Disconnecting AC feed from panels at consumer unit

Talk Electrician Forum

Help Support Talk Electrician Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Houdi

New member
Joined
Jan 18, 2016
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Location
Midlands
Hi,

Firstly I'm not a qualified electrician so please bear with as they say.

I've just had solar pv panels installed but unfortunately the cable which runs from the control box (it has a li-on battery storage and associated control box) to the clamp on the incoming cable from the grid got damaged and needs to be replaced.

I've been given a replacement cable by the installation company but can't get anyone from their company to call me back to arrange installation - so I'll have to do it myself.

The cable is straight forward as has clamp at one end and an Ethernet connection at the other. 

The problem I have is that to get it through the hole in the house wall to reach the conduit which runs to the loft, I'll have to disconnect and temporarily remove the AC cable from the control box to the consumer unit as it passes through the same hole and restricts it.

Alternatively I could drill a parallel hole but it will need to be large enough to accept an Ethernet plug.

my questions are:

1. Will it be fairly obvious where the AC cable is connected inside the consumer unit? (I've never dared open one before)

2. Will turning the large switch off on the consumer unit isolate it sufficiently for me to work within it - or is there some other way of isolating it?

Yes - I know I shouldn't be contemplating doing this myself, but the only other alternative is to pay an electrician to do it - and I've just had to pay for the panels so am skint.

Thanks

 
turning off the main switch should isolate the board (except the incoming cables), but you will need a tester / multimeter to check that it has isolated the supply correctly and its safe to work on. removing the cable will probably be reasonable straight forward, as would re-connecting

but if you have any doubts, get someone else to do it

 
£30-50 or kill yourself after spending £6k?

I would drill parallel hole and stay away from the leccy, Cat cable shouldn't be run paralleli to mains anyway, though I suspect you have an amp-clamp cable which should be ok

 
I cannot believe that the company who installed your system is not prepared to do this for you? Trading standards fit for purpose and all that!!

 
Hi,

Thanks for the replies.

I've had a closer look at the cable I need to disconnect and it goes into the side of a gray rcd box, which was installed as part of the pv panel setup - this will save me having to take the consumer unit apart.

There is a large red isolator to the left of the rcd - do you think that it will isolate the rcd from the mains?

Thanks

 
it may do, but like i said before, you will need something to test the cable really is isolated, other than your finger or you might end up dead

or it could be wired to the RCD first

 
Last edited by a moderator:
it may do, but like i said before, you will need something to test the cable really is isolated, other than your finger or you might end up dead

or it could be wired to the RCD first


it may do, but like i said before, you will need something to test the cable really is isolated, other than your finger or you might end up dead

or it could be wired to the RCD first
Thanks - I have a multimeter and will check first for sure.

I cannot believe that the company who installed your system is not prepared to do this for you? Trading standards fit for purpose and all that!!
I'm surprised too but they don't respond to emails or return calls so I've no choice as I need to get this working correctly

 
Top