Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
|
UK diy (uk.d-i-y) For the discussion of all topics related to diy (do-it-yourself) in the UK. All levels of experience and proficency are welcome to join in to ask questions or offer solutions. |
Reply |
|
LinkBack | Thread Tools | Display Modes |
|
#1
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Is this CU right
It is getting to the point where I am ready to install my main CU so just checking for any "gotchas" that I have not considered.
The unit I am going for is this https://www.toolstation.com/mk-metal...er-unit/p77771 It has most of the MCBs I need and what is not there I can cannibalise from my existing CU. The CU will be populated as follows; 100A main switch Garage - MCB with a 10mm2 T&E feed for now a 40A MCB. This will not be RCD protected as it will be run through voids or surface mounted. The feed is probably a bit overkill for now but I am looking ahead to possible EV charging. The garage does have an RCD in the garage CU hopefully restricting any problems to it rather than tripping the main CU. Alarm - 16A MCB with 2.5mm2 T&E this feeds a couple of sockets in the loft for the wall wart PSUs for the alarm again not RCD protected as cable will run through voids and surface wired. RCD 1 80A Kitchen - ring main with 2.5mm2 T&E with 32A MCB Lights - This is the main light circuit 1.5mm2 T&E with a 6A MCB Hob - This is a 3.7KW induction hob which I am hoping to utilise the existing 6mm2 feed to our existing hob just transposing it to its new location. I will probably use the existing 32A MCB although a 20A should do Oven - 5.6KW Like the hob I will be using the existing 6mm2 feed and 32A MCB RCD 2 63A Ring main - This is the rest of the house (bungalow) 2.5mm2 T&E & 32A MCB Kitchen lights - 1.5mm2 T&E & 6A MCB Boiler - 2.5mm2 & 16A MCB just in case we ditch the combi and go back to a system boiler with a possible immersion heater. Shower - This is a temporary circuit as the shower will be replaced with a digital type when the bathroom is done over so I will utilise the current 4mm2 T&E & 32A MCB till then. This will leave me with 5 spare ways two might get used with a surge arrestor if I decide to implement the full 18th Regs. However, seeing as these are rather expensive and seem to be optional the jury is still out on that one. As far as I know I have never in my lifetime of ownership of houses ever suffered a lightening strike or a surge but having said that the gods of mayhem will have one lined up as soon as I get this CU installed😵.. Richard |
#2
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Is this CU right
On 25/08/2019 19:20, Tricky Dicky wrote:
It is getting to the point where I am ready to install my main CU so just checking for any "gotchas" that I have not considered. The unit I am going for is this https://www.toolstation.com/mk-metal...er-unit/p77771 It has most of the MCBs I need and what is not there I can cannibalise from my existing CU. The CU will be populated as follows; 100A main switch Garage - MCB with a 10mm2 T&E feed for now a 40A MCB. This will not be RCD protected as it will be run through voids or surface mounted. The feed is probably a bit overkill for now but I am looking ahead to possible EV charging. The garage does have an RCD in the garage CU hopefully restricting any problems to it rather than tripping the main CU. Alarm - 16A MCB with 2.5mm2 T&E this feeds a couple of sockets in the loft for the wall wart PSUs for the alarm again not RCD protected as cable will run through voids and surface wired. RCD 1 80A Kitchen - ring main with 2.5mm2 T&E with 32A MCB Lights - This is the main light circuit 1.5mm2 T&E with a 6A MCB Hob - This is a 3.7KW induction hob which I am hoping to utilise the existing 6mm2 feed to our existing hob just transposing it to its new location. I will probably use the existing 32A MCB although a 20A should do Oven - 5.6KW Like the hob I will be using the existing 6mm2 feed and 32A MCB RCD 2 63A Ring main - This is the rest of the house (bungalow) 2.5mm2 T&E & 32A MCB Kitchen lights - 1.5mm2 T&E & 6A MCB Boiler - 2.5mm2 & 16A MCB just in case we ditch the combi and go back to a system boiler with a possible immersion heater. Shower - This is a temporary circuit as the shower will be replaced with a digital type when the bathroom is done over so I will utilise the current 4mm2 T&E & 32A MCB till then. This will leave me with 5 spare ways two might get used with a surge arrestor if I decide to implement the full 18th Regs. However, seeing as these are rather expensive and seem to be optional the jury is still out on that one. As far as I know I have never in my lifetime of ownership of houses ever suffered a lightening strike or a surge but having said that the gods of mayhem will have one lined up as soon as I get this CU installed😵. Apart from waiting for dennis to tell you that 32A 2.5mm T&E final ring circuits are the devils spunk I would say you are looking in good order to install. A load of ******** here for you to read and forget https://professional-electrician.com...d-as-standard/ -- Adam |
#3
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Is this CU right
