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Default Joining CU neutral terminal blocks

I have a MK Sentry split load CU that I am turning into an all-RCBO board, so I need to join the neutral bars together.
The existing board had 4 neutral sections with the first two joined together by a rather thin-looking U shaped link.
The neutral bars are supposed to be able to take 16mm cable.
Can I just join them together with 16mm rigid cable like the stuff you use for large earth connections (obviously will be sleeved in brown) ?
Thanks,
Simon.
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Default Joining CU neutral terminal blocks

On Friday, January 18, 2019 at 5:04:50 PM UTC, sm_jamieson wrote:
I have a MK Sentry split load CU that I am turning into an all-RCBO board, so I need to join the neutral bars together.
The existing board had 4 neutral sections with the first two joined together by a rather thin-looking U shaped link.
The neutral bars are supposed to be able to take 16mm cable.
Can I just join them together with 16mm rigid cable like the stuff you use for large earth connections (obviously will be sleeved in brown) ?
Thanks,
Simon.


"obvs" I mean blue !
Must be time for the weekend.
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Default Joining CU neutral terminal blocks

sm_jamieson Wrote in message:
On Friday, January 18, 2019 at 5:04:50 PM UTC, sm_jamieson wrote:
I have a MK Sentry split load CU that I am turning into an all-RCBO board, so I need to join the neutral bars together.
The existing board had 4 neutral sections with the first two joined together by a rather thin-looking U shaped link.
The neutral bars are supposed to be able to take 16mm cable.
Can I just join them together with 16mm rigid cable like the stuff you use for large earth connections (obviously will be sleeved in brown) ?
Thanks,
Simon.


"obvs" I mean blue !
Must be time for the weekend.


Still time before it starts ;-)
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Jim K


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Default Joining CU neutral terminal blocks

On Friday, 18 January 2019 17:04:50 UTC, sm_jamieson wrote:
I have a MK Sentry split load CU that I am turning into an all-RCBO board,
so I need to join the neutral bars together.
The existing board had 4 neutral sections with the first two joined
together by a rather thin-looking U shaped link.
The neutral bars are supposed to be able to take 16mm cable.
Can I just join them together with 16mm rigid cable like the stuff you
use for large earth connections (obviously will be sleeved in brown) ?


Yes, although to comply with type approval it should really be a genuine MK part.

http://www.sparkiespares.com/index.p...ct&id_la ng=2

If you do make your own, some will say it should have crimped ferrules.

Owain

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Default Joining CU neutral terminal blocks

On Fri, 18 Jan 2019 18:15:25 +0000 (GMT+00:00), "Jim K.."
wrote:

sm_jamieson Wrote in message:
On Friday, January 18, 2019 at 5:04:50 PM UTC, sm_jamieson wrote:
I have a MK Sentry split load CU that I am turning into an all-RCBO board, so I need to join the neutral bars together.
The existing board had 4 neutral sections with the first two joined together by a rather thin-looking U shaped link.
The neutral bars are supposed to be able to take 16mm cable.
Can I just join them together with 16mm rigid cable like the stuff you use for large earth connections (obviously will be sleeved in brown) ?
Thanks,
Simon.


"obvs" I mean blue !
Must be time for the weekend.


Still time before it starts ;-)


LWT used to start transmitting at 7.00pm on Friday evening. That
always marked the start of the weekend for me.


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Default Joining CU neutral terminal blocks

On Friday, 18 January 2019 19:55:43 UTC, wrote:
On Friday, 18 January 2019 17:04:50 UTC, sm_jamieson wrote:
I have a MK Sentry split load CU that I am turning into an all-RCBO board,
so I need to join the neutral bars together.
The existing board had 4 neutral sections with the first two joined
together by a rather thin-looking U shaped link.
The neutral bars are supposed to be able to take 16mm cable.
Can I just join them together with 16mm rigid cable like the stuff you
use for large earth connections (obviously will be sleeved in brown) ?


