CONSUMER UNIT INSTALLATION... ADVICE PEASE...!

[sb_89]

Some meters Still have voltage present until a load is drawn, if you turn the board off the voltage is there but as soon as u turn an mcb on and try and draw a load it disconnects. its not an induced voltage, it's more than likely a true voltage reading, if your measuring it with a neon though , just get somebody else to do it lol

You can prove this by sticking your

Meter on the main switch with everything turned off - its live until you turn a breaker on with something plugged in

 

[steptoe]

I think this is playing with fire,

i agree with Parky, its one thing telling someone to turn off the main switch and then explaining to them how to fit their fancy new light,

telling someone how to change their CU is something else altogether,

I personally dont want blood on my hands if/when this all ends in tears.

 

[ParkySparky]

Thank you steptoe I just feel its so far out of his depth it's a wind up!!!!

 

[Andy™]

You may as well blindfold yourself and walk across the M25 in rush hour

thats not exactly dangerous, you will just bump into stationary vehicles...

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Thank you steptoe I just feel its so far out of his depth it's a wind up!!!!

i hope it is, but i wouldnt be surprised if it isnt.

 

[chris301up]

Right. This is my last post as I am just getting nowhere.

My existing wiring was simply single radials throughout the house, which I am now removing and replacing with ring mains upstairs, downstairs and in the kitchen.

I have taken out the old 10mm shower and cooker cable and upgraded it to 16mm which will be connected to the CU by their own dedicated circuits.

The earth bonding has been renewed to shower, central heating, gas and water and is 10mm.

Yes. I do rely on the credit in the key meter. I only put a couple of pounds on the key and when it runs out all the power is off. After all, it's simply a mains switch!

We have measured the voltage on the tails currently connected to the shower switch/fuse and it reads zero. On the other hand the tails connected to the fuse board still read approx. 220 volts. These readings were taken with a voltmeter when the credit ran out.

Please bear in mind that both sets of tails are connected to the same place in the meter. So again, why is there power to one set and not the other?

 

[ParkySparky]

Need a pic of tails connected in meter.

 

[samson337]

Unless you show pics, no one can answer. Why have you put 16mm for cooker and shower? Are you putting 10mm for sockets

 

[ParkySparky]

So there's no money on meter yet your saying you've got voltage? Still seems a tad low. Approx 220v? Did the meter say approx? Mine gives an actual reading with audible sound and flashing light so you def know its live! I wouldn't trust approx!!!!!

Does anything work on that board? Lights? Sockets?

Unless you show pics, no one can answer. Why have you put 16mm for cooker and shower? Are you putting 10mm for sockets

Can't wait for him to terminate that in a pull cord and in shower terminals!!!!!!

 

[M107]

Are you sure the tails for both CU's are terminated to the same location............photo is needed.

If you have credit on the meter, what reading do you get on the shower tails?......................

Have to say I agree with the others, relying on the meter running out is not advisable for a safe means of isolation. Why not if you are insisting on undertaking the cu change yourself,get a sparks in to fit an isolator to the tails for you.

 

[betty swollocks]

To be fair to the guy he is only asking for advice on an electrical problem, however for me the answer has to be definitive because of the serious implications

Because of this I would only be comfortable giving help and advice on this if I was standing right next to the guy, seeing what he was measuring with, where he was measuring and to be sure he was doing this safely, after-all it's his own house

I'm not sure even pictures will allow somebody to say for 100% certainty that what he was doing was safe and correct

So my advice would be, if you must do it yourself but you know a sparks allow him to over see what your doing

That way we can all look forward to post no.2

Also known as 'my rcd won't set...'

Sorry just a joke

 

[Sharpend]

Chris this is my last post on the subject as I'm getting nowhere.

Whilst I am an electrician and sometimes expected to be a magician I am certainly not a psychic. So may I advise you to get a local electrician to actually take a look and answer you question.

It amazes me that people ask an electrician or in this case a forum of electricians for advice, don't hear what they expect to hear and still choose to ignore the advice given. However they'd be happy to ask a legal professional for advice and pay extortionate money for the privilege and still not hear what they want but will accept that the legal is right.

So from today I wish to be known as the 'legal electrician'!!!

 

[Ash]

Right. This is my last post as I am just getting nowhere.