On Sunday, 25 August 2019 19:59:32 UTC+1, ARW wrote:
A load of ******** here for you to read and forget https://professional-electrician.com...d-as-standard/ "a relatively low-priced and widely available safety item" low priced?? And isn't there a bit of a fire risk having something that goes pftttt in a consumer unit? In the top photo it's wired across the main switch and not even fused down Owain |
#5
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Is this CU right
On 25/08/2019 23:08, Robin wrote:
On 25/08/2019 21:50, wrote: On Sunday, 25 August 2019 19:59:32 UTC+1, ARWÂ* wrote: A load of ******** here for you to read and forget https://professional-electrician.com...d-as-standard/ "a relatively low-priced and widely available safety item" low priced?? And isn't there a bit of a fire risk having something that goes pftttt in a consumer unit? In the top photo it's wired across the main switch and not even fused down like many (most?) such it comes built in fuses so needs no additional overcurrent protection. ahem...except on (still not sober) reflection & checking that seems to be one that does require external overcurrent protection -- Robin reply-to address is (intended to be) valid |
#6
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Is this CU right
On 25/08/2019 23:24, Robin wrote:
On 25/08/2019 23:08, Robin wrote: On 25/08/2019 21:50, wrote: On Sunday, 25 August 2019 19:59:32 UTC+1, ARWÂ* wrote: A load of ******** here for you to read and forget https://professional-electrician.com...d-as-standard/ "a relatively low-priced and widely available safety item" low priced?? And isn't there a bit of a fire risk having something that goes pftttt in a consumer unit? In the top photo it's wired across the main switch and not even fused down like many (most?) such it comes built in fuses so needs no additional overcurrent protection. ahem...except on (still not sober) reflection & checking that seems to be one that does require external overcurrent protection Type 1 and 2 SPDs are fitted at the origin and need no further overcurrent protection. Although BG do seem to have a typo right at the bottom (in the safety warning) https://www.bgelectrical.uk/public/d...on_Devices.pdf -- Adam |
#7
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Is this CU right
On 25/08/2019 23:08, Robin wrote:
On 25/08/2019 21:50, wrote: On Sunday, 25 August 2019 19:59:32 UTC+1, ARWÂ* wrote: A load of ******** here for you to read and forget https://professional-electrician.com...d-as-standard/ "a relatively low-priced and widely available safety item" low priced?? And isn't there a bit of a fire risk having something that goes pftttt in a consumer unit? In the top photo it's wired across the main switch and not even fused down like many (most?) such it comes built in fuses so needs no additional overcurrent protection. You would think it should handle thousands of amps or its not going to do anything useful. |
#8
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Is this CU right
On 26/08/2019 11:31, dennis@home wrote:
On 25/08/2019 23:08, Robin wrote: On 25/08/2019 21:50, wrote: On Sunday, 25 August 2019 19:59:32 UTC+1, ARWÂ* wrote: A load of ******** here for you to read and forget https://professional-electrician.com...d-as-standard/ "a relatively low-priced and widely available safety item" low priced?? And isn't there a bit of a fire risk having something that goes pftttt in a consumer unit? In the top photo it's wired across the main switch and not even fused down like many (most?) such it comes built in fuses so needs no additional overcurrent protection. You would think it should handle thousands of amps or its not going to do anything useful. They can handle 10s of kA - but only for /very/ short periods. The overcurrent protection is to protect the cables and SPD against faults. -- Robin reply-to address is (intended to be) valid |
#9
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Is this CU right
Tricky Dicky wrote :
RCD 1 80A Kitchen - ring main with 2.5mm2 T&E with 32A MCB Fridge and freezer on a none RCD circuit, to avoid food spoiling if there is an RCD tripped in your absence? |
#10
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Is this CU right
On 25/08/2019 20:38, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
Tricky Dicky wrote : RCD 1 80A Kitchen - ring main with 2.5mm2 T&E with 32A MCB Fridge and freezer on a none RCD circuit, to avoid food spoiling if there is an RCD tripped in your absence? Tricky unless you use SWA or pay a lot of detail to the cable route. |
#11
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Is this CU right
On 26/08/2019 00:23, Fredxx wrote:
On 25/08/2019 20:38, Harry Bloomfield wrote: Tricky Dicky wrote : RCD 1 80A Kitchen - ring main with 2.5mm2 T&E with 32A MCB Fridge and freezer on a none RCD circuit, to avoid food spoiling if there is an RCD tripped in your absence? Tricky unless you use SWA or pay a lot of detail to the cable route. It's a CU swap not a rewire. Strictly speaking all sockets should now be RCD protected inducing the ones in the OP's loft. -- Adam |
#12
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Is this CU right
It's a CU swap not a rewire.
