Why 10 Posts 1

[mattaeusbravo]

Why 10 posts

Mot sure

me neither

Seems Strange

I agree

Something about spam

Something odd

Absolutely

odd though

Doubtless some sagacious reason 

Ok let's try again

 

[ProDave]

Hi

Try introducing yourself and telling us what you want to talk about.

and welcome to the forum.

 

[M107]

Hello & welcome.

ask away & if you do need to put up any pictures I'm sure the mods will cut the need for a post count.

 

[Apache]

It's to stop spammers. We get them most days and there is not always a moderator online.

It has been a very positive thing to put them off.

 

[mattaeusbravo]

Hi Guys,

I have just bought a British General  Cugar1 Garage consumer unit from Screwfix to fit in a newly re-roofed barn.  I plan to use it as a garage/workshop and will re-wire as the the existing wiring is at least 50 years old. I will of course get my work checked by my electrician.

The problem is that there is no wiring diagram with the consumer unit.  After a trawl of the internet I did find a previous thread here entitled "Garage Consumer Unit Help Please Help" dated 21 Aug 14 by Ian72.  He appears to have had a very useful reply including a diagram from Evans Electric(21 Aug 0637).  Unfortunately I am unable to access this due to the 10 post rule.

Grateful if someone could re-post that to me.

Many thanks

Matt

 

[Ferg]

If your Electrician is going to check it over for you then one of the things he will be checking is terminations.

He will also have to undo some of them for testing.

It won't work out that much more expensive to get them to do the terminating in the first place.

This will also give you some extra peace of mind as poor termination can lead to all sorts of nasty problems.

 

[Apache]

Generally with a small consumer unit you will have 2 copper strips - one is for the earth (green/yellow) and the other for the neutral (blue).

The individual circuits connect into the bottom (usually) of the MCBs. The live/line/phase (whatever they call it this week, brown in colour) connect to the main switch or RCD that then put power into the bus bar - the metal bar the MCBs are attached onto.

Some consumer units come with a neutral link from the solid neutral bar, sometimes you need to create one with suitably sized cable.

Ensure where the cables enter that little fingers cannot poke through.

Sheath any exposed earth cables in green and yellow sleeving.

Try to keep things neat and keep the circuits in order (so first MCB, neutral in position 1, earth in position 1). It will work if mixed up, but messy to test and fault find.

I will update your account so you can see and post links.

 

[Andy™]

If your Electrician is going to check it over for you then one of the things he will be checking is terminations.

He will also have to undo some of them for testing.

It won't work out that much more expensive to get them to do the terminating in the first place.

This will also give you some extra peace of mind as poor termination can lead to all sorts of nasty problems.

if you just said that in the first place then im sure an admin would have changed your account settings by now

EDIT: never mind, patch just did....

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Generally with a small consumer unit you will have 2 copper strips - one is for the earth (green/yellow) and the other for the neutral (blue).

Terminal strips more likely Brass or Aluminum..

They will not have any colour identification until you attach some sticky terminal label numbers that should come with the unit.

The individual circuits connect into the bottom (usually) of the MCBs. The live/line/phase (whatever they call it this week, brown in colour) connect to the main switch or RCD that then put power into the bus bar - the metal bar the MCBs are attached onto.

The outgoing side where you connect your circuit cables is the TOP of the MCB..

The bottom is the incoming side from the main switch.

Some consumer units come with a neutral link from the solid neutral bar, sometimes you need to create one with suitably sized cable.

All consumer units come with a pre formed link/flex to connect the neutral bar to the outgoing neutral of the main switch.

And a solid bar to connect the MCB's to the outgoing live of the main switch.

Ensure where the cables enter that little fingers cannot poke through.

Sheath any exposed earth cables in green and yellow sleeving.

Try to keep things neat and keep the circuits in order (so first MCB, neutral in position 1, earth in position 1). It will work if mixed up, but messy to test and fault find.

I will update your account so you can see and post links.

my red above..

http://www.screwfix.com/p/bg-garage-kit-enclosure-5-module-ip55-40a-rcd-dual-6a-32a-mcb/68849?_requestid=138010#



Supply LN into the top of the RCD...

Supply E to earth bar

Live circuit#1 to MCB#1

Live circuit#2 to MCB#2

Neutrals to N bar

Earths to E bar...

BUT if you say....

