Good morning all, I relise the changes to bs7671 regards any new install must have metal consumer unit. And you are still allowed to use existing units with spare ways. My question is if I add a new solar pv system can i still use a new plastic cu dedicated to pv system only in a domestic home and any out buildings ie garage ect. Or must they also be metal.
Plastic CU
- Thread starter Gian
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You really need to find a spark
you will find ot hard to get a new plastic CU, just use a metal mini-board.
But do you expect us to spend thousands keeping up with the regs which constantly change and all the necessary insurances and memberships just to give it away
The work you are proposing falls under BS 7671 and part P - neither of which you seem bothered about so what do you expect?
It's unlikely that a professional forum will give step by step advice
And I'm not on many other forums either
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Sharpend
"It Just Is"
Whilst this forum is predominantly friendly, I too agree with Murdoch that it is not in our nor the OP’s interest to give free step by step instruction in this instance.
I would suggest that it would be prudent of the OP to employ the services of a local spark for design, supervision and certification of the installation.
This ensures that there is no misinterpretation of any free advice offered here and ultimately a safe installation to serve the OP for years to come.
I would suggest that it would be prudent of the OP to employ the services of a local spark for design, supervision and certification of the installation.
This ensures that there is no misinterpretation of any free advice offered here and ultimately a safe installation to serve the OP for years to come.
You can still use plastic boards in garages and the like, although you can also get IP rated metal boards too.
I would suggest getting a spark involved before you start work, non of us like people phoning up asking to get their DiY signed off and certified after the work has been done, but many of us are happy for customers to do the 'donkey work' like pulling cables etc etc, provided we have been involved from the start. We also mosty like to do any terminating cables ie the bits that matter most.
Sharpens thank you so much, appoligies but people assuming from basic questions that I don't understand. I do, but it's mostly not asking how to do it never asked this, more about are they can they still be used as they are on sale. I would never ask anyone to tell me how to do it as I have plenty of information for this. Murdock may be a great person, I am sure he is and I would say knowligable, actually very. If he or any person thinks that the site should solely be for electricians then say so. I will just delete my account. I read lots of posts which I think are very good. This is why I was hocked to it. What was wrong in asking about plastic cu sold in stores. Question was just can you still use them or are they OK for garages only. That was it really. Thank you again.
Sharpend
"It Just Is"
It’s not about the question you ask but the context it is asked in. Had you not of indicated what You were doing and what You had done thus far then a simple question about plastic CU’s would be clearly answered, however the question tied with the other information you provided gives reason for us to suspect that you are considering this as something that you may do.
Now you say that from basic questions that we might assume that you don’t understand but you believe you do, however just because you believe you do doesn’t mean that you actually do, i.e. picking something to install and knowing that it is installed correctly are two completely different concepts. What about compliance, what about testing, what about certification, warranty, insurance etc, do you have the knowledge of all these things and how to undertake them?
it would be tragic if you were given advice that was above your abilities and you were killed by attempting to follow what You believed you understood to be required, effectively you could be killed by someone you don’t know by a piece of advice you thought you understood?
we as professionals have to make a decision as to what advice and information we are willing to give freely, both for our piece of mind and the safety of the person asking.
Now you say that from basic questions that we might assume that you don’t understand but you believe you do, however just because you believe you do doesn’t mean that you actually do, i.e. picking something to install and knowing that it is installed correctly are two completely different concepts. What about compliance, what about testing, what about certification, warranty, insurance etc, do you have the knowledge of all these things and how to undertake them?
it would be tragic if you were given advice that was above your abilities and you were killed by attempting to follow what You believed you understood to be required, effectively you could be killed by someone you don’t know by a piece of advice you thought you understood?
we as professionals have to make a decision as to what advice and information we are willing to give freely, both for our piece of mind and the safety of the person asking.
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Your opening statement, quoted above, is factually incorrect.
BS7671 does not say any new install must have a metal consumer unit.
Which is probably why others reading it would get the impression you could be intending to do work outside the scope of your ability.
In which case, due to the dangers of working with a substance that could kill you, or any member of your household in less than a second,
it would be foolish to offer guidance encouraging someone to do work that probably also needs correct design, testing, certifying, (maybe Part P notification).. etc..
to ensure that it will fail-safe..
Electrical work is NOT about getting something to work.. (that's easy)..
It is ensuring it "fails safe" in the event of a fault that is the critical bit often missed of confident DIY'ers, Builders, Kitchen fitters, etc.. (who know what they are doing).
Guinness
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OR.. plastic CU in a non-combustible enclosure...
AND only applicable in DOMESTIC installations...
Can you spot any clues as to where combustible plastic enclosures are still permitted?
Hence why they are still manufactured and sold?
As with a lot of aspects of compliance with BS7671 "there is more than one way to skin-a-cat"...
AND correct terminology is a really BIG indication of what a complete stranger asking questions really understands.. (or doesn't understand)..
Other similar statements such as: Sockets MUST be a 2.5mm 'Ring-main'...
Or I have replaced my 63Amap RCD with an 80A RCD but it still trips when the washing machine is running...
Or I have a live & neutral connected to my light switch can I tap off it to supply a new outside light?
etc.. etc..
Anyone claiming to know what they are talking about..
then stating something that is clearly incorrect will 99.9999999% of the time suggest a level of incompetence.
Hence... the context of some of the earlier replies.
Guinness
As it should be. We do suffer from YouTube experts who pop in here occasionally, and find their handiwork out in the field. My next door neighbours son i law is a bus driver who thinks he can do my job. I asked him once how good a bus driver I would be if I watched a load a Youtube videos on how to drive a bus - didn't get much of a response to that :slap
I have much more confidance in you I am sure you could handle an artic. Just watch YouTube
love a bit of artic conditions....