Strictly speaking all sockets should now be RCD protected inducing the ones in the OP's loft. OK that is one "gotcha", I did not realise all sockets were to be RCD protected I thought it only applied those with wiring less than 50mm deep in the walls. Just to clarify the alarm situation. When we first moved in the so called professionally installed alarm was useless. As a temporary measure because we knew the kitchen and bathroom were going to be re-done resulting in quite a lot of disruption and rewiring of the kitchen. I was loathe to start any work that involved major disruption until I had to. The system we bought was a wireless DIY system this meant that the control box and bell boxes each had their own wall wart PSUs. As a temporary measure and to keep the PSUs out of sight and out of mind sockets were located in a convenient place in the loft. These sockets were for convenience sake only for the alarm and wired into the light circuit which was not RCD protected a little naughty but the alarm at best draws minimum current about 200mA if I recall. The CU does not have any spare ways so there was not really much else that could be done at the time. As well as the CU swap I am doing a partial rewire mainly the kitchen and separating the lighting circuit into two as described above and connecting the garage. The kitchen ring main will be completely new as at present all the sockets are in the wrong places with most of the if not replaced would end up above the middle of the hob along with several fixed appliance switches. Other rewiring involves putting the alarm sockets on a separate circuit instead of the lighting circuit and also the boiler which is in the airing cupboard and utilises the old immersion circuit, a fused spur unit in the cupboard with the feed going via a switch in the kitchen situated above the new hob position, the plan with the latter is to eliminate the remote switch and feed directly from the CU. Whilst pulling through the cable for the boiler I can draw two cables through to the airing including the proposed alarm cable which will be surface mounted in the airing cupboard. So not quite a full rewire but well on the way. As implied before the CU was replaced sometime before we bought the house utilising all the old circuits apart from wiring in the shower. This left a messy arrangement of junction boxes dangling off cables as a result of repositioning the CU higher. The rewire will eliminate the junction boxes as the new CU will be lower now that some of the clutter in the way is being removed. Richard |
#13
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Is this CU right
On 26/08/2019 10:13, Tricky Dicky wrote:
It's a CU swap not a rewire. Strictly speaking all sockets should now be RCD protected inducing the ones in the OP's loft. OK that is one "gotcha", I did not realise all sockets were to be RCD protected I thought it only applied those with wiring less than 50mm deep in the walls. Afraid so, even sockets fed from SWA or in trunking. However you could feed a RCD socket with SWA or truncked cable. The same now applies for lights in domestic properties. -- Adam |
#14
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Is this CU right
Tricky Dicky wrote:
ARW wrote: Strictly speaking all sockets should now be RCD protected inducing the ones in the OP's loft. OK that is one "gotcha" If you don't want that circuit to share an RCD with others, put it on an RCBO instead of MCB? |
#15
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Is this CU right
On 26/08/2019 08:25, ARW wrote:
On 26/08/2019 00:23, Fredxx wrote: On 25/08/2019 20:38, Harry Bloomfield wrote: Tricky Dicky wrote : RCD 1 80A Kitchen - ring main with 2.5mm2 T&E with 32A MCB Fridge and freezer on a none RCD circuit, to avoid food spoiling if there is an RCD tripped in your absence? Tricky unless you use SWA or pay a lot of detail to the cable route. It's a CU swap not a rewire. Strictly speaking all sockets should now be RCD protected inducing the ones in the OP's loft. I thought a CU swap counted as a rewire? Would a fused outlet to the freezer also need RCD protection? DO the new rules apply to all 'outlets'? |
#16
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Is this CU right
On 26/08/2019 16:18, Fredxx wrote:
On 26/08/2019 08:25, ARW wrote: On 26/08/2019 00:23, Fredxx wrote: On 25/08/2019 20:38, Harry Bloomfield wrote: Tricky Dicky wrote : RCD 1 80A Kitchen - ring main with 2.5mm2 T&E with 32A MCB Fridge and freezer on a none RCD circuit, to avoid food spoiling if there is an RCD tripped in your absence? Tricky unless you use SWA or pay a lot of detail to the cable route. It's a CU swap not a rewire. Strictly speaking all sockets should now be RCD protected inducing the ones in the OP's loft. I thought a CU swap counted as a rewire? It's not. Trust me. It is however one of the three notifiable Part P jobs. Would a fused outlet to the freezer also need RCD protection? DO the new rules apply to all 'outlets'? I sometimes look forward to meeting the apprentices. -- Adam |
#17
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Is this CU right
On 26/08/2019 08:25, ARW wrote:
On 26/08/2019 00:23, Fredxx wrote: On 25/08/2019 20:38, Harry Bloomfield wrote: Tricky Dicky wrote : RCD 1 80A Kitchen - ring main with 2.5mm2 T&E with 32A MCB Fridge and freezer on a none RCD circuit, to avoid food spoiling if there is an RCD tripped in your absence? Tricky unless you use SWA or pay a lot of detail to the cable route. It's a CU swap not a rewire. Strictly speaking all sockets should now be RCD protected inducing the ones in the OP's loft. So you are up in the loft faffing about using something electrical when suddenly POP, off goes all the lights, and you then end up in the bedroom via the most direct route ?.` |
#18
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Is this CU right
On 26/08/2019 20:34, Andrew wrote:
On 26/08/2019 08:25, ARW wrote: On 26/08/2019 00:23, Fredxx wrote: On 25/08/2019 20:38, Harry Bloomfield wrote: Tricky Dicky wrote : RCD 1 80A Kitchen - ring main with 2.5mm2 T&E with 32A MCB Fridge and freezer on a none RCD circuit, to avoid food spoiling if there is an RCD tripped in your absence? Tricky unless you use SWA or pay a lot of detail to the cable route. It's a CU swap not a rewire. Strictly speaking all sockets should now be RCD protected inducing the ones in the OP's loft. So you are up in the loft faffing about using something electrical when suddenly POP, off goes all the lights, and you then end up in the bedroom via the most direct route ?.` Well that depends if you fell trough the loft just because it went dark or if it whet dark whist getting an electric shock! -- Adam |
#19
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Is this CU right
On 25/08/2019 19:20, Tricky Dicky wrote:
snip Shower - This is a temporary circuit as the shower will be replaced with a digital type when the bathroom is done over so I will utilise the current 4mm2 T&E & 32A MCB till then. A 7kW shower is ok but many installs suggest 6mm. The voltage drop at 7kW will also limit the length of 4mm^2 cable too. |
#20
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Is this CU right
On 25/08/2019 19:20, Tricky Dicky wrote:
It is getting to the point where I am ready to install my main CU so just checking for any "gotchas" that I have not considered. The unit I am going for is this https://www.toolstation.com/mk-metal...er-unit/p77771 Have you bought it yet? Just I have spotted an alternative. -- Adam |
#21
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Is this CU right
On 26/08/2019 10:53, ARW wrote:
On 25/08/2019 19:20, Tricky Dicky wrote: It is getting to the point where I am ready to install my main CU so just checking for any "gotchas" that I have not considered. The unit I am going for is this https://www.toolstation.com/mk-metal...er-unit/p77771 Have you bought it yet? Just I have spotted an alternative. Don't keep us in suspense ! |
#22
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Is this CU right
On 26/08/2019 20:37, Andrew wrote:
On 26/08/2019 10:53, ARW wrote: On 25/08/2019 19:20, Tricky Dicky wrote: It is getting to the point where I am ready to install my main CU so just checking for any "gotchas" that I have not considered. The unit I am going for is this https://www.toolstation.com/mk-metal...er-unit/p77771 Have you bought it yet? Just I have spotted an alternative. Don't keep us in suspense ! I had spotted this https://www.screwfix.com/p/british-g...mer-unit/1460x It would need a few extra RCBOs but they are only £15 at TLC. -- Adam |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
[OT-ish] Left over right, right over left | UK diy | |||
DIY - Buy the right Tools - Learn how to do it right? | Home Repair | |||
The importance of the right kind of business uniform in dictating theimpression of your corporate business over the customer's minds is undeniable.With the right kind of business uniforms, your battle is half won. After all,everyone likes to see well | UK diy | |||
Catnic Lintel, is this the right one? | UK diy | |||
Right angle TV cable plugs | UK diy |