Yes, although to comply with type approval it should really be a genuine MK part.

http://www.sparkiespares.com/index.p...ct&id_la ng=2

If you do make your own, some will say it should have crimped ferrules.

Owain


I don't think that cable will fit in the neutral terminal block, it is for joining switches and only fits in the top of the switch which has much wider "holes".

Surely crimped ferules is only for fine strand cable ?
The point about using the 16mm singles cable is that being made of a few thick "wires" it does not need a ferrule.

Simon.
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Default Joining CU neutral terminal blocks

On Friday, 18 January 2019 20:42:15 UTC, sm_jamieson wrote:
On Friday, 18 January 2019 19:55:43 UTC, wrote:
On Friday, 18 January 2019 17:04:50 UTC, sm_jamieson wrote:
I have a MK Sentry split load CU that I am turning into an all-RCBO board,
so I need to join the neutral bars together.
The existing board had 4 neutral sections with the first two joined
together by a rather thin-looking U shaped link.
The neutral bars are supposed to be able to take 16mm cable.
Can I just join them together with 16mm rigid cable like the stuff you
use for large earth connections (obviously will be sleeved in brown) ?


Yes, although to comply with type approval it should really be a genuine MK part.

http://www.sparkiespares.com/index.p...ct&id_la ng=2

If you do make your own, some will say it should have crimped ferrules.

Owain


I don't think that cable will fit in the neutral terminal block, it is for joining switches and only fits in the top of the switch which has much wider "holes".

Surely crimped ferules is only for fine strand cable ?
The point about using the 16mm singles cable is that being made of a few thick "wires" it does not need a ferrule.

Simon.


The factory made split load 16mm tri-rated cables have on one end a rectangular ferrule about 2mm x 8mm, and on the other end something like in the following link, although this does not look like a crimp, more like a solder item.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/Cembre-A3-p...1094519&chn=ps
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Default Joining CU neutral terminal blocks

On Friday, 18 January 2019 22:59:11 UTC, sm_jamieson wrote:
On Friday, 18 January 2019 20:42:15 UTC, sm_jamieson wrote:
On Friday, 18 January 2019 19:55:43 UTC, wrote:
On Friday, 18 January 2019 17:04:50 UTC, sm_jamieson wrote:
I have a MK Sentry split load CU that I am turning into an all-RCBO board,
so I need to join the neutral bars together.
The existing board had 4 neutral sections with the first two joined
together by a rather thin-looking U shaped link.
The neutral bars are supposed to be able to take 16mm cable.
Can I just join them together with 16mm rigid cable like the stuff you
use for large earth connections (obviously will be sleeved in brown) ?

Yes, although to comply with type approval it should really be a genuine MK part.

http://www.sparkiespares.com/index.p...ct&id_la ng=2

If you do make your own, some will say it should have crimped ferrules.

Owain


I don't think that cable will fit in the neutral terminal block, it is for joining switches and only fits in the top of the switch which has much wider "holes".

Surely crimped ferules is only for fine strand cable ?
The point about using the 16mm singles cable is that being made of a few thick "wires" it does not need a ferrule.

Simon.


The factory made split load 16mm tri-rated cables have on one end a rectangular ferrule about 2mm x 8mm, and on the other end something like in the following link, although this does not look like a crimp, more like a solder item.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/Cembre-A3-p...1094519&chn=ps


Ah, this says they are crimps:
https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/crimp...ctors/8092366/
The magic phrase is 16MM UN-INSULATED REDUCING PIN CRIMP.

But when crimp the shape seems to turn into an indented hexagon, so that is a heavy duty crimping tool.
I could find a local electrical firm that could modify my spare split load cables by putting one of those on the other end.

I'm not sure about reducing the conductor size so much, but that seems to be the way it is done. I suppose its only a few millimetres at the reduced size.

