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fuse panel board labels - how do you solve the labeling problem

Serge
Hi, all!


This is my first post in this community. And I apologize if I involuntarily break his rules. 


I am a developer of an online service that makes it easy to create stickers for electrical panels. Examples of the results of the service are posted below


9c6d67605db216ce78600056197f9ed4-huge-photo_2020-06-18_15-14-14.jpg 509a921596cdeaf1a3a7901d36cbe089-huge-photo_2020-06-18_15-14-14-2.jpg fe6677c550edee852efa8fcead193743-huge-photo_2020-06-18_15-14-20-3.jpg

















I have a question for the community, but how do you now solve the problem of marking your electrical panels? Perhaps you use word and excel, or write with a simple marker directly on the shield panel?


I do not know if it is possible to place a link to the service, so if you are interested, write to me and I will give a link. Thanks to all.
  • 0
    The Forum does have some strict rules on advertising - see https://www.theiet.org/help/forum-conditions/


    In answer to your question though - for me it's a mix - depending on the circumstances I've used anything from Excel/Word to create all sorts of custom labels printed out on glossy photo paper and stuck on with double sided sticky tape, to a dymo machine (the modern thermal tape printer type, not the old mechanical embossing kind), to the pre-printed labels CU manufacturers supply and even the traditional pencil. The "notice" type labels (RCD tests, Periodic inspections and old & new colours) are usually the pre-printed ones from the wholesaler.


        - Andy.
  • 0
    Hi, Andy. Thank You for reply. I read conditions.


    can you tell how long does this approach take when creating an individual labeling for one project?


    and how clear labeling is for the average user? or in your case, the user most often does not use the switches in main switchboard.


    in Russia any fusebox look like this:




    Sorry for cyrillic on a picture)
  • 0
    It's worth noting, for anyone wishing to procure labels or labelling solutions, that there are relevant standards required for safety, other than BS 7671 (e.g. where BS 7671 does not have specific requirements). Some of these standards support applicable legislation.


    Perhaps the most important for labelling on equipment, in addition to the requirements of BS 7671 are:









  • 0
    Serge:

    Hi, Andy. Thank You for reply. I read conditions.


    can you tell how long does this approach take when creating an individual labeling for one project?


    and how clear labeling is for the average user? or in your case, the user most often does not use the switches in main switchboard.


    in Russia any fusebox look like this:




    Sorry for cyrillic on a picture)


    Small installation, not long using off-the-shelf electrician's labelling printer - one example: https://www.screwfix.com/p/brother-pte110-electricians-label-printing-machine/7795x


    Various solutions available for larger installations, at least in the UK.


    Unless it's a DIY job, in the UK there is no excuse for marking up by hand like that (but it does happen - even omitting labelling happens - but it shouldn't).


  • 0
    Hello, gkenyon


    Thank You VM for such details. I saved you links for learning these requirements


    Can you tell how strict are the inspection bodies regarding these rules?


    (in Russia nobody checks fuseboxes especially when they are inside the housing) And  users can use them without calling a specialists.
  • 0
    There are still a lot of installations with 4 or less circuits.

    1) 30 amp, power.

    2) 5 amp, lights.

    3) 30 amp cooker, not used if cooking by gas or coal.

    4) 15 amp, water heater, not used if water heating by gas or coal.


    I found one installation recently with only two circuits, lights and power.










  • 0
    gkenyon:

    It's worth noting, for anyone wishing to procure labels or labelling solutions, that there are relevant standards required for safety, other than BS 7671 (e.g. where BS 7671 does not have specific requirements). Some of these standards support applicable legislation.


    Perhaps the most important for labelling on equipment, in addition to the requirements of BS 7671 are:








    Strewth, that's £1292 worth of standards!


    At home, I have made labels on matt white polyester sheets from Labelplanet. But that was guilding the lily - anybody else can make do with a Sharpie. ?


    Those little symbols that come with Schneider (and other makes) consumer units don't really do it for me.


  • 0
    even omitting labelling happens

    Ah, you mean the traditional British coloured dots labelling system?


    White dots (a light colour) - lighting.

    Blue dots (a water like colour) - immersion heater

    Red dots (a hot colour) - for power - sockets or cooker (further sub divided by the red stripes just visible above the fuse terminal shield) - one thick for cooker, two (or more) thin for sockets.


    Apparently well known for many years and had the benefit of being language independent (no need for anything different in Welsh speaking households for instance) and in most modest dwellings would uniqely identify every circuit. In larger homes were there might be more than one of each type of circuit you simply had to pull a fuse or two and see what stopped working - not too onerous (and probably more reliable that someone else's labels).


    For those with non-standard fuse boxes without the coloured dots there was the "A" series alternative identification system - again language independent - 5A for lighting, 15A for the immersion and 30A for sockets/cooker (often sub-divided in the normal way by red stripes).


       - Andy.
  • 0
    Serge:

    Hi, Andy. Thank You for reply. I read conditions.


    can you tell how long does this approach take when creating an individual labeling for one project?


    and how clear labeling is for the average user? or in your case, the user most often does not use the switches in main switchboard.


    in Russia any fusebox look like this:




    Sorry for cyrillic on a picture)


    Never mind the labels - it looks like there should be a market for modular blanks!

       - Andy. 


  • 0
    AJJewsbury:
    even omitting labelling happens

    Ah, you mean the traditional British coloured dots labelling system?


    White dots (a light colour) - lighting.

    Blue dots (a water like colour) - immersion heater

    Red dots (a hot colour) - for power - sockets or cooker (further sub divided by the red stripes just visible above the fuse terminal shield) - one thick for cooker, two (or more) thin for sockets.


    Apparently well known for many years and had the benefit of being language independent (no need for anything different in Welsh speaking households for instance) and in most modest dwellings would uniqely identify every circuit. In larger homes were there might be more than one of each type of circuit you simply had to pull a fuse or two and see what stopped working - not too onerous (and probably more reliable that someone else's labels).


    For those with non-standard fuse boxes without the coloured dots there was the "A" series alternative identification system - again language independent - 5A for lighting, 15A for the immersion and 30A for sockets/cooker (often sub-divided in the normal way by red stripes).


       - Andy.


    No, completely avoiding filling out anything at all on three-phase commercial final DBOs so no-one has a clue what feeds (or isolates) what !

    Appalling when:



    • equipment similar to the labelling printer I linked to in an earlier post can often be purchased for £30 or under

    • Even more cheaply if you already have a laser printer, a number of forms of self-adhesive A4 labels are available (even plastic-based so they are more durable, but paper would provide something equivalent to the supplied labels with many CUs or DBOs), and someone resourceful might use images available on-line, and a Table in Microsoft Word to achieve the appropriate spacing ...


    It's really not that difficult these days ...

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