My existing wiring was simply single radials throughout the house, which I am now removing and replacing with ring mains upstairs, downstairs and in the kitchen.

What's wrong with radials? Death to the ring

I have taken out the old 10mm shower and cooker cable and upgraded it to 16mm which will be connected to the CU by their own dedicated circuits.

16mm cooker cable, why? 16mm Shower cable, sure whatever

The earth bonding has been renewed to shower, central heating, gas and water and is 10mm.

only gas and water was needed

Yes. I do rely on the credit in the key meter. I only put a couple of pounds on the key and when it runs out all the power is off. After all, it's simply a mains switch!

That money you keep pumping into the meter could have bought you a basic voltage indicator, like this example: Kewtech KEW1700 Voltage Tester | Screwfix.com

We have measured the voltage on the tails currently connected to the shower switch/fuse and it reads zero. On the other hand the tails connected to the fuse board still read approx. 220 volts. These readings were taken with a voltmeter when the credit ran out.

Something tells me you key meter isn't disconnecting

Please bear in mind that both sets of tails are connected to the same place in the meter. So again, why is there power to one set and not the other?

The key meter isn't a main switch, just because it appears to be doing it's job doesn't make it is a proper way of isolating the power

 

[Sharpend]

Realised that the legal electrician won't work, the regs are not law only guidelines...................ah! That explains many choose to ignore our advice, we are only guides!!!!

 

[paul b b]

why even bother wondering why there is 220v at one set of tails? just be safe and pull the fuse! no compitent sparky would trust that credit had run out, what if the meter is faulty and sudenly sticks a quid on when you have hold of the tails! just pull the fuse!

as others have said, photo paints a thousand words.

why install tails temp? you will have to faff about again with the meter, why are you going to upgrade? what size are they? what rating main fuse do you have?

16mm for a shower? you better get some credit on that meter for that lol thats going to be some shower!

 

[Doc Hudson]

Ok. I'll take on board what your all saying. But that still does not detract from the question I asked in the first instance.Why is one set of tails dead and the other isn't?My son-in-law is going to check this further with his multi-meter later in the week.

The answer to your question is that you have not proved anything as you are not using approved testing methods or equipment. Also part P building regs applies to all CU changes, DIY or proffessional.Doc H

 

[streetlighter]

Might be best to have the supplier install a Double Pole isolator switch after the meter, some will do this free of charge others might charge a small fee. This is not to say im going to agree with a DIYer replacing there consumer unit following the instructions in a (un)helpful Bogit & Quiver leaflet !

Wish they would control the sale of items like consumer units to only registered scheme members or JIB card holders, stop the bloody DIYers killing this trade i mean you dont see many doing there own gasworks now.

 

[ParkySparky]

Streetlighter I doff my hat sir!! My words exactly!!!

 

[streetlighter]

Really ****ess me off going in Bodjit warehouse at the weekend and seeing all the DIYers in the electrical section looking confused, its either that or "the bloke down the pub" will do it for

 

[Badger]

Multimeter? Maplin?

:slap

 

[husky2013]

Chris (OP) please, i ask you to stop what you are doing or it could end in a fatality.

Using the credit run out on the PAYG meter is not a safe form of isolation to begin with,

there is a procedure that you should follow to achieve complete safe isolation and im sure most would agree with me that the above mentioned method is not the correct way and is utterly dangerous.

Neon screwdrivers are not accurate by any means, most of them not even usefull enough as terminal drivers, they do not give u readings,

but i agree that a multimeter would.

If your going to insist on completing this job yourself, i would urge you that you take all the advice possible from those whom offer it within this forum, they are experienced and helpfull but as im sure youve found they will not help you unless you are willing to help yourself.

Pictures of the installation in its existing state would be beneficial so that we can help you assess your questions.

Is the installation a TNCS/TNS/TT

Do you feel that you are confident enough to complete all necessary testing for the installation both dead and live testing?

If tails are still showing a 'voltage' then this indicates to myself that maybe something somewhere you have missed thus pictures would help immensely.

Sorry if you dont feel that this is helpful at all but we are simply trying to prevent you from recieving a serious electrical shock and potentially killing yourself.

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Really ****ess me off going in Bodjit warehouse at the weekend and seeing all the DIYers in the electrical section looking confused, its either that or "the bloke down the pub" will do it for