Simon.
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Default Joining CU neutral terminal blocks

On 18/01/2019 17:18, sm_jamieson wrote:
On Friday, January 18, 2019 at 5:04:50 PM UTC, sm_jamieson wrote:
I have a MK Sentry split load CU that I am turning into an all-RCBO board, so I need to join the neutral bars together.
The existing board had 4 neutral sections with the first two joined together by a rather thin-looking U shaped link.
The neutral bars are supposed to be able to take 16mm cable.
Can I just join them together with 16mm rigid cable like the stuff you use for large earth connections (obviously will be sleeved in brown) ?
Thanks,
Simon.


"obvs" I mean blue !
Must be time for the weekend.


Use black for that pre 2004 experience.



--
Adam


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Default Joining CU neutral terminal blocks

On 18/01/2019 17:04, sm_jamieson wrote:
I have a MK Sentry split load CU that I am turning into an all-RCBO board, so I need to join the neutral bars together.
The existing board had 4 neutral sections with the first two joined together by a rather thin-looking U shaped link.
The neutral bars are supposed to be able to take 16mm cable.
Can I just join them together with 16mm rigid cable like the stuff you use for large earth connections (obviously will be sleeved in brown) ?
Thanks,
Simon.



16mm will have 7 strands. It will be fine.

--
Adam
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Default Joining CU neutral terminal blocks

On Saturday, January 19, 2019 at 11:27:42 AM UTC, ARW wrote:
On 18/01/2019 17:04, sm_jamieson wrote:
I have a MK Sentry split load CU that I am turning into an all-RCBO board, so I need to join the neutral bars together.
The existing board had 4 neutral sections with the first two joined together by a rather thin-looking U shaped link.
The neutral bars are supposed to be able to take 16mm cable.
Can I just join them together with 16mm rigid cable like the stuff you use for large earth connections (obviously will be sleeved in brown) ?
Thanks,
Simon.



16mm will have 7 strands. It will be fine.

--
Adam


OK thanks, just needed to check it would pass inspection !

Putting in more RCBOs I need to tidy the wiring up a bit.
I have plenty of slack.
It seems like the best practice is to run the incoming circuit cables quite low behind the RCBOs and then loop them back up to be connected. That way you avoid a rats nest crammed in above the RCBOs.

Simon.
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Default Joining CU neutral terminal blocks

On Saturday, January 19, 2019 at 12:03:40 PM UTC, sm_jamieson wrote:
On Saturday, January 19, 2019 at 11:27:42 AM UTC, ARW wrote:
On 18/01/2019 17:04, sm_jamieson wrote:
I have a MK Sentry split load CU that I am turning into an all-RCBO board, so I need to join the neutral bars together.
The existing board had 4 neutral sections with the first two joined together by a rather thin-looking U shaped link.
The neutral bars are supposed to be able to take 16mm cable.
Can I just join them together with 16mm rigid cable like the stuff you use for large earth connections (obviously will be sleeved in brown) ?
Thanks,
Simon.



16mm will have 7 strands. It will be fine.

--
Adam


OK thanks, just needed to check it would pass inspection !

Putting in more RCBOs I need to tidy the wiring up a bit.
I have plenty of slack.
It seems like the best practice is to run the incoming circuit cables quite low behind the RCBOs and then loop them back up to be connected. That way you avoid a rats nest crammed in above the RCBOs.

Simon.


Just a thought. Its nice to have light in the CU cupboard !
What is the simplest acceptable way to wire (surface-wired) a light so it can be on when the CU main switch is off ?
Perhaps without fitting a whole second mini-CU, henley blocks, etc.
e.g. via a fused switch directly from the main incomers.

Simon.
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Default Joining CU neutral terminal blocks

On Saturday, 19 January 2019 12:19:37 UTC, sm_jamieson wrote:
On Saturday, January 19, 2019 at 12:03:40 PM UTC, sm_jamieson wrote:
On Saturday, January 19, 2019 at 11:27:42 AM UTC, ARW wrote:
On 18/01/2019 17:04, sm_jamieson wrote:
I have a MK Sentry split load CU that I am turning into an all-RCBO board, so I need to join the neutral bars together.
The existing board had 4 neutral sections with the first two joined together by a rather thin-looking U shaped link.
The neutral bars are supposed to be able to take 16mm cable.
Can I just join them together with 16mm rigid cable like the stuff you use for large earth connections (obviously will be sleeved in brown) ?
Thanks,
Simon.



