answer describes what this tool calculates. The result is a design aid. Verify against the current standard.
What does the show and carnival tool do?
The tool reports the RCD figures AS/NZS 3002:2021 sets for installation wiring and for event wiring. On installation wiring it also checks trench depth where long pegs are expected, and aerial height. It lists the IP ratings for an HRC fuse base and a connection facility enclosure. In New Zealand it reports the regulation 75 interval.
What RCD does a carnival or event need?
Clause 2.5.1 covers installation wiring. It calls for 30 mA on final subcircuits up to 32 A. That covers circuits to socket-outlets, lighting, or direct-connected equipment with a higher shock risk. Clause 3.2.1.2 calls for 30 mA on all event wiring, at any rating. The device is Type A or better and opens every active and the neutral.
How deep must a cable be buried on a show site?
On installation wiring, Clause 2.7.4 calls for 1.0 m or more where long pegs are reasonably expected. Long means pegs or anchor stakes over 400 mm. A shallower trench needs extra mechanical protection, and the tool lists those four conditions together. Event wiring has its own clause, which AmpSize does not hold.
Why does the tool not give aerial conductor spans?
In AmpSize's copy, the columns of Table 3.1 in Clause 2.7.5.4.3 sit out of line. So AmpSize cannot match a conductor type and size to a span. It is a life safety table, so AmpSize leaves it out. Read the span from the standard.
How often is a carnival installation assessed?
In New Zealand, reg 75(1)(d) allows no more than 1 year between assessments to AS/NZS 3002. AmpSize holds pages 1 to 21 of that standard. So it does not cover the procedure in Section 4 or Appendices C and D. Australia sets its interval in a clause AmpSize does not hold.
Clauses and tables this tool reads
- Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010 reg 75(1)Periodic assessment interval for a carnival or fair ground
- AS/NZS 3002:2021 Cl 2.2How a show or event site gets its supply
- AS/NZS 3002:2021 Cl 2.4.2.1HRC fuse base in a connection facility
- AS/NZS 3002:2021 Cl 2.5.1RCD protection of installation wiring
- AS/NZS 3002:2021 Cl 2.7.4Underground installation wiring on a show site
- AS/NZS 3002:2021 Cl 2.7.5.4.1Height of aerial installation wiring
- AS/NZS 3002:2021 Cl 2.7.5.4.3Spans between aerial conductor supports
- AS/NZS 3002:2021 Cl 2.7.6.2Connection facility enclosure
Every clause and table, with how each was verified
Tables last checked on 1 Oct 2026.
Related tools
Was this useful?
A question, or a value that looks wrong? Contact us.