"Badged" consumer units .....

[Murdoch]

OK, customer has a 13 year old "sector" branded consumer unit with an over sensitive RCD.

Haven't found any new units as yet badged Sector but have found the Wylex equivalent or used units on Fleabay

so new Wylex or used Sector

I think the new product route is better

Thoughts?

Thanks

 

[Andy™]

better but not compliant...

 

[UNG]

Wasn't Sector a Senate electrical or Denmans own brand

 

[Fleeting]

Neither tell them they need a complete replacement.

 

[Murdoch]

Neither tell them they need a complete replacement.

Absolutely not

 

[Fleeting]

Absolutely not

Up to you if you want to fit a non compatible or used device, your business integrity not mine.

 

[Murdoch]

Wasn't Sector a Senate electrical or Denmans own brand

Made by Wylex iirc

 

[Murdoch]

Up to you if you want to fit a non compatible or used device, your business integrity not mine.

I’ll let you tell them they have to replace the whole lot then

And you wonder why people think trades people are ripping them off

Younger sparks break rules all the time and nobody gives a toss

 

[Fleeting]

I’ll let you tell them they have to replace the whole lot then

And you wonder why people think trades people are ripping them off

Younger sparks break rules all the time and nobody gives a toss

Not my problem I tell them like it is.
No one is ripping anyone off, they have a choice.
What other people do is not relevant you don't need to join the club. Our trade is rapidly descending into disarray it is up to you if you want to enforce those statistics.

It won't be me driving off thinking, should I have done that.

 

[binky]

Never heard of that brand, so unlikely to be Denmans, as I have been using them for decades. If wylex fits, you could replace the MCBs aswell instead of replacing the entire board, to be more compliant.

 

[Fleeting]

Never heard of that brand, so unlikely to be Denmans, as I have been using them for decades. If wylex fits, you could replace the MCBs aswell instead of replacing the entire board, to be more compliant.

Compliant with what?
Unless you fit Sector which is a known poor quality brand how is it compliant according to the manufacturer?

 

[johnb2713]

Absolutely not

Problem is the Nanny State here and no common sense. I absolutely agree with you that a complete unit replacement is ridiculous, compliant but ridiculous.

 

[ProDave]

About the same era, there was another one, Marbo, also a badged Wylex board. I think Screweys sold them.

My take is it is the "manufacturer" that matters. Since neither Marbo or Sector actually made them, the manufacturer was Wylex. So I would have no hesitation fitting a Wylex part into it.

If someone is going to have a hissy fit about that, then all I can say is the days to retirement are counting down and I can't wait.

 

[binky]

Kely

Compliant with what?
Unless you fit Sector which is a known poor quality brand how is it compliant according to the manufacturer?

We put MCBs and RCDs into enclosures made by other manufacturers all the time. The issue has always been the thermal effects of protective devices fitted beside other protective devices. I don't see boards as any different to any other plastic enclosures

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Wylex, Crabtree & Volex brands are all part of the Electrium group..

But not 100% sure who/what/where the Sector brand is/was part off.
Although as UNG suggests other googling does suggests they were Rexel-Senate own brand, possibly manufactured by Wylex?

In my box of old tat I have a Sector MCB..
which if compared with a Volex & Wylex MCB there are both similarities and slight differences in the casings, terminal connections, toggle switches..

From my random sample the Sector MCB looks a bit more like the Volex rather than the Wylex...

However we do also know that not even the same manufactures products always keep their external dimensions un-altered!



No idea what how the RCD's may or may not differ..?
But if they have any "L" or "N" designations printed on them that could affect what may or may not be a suitable replacement.?

i.e. Left-hand -vs- Right-hand main switch position..
e.g. Wylex & Volex main switches are very similar but have "N" marked on opposite terminals!


Personally I tend to find it un-economically viable for me to spend time trying to track down an obsolete product for any customers..
And I don't supply or fit second-hand equipment without any manufactures warranties...

So if a google can't locate a suitable new product relatively quickly it becomes too much hassle for minimal return...

Just tell them the truth..
That their CU is from an obsolete manufacture who you cannot get replacement parts for anymore, so just as with any other products, (Washing machine, Vacuum cleaner, TV, Coffee maker etc.. etc.. etc.. ) if you can no longer get parts you either put up with what you currently have or replace it!

 

[Mike P]

Sector is an own brand CU from rexel senate electrical wholesalers.

The newer ones are rebranded electruim CUs, the same as wylex, volex, crabtree etc are.

IIRC the older ones were rebadged GE CUs

 

[mort2376]

I'd offer the choice of second hand from fleabay (other dodgy second hand sites are available) which leaves the unit in no worse a condition than you found it but explain that it may fail again in a short period or new unit with additional protection.

I don't fit other manufacturers parts at all as I'm not taking on responsibility for that unit then being fully safe and compliant.

We do seem to jump in with new unit when we see an older model so I feeling offering a choice but explaining it fully is the best way forward.

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

The bottom line is how each of us decide to interpret and/or implement guidance such as:-

530.3.4 introduced in the 17th ed Red book..
and further Reg's 536.4.201 -> 536.4.203 introduced in the 18th ed Blue book..
which refer to approved components specified by the manufactures used in domestic consumer units...

And is complicated by the abundance of obsolete manufactures who ceased trading, manufacturers who have been taken over, own brand ranges for various wholesalers that may been discontinued..
And
Products that look the same but have different manufactures names..
Or Products that have the same manufacture name but look different!!

e.g. Tenby were acquired by Legrand..
and protective devices continued with new name brand printed..


But GE have same logo brand on clearly different manufactured items:


And a Contactum and BG MCB do look 99% identical..
but as far as I know they are independent companies not part of the same group etc??


So it all comes back to how we apply BS7671? and who will carry the can if the pooh does hit the fan at a later date???

 

[ProDave]

But GE have same logo brand on clearly different manufactured items:

Put three Wylex MCB's together a decade or more apart, you will see the same. Ditto MK and Crabtree and probably many others.

That is why I like Hager so much, they don't keep messing about with the design.

I have said before it is often possible to get a "wrong" make that fits better into an old board that the "correct" make. So I prefer to make a professional judgement.

For me it all about the busbar terminal being correct and matching the others already in the board. The output terminal does not matter one hoot, and the "ensure they all work together side by side" is another spurious argument. Every MCB ever made has been designed by it's manufacturer to work right next to and touching another MCB so they won't be able to tell the difference between a right one and a wrong one.

 

[kerching]

OK, customer has a 13 year old "sector" branded consumer unit with an over sensitive RCD.

Haven't found any new units as yet badged Sector but have found the Wylex equivalent or used units on Fleabay

so new Wylex or used Sector

I think the new product route is better

Thoughts?

Thanks

I may have one
I’ll have a look tomorrow if you want?