16mm will have 7 strands. It will be fine.

--
Adam


OK thanks, just needed to check it would pass inspection !

Putting in more RCBOs I need to tidy the wiring up a bit.
I have plenty of slack.
It seems like the best practice is to run the incoming circuit cables quite low behind the RCBOs and then loop them back up to be connected. That way you avoid a rats nest crammed in above the RCBOs.

Simon.


Just a thought. Its nice to have light in the CU cupboard !
What is the simplest acceptable way to wire (surface-wired) a light so it can be on when the CU main switch is off ?
Perhaps without fitting a whole second mini-CU, henley blocks, etc.
e.g. via a fused switch directly from the main incomers.

Simon.


I suppose if you've got the live bus bar out you could just run a wire to energize the light in cupboard circuit, but the main switch would have to be on.
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Default Joining CU neutral terminal blocks

On Saturday, 19 January 2019 12:19:37 UTC, sm_jamieson wrote:
Just a thought. Its nice to have light in the CU cupboard !
What is the simplest acceptable way to wire (surface-wired) a light
so it can be on when the CU main switch is off ?


Simplest is a battery backed up emergency lighting unit from a lighting MCB.

You can't do a FCU from the main incomers as a BS1362 plug fuse won't have the breaking capacity (6 kA).

BS1361 type I are 16.5 kA (HBC cartridge fuses for consumer units) and BS1361 type II (supplier cutouts) are 33 kA.

Owain



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Default Joining CU neutral terminal blocks

sm_jamieson wrote:

Its nice to have light in the CU cupboard !
What is the simplest acceptable way to wire (surface-wired) a light
so it can be on when the CU main switch is off ?


Non-maintained emergency light fed from a circuit on the CU, if mains
fails or you turn that MCB off, the light comes on ...

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Default Joining CU neutral terminal blocks

sm_jamieson formulated the question :
Just a thought. Its nice to have light in the CU cupboard !
What is the simplest acceptable way to wire (surface-wired) a light so it can
be on when the CU main switch is off ?
Perhaps without fitting a whole second mini-CU, henley blocks, etc.
e.g. via a fused switch directly from the main incomers.


There is no other way I can think of. Unless you think in terms of an
emergency light, or some sort of battery powered light.
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On Saturday, 19 January 2019 12:41:28 UTC, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
sm_jamieson formulated the question :
Just a thought. Its nice to have light in the CU cupboard !
What is the simplest acceptable way to wire (surface-wired) a light so it can
be on when the CU main switch is off ?
Perhaps without fitting a whole second mini-CU, henley blocks, etc.
e.g. via a fused switch directly from the main incomers.


There is no other way I can think of. Unless you think in terms of an
emergency light, or some sort of battery powered light.


Thanks all, yes an emergency light is the best idea of course, and if the power is lost competely it comes on (to state the obvious).
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Default Joining CU neutral terminal blocks

In article ,
sm_jamieson wrote:
On Saturday, January 19, 2019 at 12:03:40 PM UTC, sm_jamieson wrote:
On Saturday, January 19, 2019 at 11:27:42 AM UTC, ARW wrote:
On 18/01/2019 17:04, sm_jamieson wrote:
I have a MK Sentry split load CU that I am turning into an all-RCBO
board, so I need to join the neutral bars together. The existing
board had 4 neutral sections with the first two joined together by
a rather thin-looking U shaped link. The neutral bars are supposed
to be able to take 16mm cable. Can I just join them together with
16mm rigid cable like the stuff you use for large earth connections
(obviously will be sleeved in brown) ? Thanks, Simon.



