Reccomend me a CU please

[Tony S]

Hi Tony,

I don't have a problem with that. At that stage, it's not my property anyway.

I realise that my previous label  "F*CK OFF 5WW", may not be universally understood, but the one below would be.

Dave, I realise that puts my chance of an order on the iffy list.

SBS Dave

View attachment 7353

DAVE!

I’ve got to clean my monitor and keyboard now, I was having a drink when I spotted way 3!

 

[ProDave]

I shan't be ordering THAT type of blank.

All looks good, I am hoping to get the go ahead on this job by Monday. 
 

 

[Tony S]

As I said, this job because its not the run of the mill has got me interested. I sincerely hope the job goes your way Dave as I really would like to see the outcome.

Dave→Dave← Dave→Dave← Dave→Dave ad infinitum et ultra

 

[ProDave]

Just to update this thread.

The CU arrived from SBS on Monday, only 1 working day later than predicted, which is considered fast delivery in these remote parts.

I have made one small alteration to the picture in post ID60. That is to move the two neutral bars further to the right, omitting the (redundant for this type of N bar) plastic brackets. The thinking is it should then leave all the neutral tails from the rcbo's terminated at the extreme right of the CU above the main switch, leaving all the space above the rcbo's themselves for unobstructed terminating of the final circuits.

I am stuck all this week first fixing a new build with the grumpy builder chasing me because he wants to get the plasterboard on. I hope to get to do this job next week or failing that the week after.

 

 

[Tony S]

It would be good to see the final results Dave

 

[ProDave]

Here's what you have all been waiting for. After a long wait, I did this job today.  Some pictures.

Before (well nearly I had just started untangling it then remembered to take a photo)



There were a lot of redundant circuits, some unlabelled, and some with completely the wrong size mcb (16A lighting, 40A immersion heater)

By the time I had worked out what was really needed I could populate the CU with the rcbo's.  I over ordered on a sale or return basis so I had more rcbo's than I needed so I stood a fair chance of having enough to get it right (the joys of doing a job over 100 miles away from the nearest wholesaler)



Note the gaps between the big rcbo's. the right hand N bar is only being used for the 50A rcbo and one of the 6A ones. All the rest are on the left hand neutral bar.

And here it is at the end of the day.



 

This is using rear cable entry and SBS Dave's rear stand off frame. Most cables then exiting at the left but a few come down out of the ceiling.

And that 50A load, the electric boiler. I measured it at 48.3A.  It appears to have a soft start in that it takes about 3 minutes two get to full load, I think it's switching in heater elements in banks.  I ran the heating for half an hour and checked all joints and everything was solid and not the slightest hint of anything even getting slightly warm.

Just as an aside, this job was about 75 miles from my home, over on the north west coast. The journey took 1 1/2 hours each way and at no point was I even following another car, let alone held up in traffic.  It was a glorious day up here in the northern Highlands, and I wouldn't wish to be anywhere else.

 

[Sharpend]

Nice job Dave, however with the way you described the journey in thinking there must have been some nice scenery? If so next town can we have some photos of that too!  :Salute

 

[ProDave]

The journey took me up the A838 (a single track trunk road, you get used to them) passed (amongst others) the mountains of Ben Stack, Arkle and Fionavan. the house I was working at had views to the south over the sea loch Inchard, and north over an inland loch towards Cape Wrath.

I'll just remind you all, my house is for sale, and you to could be working amongst splendid scenery, and if you buy my house I promise to retire so you won't have competition from me.
 

 

[SBS Dave]

Hi Dave,

It looks like a great result and thank you posting the photos.

I see you were able to accommodate all the RCBO neutral and earth leads, without cutting them back, with the white earths bunched neatly in the top L/H corner.

Even if you had cut back the neutrals, the 2-screw terminals hold the stranded cables very well, without fitting ferrules.

I am sure the lack of overheating at the terminals is down to the split neutral bars and the double busbars, so it "did what it said on the tin".

Thanks once again for allowing me to demonstrate the bespoke service I can offer, as well as bog-standard DBs.

SBS Dave

 

[ProDave]

Yes it's certainly an improvement over what is there. The customer (a retired couple) were very concerned about the original Proteus CU that had been overheating, which they only discovered when they stripped the old box off the wall that was covering the consumer units and the meter. (Apparently it came so low down the wall, and stuck out so far, it was a nuisance.)  that's why I was so determined to find a better solution that I had confidence would not give further problems.

Now they have one neat CU above the door, they are going to box in around the meter and supply head and leave the CU on show as it's so neat. The new boxing in will be a lot slimmer and won't come down as far.  There are a couple of light switch cables on the surface that the owner will chase in as far as the new boxing so it should all look neat and tidy when finished.

The other refinements to what was there before, gone is the old Sangmo timer that used to control the immersion heater. the immersion heater is now controlled via the "hot water" output of the central heating programer, switched via contactor.
 

 

[AlanWirral]

Not been on here for a lonnngggg! A nice thread this to come back to 

My initial thoughts was that I'd spilt the higher loads into a separate board via a Henley. That 'Custom' board is great though and the service offered by Dave is really impressive! Cutting off the busbar tabs would certainly add the extra step to make sure the heat issue never came back too.

Out of interest what is the supply to the property? I find the infared thermometer comes in really handy for times like this also!

 

[ProDave]

It's a pretty standard 100A TNCS supply.  It's actually just a small 2 bedroom bungalow. It's really only that 50A electric boiler that's the unusual load. The other big loads are an 8.5KW shower on a 40A, the cooker, and ordinary free standing type, on a 32A, and a submain to the outbuildings on a 40A.  There are two garages and a static caravan on that submain used as workshops and studio's.

It was two cu's originally, the MEM board was the main CU from years ago. The little Proteus board was added I think when the electric boiler was fitted and was on the verge of melting, hence the reason for the job.
 

 

[AlanWirral]

A job well done I'd say my good man