I will of course get my work checked by my electrician.

any electrician who is going to check, certify and sign off the work..

will want to do dead continuity, polarity and insulation resistance tests before making anything live.

Then do live earth loop impedance tests..  RCD tests..

So if you do join the wires up...

They will need to be undone again to do the tests.!!

which IMHO its quicker saves wasted work by just bringing your cable to the CU and leave the connecting up for your electrician!

:coffee

 

[septiclecky]

Hi Guys,

I have just bought a British General  Cugar1 Garage consumer unit from Screwfix to fit in a newly re-roofed barn.  I plan to use it as a garage/workshop and will re-wire as the the existing wiring is at least 50 years old. I will of course get my work checked by my electrician.

The problem is that there is no wiring diagram with the consumer unit.  After a trawl of the internet I did find a previous thread here entitled "Garage Consumer Unit Help Please Help" dated 21 Aug 14 by Ian72.  He appears to have had a very useful reply including a diagram from Evans Electric(21 Aug 0637).  Unfortunately I am unable to access this due to the 10 post rule.

Grateful if someone could re-post that to me.

Many thanks

Matt

Oh deary me

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

The problem is that there is no wiring diagram with the consumer unit.  

Just for the record I will add that Consumer Units do not have wiring diagrams included as the manufactures have no idea what number or rating of final circuits you will be installing...

and if you take an extract from the BG technical downloads on their website...

http://www.nexusinds.com/bg/downloads/Tech_Data_sheets/Circuit_Protection/CU_Catalogue.pdf

You will find the sort of quote that all manufactures use...

Consumer Unit Installation Guide Please ensure electrical supply is disconnected before installation

This provides a guide to the assembly and installation of a British General

Consumer unit.

This product must be installed by a competent person in accordance with the

current IEE Wiring

Regulations (BS 7671) and Building Regulations.

Note:- Most illustrations relate to a typical Dual RCD unit, exact configuration will

depend on type, size and........etc.. etc..

Which brings us to the catch 22....

Because they say competent persons should install a CU..  They do not need to provide wiring diagrams.

If they did provide diagrams that would negate the guidance that only competent persons should install them! 

If a person is looking for diagrams then by definition they are probably not competent and should heed the guidance that only competent persons should install them!! 

At its simplest level it is just a double pole switch energising a group of single or double pole other shock and/or overload protection devices...

As a word of caution I will add...

All other electrical DIY work has the protection of a consumer unit to prevent shock or overload in the event of the DIY making a mistake....

But if the DIY work is the consumer unit itself, then the level of danger in the event of mistakes being made is significantly higher....

Especially as most DIY'ers do not have correct test equipment..

Electricity can kill a healthy adult in less than half a second...

my personal guidance would alway be...  If in Doubt DON'T.

:Salute

 

[hublander]

Just getting the 10 posts as I need a file at 5pm on a Friday

 

[Blue Duck]

Perhaps we could have a spam thread where new users could spam? It would be better however if they posted jokes or contributed to the 3 word story

Much better than dragging up ancient threads.

 

[Andy™]

or if new members actually contributed to the forum instead of just spamming to get something then never coming back?

 

[sprocketflup]

Just getting the 10 posts as I need a file at 5pm on a Friday

wow....

 

[Apache]

I'm tempted to make the limit 10 posts AND 7 days of membership........

 

[Andy™]

7 days sounds good, probably the easiest solution

 

[Blue Duck]

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

I'm tempted to make the limit 10 posts AND 7 days of membership........

GOOD IDEA!

how about..

7 days & 7 posts....

(one per day don't sound tooo overkill IMHO!)

 

[Murdoch]

my red above..

http://www.screwfix.com/p/bg-garage-kit-enclosure-5-module-ip55-40a-rcd-dual-6a-32a-mcb/68849?_requestid=138010#

bg box.jpg

Supply LN into the top of the RCD...

Supply E to earth bar

Live circuit#1 to MCB#1

Live circuit#2 to MCB#2

Neutrals to N bar

Earths to E bar...

BUT if you say....

any electrician who is going to check, certify and sign off the work..

will want to do dead continuity, polarity and insulation resistance tests before making anything live.

Then do live earth loop impedance tests..  RCD tests..

So if you do join the wires up...

They will need to be undone again to do the tests.!!

which IMHO its quicker saves wasted work by just bringing your cable to the CU and leave the connecting up for your electrician!

:coffee

done by somebody else, like a DIYer, Is a fool.