16mm will have 7 strands. It will be fine.

-- Adam


OK thanks, just needed to check it would pass inspection !

Putting in more RCBOs I need to tidy the wiring up a bit. I have plenty
of slack. It seems like the best practice is to run the incoming
circuit cables quite low behind the RCBOs and then loop them back up to
be connected. That way you avoid a rats nest crammed in above the RCBOs.

Simon.


Just a thought. Its nice to have light in the CU cupboard ! What is the
simplest acceptable way to wire (surface-wired) a light so it can be on
when the CU main switch is off ? Perhaps without fitting a whole second
mini-CU, henley blocks, etc. e.g. via a fused switch directly from the
main incomers.


Use a good head-mounted LED llight

--
from KT24 in Surrey, England
"I'd rather die of exhaustion than die of boredom" Thomas Carlyle
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Default Joining CU neutral terminal blocks



"sm_jamieson" wrote in message
...
On Saturday, January 19, 2019 at 12:03:40 PM UTC, sm_jamieson wrote:
On Saturday, January 19, 2019 at 11:27:42 AM UTC, ARW wrote:
On 18/01/2019 17:04, sm_jamieson wrote:
I have a MK Sentry split load CU that I am turning into an all-RCBO
board, so I need to join the neutral bars together.
The existing board had 4 neutral sections with the first two joined
together by a rather thin-looking U shaped link.
The neutral bars are supposed to be able to take 16mm cable.
Can I just join them together with 16mm rigid cable like the stuff
you use for large earth connections (obviously will be sleeved in
brown) ?
Thanks,
Simon.



16mm will have 7 strands. It will be fine.


OK thanks, just needed to check it would pass inspection !

Putting in more RCBOs I need to tidy the wiring up a bit.
I have plenty of slack.
It seems like the best practice is to run the incoming circuit cables
quite low behind the RCBOs and then loop them back up to be connected.
That way you avoid a rats nest crammed in above the RCBOs.


Just a thought.


Too radical by far.

Its nice to have light in the CU cupboard !
What is the simplest acceptable way to wire (surface-wired)
a light so it can be on when the CU main switch is off ?


Perhaps without fitting a whole second mini-CU, henley blocks, etc.
e.g. via a fused switch directly from the main incomers.


Use one of those battery powered movement sensor leds.





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Default Joining CU neutral terminal blocks

On 19/01/2019 16:30, charles wrote:
In article ,
sm_jamieson wrote:
On Saturday, January 19, 2019 at 12:03:40 PM UTC, sm_jamieson wrote:
On Saturday, January 19, 2019 at 11:27:42 AM UTC, ARW wrote:
On 18/01/2019 17:04, sm_jamieson wrote:
I have a MK Sentry split load CU that I am turning into an all-RCBO
board, so I need to join the neutral bars together. The existing
board had 4 neutral sections with the first two joined together by
a rather thin-looking U shaped link. The neutral bars are supposed
to be able to take 16mm cable. Can I just join them together with
16mm rigid cable like the stuff you use for large earth connections
(obviously will be sleeved in brown) ? Thanks, Simon.



16mm will have 7 strands. It will be fine.

-- Adam

OK thanks, just needed to check it would pass inspection !

Putting in more RCBOs I need to tidy the wiring up a bit. I have plenty
of slack. It seems like the best practice is to run the incoming
circuit cables quite low behind the RCBOs and then loop them back up to
be connected. That way you avoid a rats nest crammed in above the RCBOs.

Simon.


Just a thought. Its nice to have light in the CU cupboard ! What is the
simplest acceptable way to wire (surface-wired) a light so it can be on
when the CU main switch is off ? Perhaps without fitting a whole second
mini-CU, henley blocks, etc. e.g. via a fused switch directly from the
main incomers.


Use a good head-mounted LED llight

https://www.toolstation.com/nightsea...p-torch/p21740

just aim it upwards and it lights up most things.

--
Adam
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