Type tested consumer units .

[Evans Electric]

Fitted an Eaton single phase board in a small industrial unit yesterday , which was fine BTW . 

Couple of things :

Had a confusing conversation with the wholesaler who was offering me ,what I call a Consumer Unit  , a metal box with square knockouts instead of 20 / 25mm  KOs .     One was found with round KOs in it .

On the paperwork , Eaton too call it a Consumer Unit.     I suppose it would be OK for house bashing , using rubber gromitts Etc.

The other thing , their paperwork clearly states ..." All components used in the Eaton CU must be supplied by or approved by Eaton.   Anything else will negate ant testing / certification ansd warranty issued by Eaton. "

It then gives the  type testing specification for the components such as MCBs  to EN 60898  etc

I know we've had this before but lets look at real life ..........you are working 300 miles away , its Sunday & you need a 16A Eaton breaker to finish the job & go home and all you have is a 16A of another make but type tested to EN 60898...........do you fit it & return to the bosum of your family 300 miles away or book into a hotel , get razzled in the bar , go to bed drunk, spew up in the bed, wake up with a hangover , drive round looking for a wholesaler that sells Eaton , get pulled by the law , breathalised , over the limit from night before , locked up for the night , your brand new van crushed, ytour paperwork mixed up at the Police station who now think you are a terrorist  , they move you to a secure holding prison , your identity is lost forever  , found guilty of plotting terroism and sent to Guamtanamo Bay where you are never seen or heard of again.

See !!...I told you to fit that Wylex breaker but would you listen !!!!  

 

[pewter]

perhaps the consumer unit you bought was missing the paperwork that said you can only use eaton, so you assumed the Wylex one on the van would be ok and fitted that and then went home.

 

[Evans Electric]

Yes thats right Pewt, no paperwork , I'm not a terrorist after all , I just fitted a perfectly good , type tested MCB & went home ...all was well , the town of Bedford Falls was just as it used to be , everyone still knew me .... hey!!   ZouZou's petals  ...yeah thats right , every time a bell rings ....Ooooh what happens ...come on you all know ....???  

 

[ProDave]

I have alweays been of the opinion if it fits PROPERLY then fit it.

My gripe is different makes of mcb built to the same BS spec can have busbar entry at different heights and even a different size. So as long as the one you fit matches properly then I don't see a problem.

After all they are ALL designed to be used in a row with other mcb's adjacent and touching.

It may look naff with one odd one of a different make with the switch dolly at a different height and and colour, but looking naff does not make it unsafe.  After all fit a new MK breaker into an old MK board and that looks just as naff as if you had fitted a different make.

My guess is, the advice not to fit a different make is because they don't trust us to select one that fits properly.  I have encountered some right bodges where a different make with a different busbar height has been bodged in either by bending the busbar or fitting spacer washers beleive it or not.

Now if only they would change BS EN 60898 to stipulate the busbar entry details, they would be forced to make them all the same and the problem would go away.

 

[ProDave]

Fitted an Eaton single phase board in a small industrial unit yesterday , which was fine BTW . 

Couple of things :

Couldn't you have got a cheap, end of line plastic one. It would have been fine to use it there, and probably very cheap.

 

[Essex1]

It is not just how secure it my fit. There are internal space things going on to allow heat dissipation. Installing different MCBs may not allow this process to happen correctly and limit performance. 

 

[Evans Electric]

Couldn't you have got a cheap, end of line plastic one. It would have been fine to use it there, and probably very cheap.

Dave:

No, its in a small industrial unit , row of them all used for car body repair or mechanics so an SWA  to be glanded in and couple of conduits  .  Hence I didn't want a metal "Domestic" one  with the square KOs in it .

Essex

I've seen "rogue"  breakers in boards for years and , apart from looking unprofessional,  the fit is right and the rogue is a 60898 theres not really a problem , just something else we have to address .

And apparently , many circuit breakers are made at the same place, just branded differently , like Crabtree & Volex , exactly the same product badged up differently. 

As a side issue , I've been hearing a similar thing lately with car parts ,  some makers are bilking at generic parts being fitted .  

 

[roys]

Just ask LFB if it is OK or not.

 

[Hefferl]

Great technical advise from Schneider:

My email to schneider:

Hello I need a Clipsal CMB132 MCB. I gather these are now obsolete. Can you
advise me of a compatible device please?; Many thanks

schneider email to me:

Unfortunately Clipsal MCB's have been made obsolete and were made obsolete a
few years ago now.
Schneider can only offer Merlin Gerin or Square D MCB's but they do not fit the
same and are different parts