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Favourite Distribution Board Manufacturer?

Hi, just wondering what folks go to manufacturer would be for a 3 Phase Distribution Board? Cheers!
  • OK, nobody has a favourite?


    I chose for myself Eaton/Memshield 'cos it's built like a battleship, and indeed wouldn't look out of place in one. The availability and cost of three-phase RCBOs were a consideration. Schneider and Hager were on the shortlist.
  • If it's for domestic or light commercial (max 100A/phase) I'd have to say mine would be the Concept Range.


    (sorry, sorry, I just couldn't resist...)

        - Andy.
  • Schneider’s new Acti9 Isobar P board would be my choice at the moment. Otherwise probably MEM.
  • I agree with Colin the Schneider Isobar P every time for me. 


    I very well engineered DB and the facility to isolate each outgoing MCB. The new Isobar P with the additional neutral busbar eliminating the need for neutral flying leads to RCBOs, and no doubt AFDDs, just make the installation easier and neater all round. The weight of the DB is an indicator of quality with plenty of room for conductors. 


    I have not used it yet but the add on facility to remote monitor each outgoing way remotely is a nice to have.


    I bit more expensive than others but you get what you pay for so good value.


  • I chose for myself Eaton/Memshield 'cos it's built like a battleship, and indeed wouldn't look out of place in one. The availability and cost of three-phase RCBOs were a consideration. Schneider and Hager were on the shortlist.




    The Hager's do look very nice! ?  How did the availability/price of RCBOs compare?  Cheers.


  • Schneider gets my vote too. I do like the Slider the MCBs/RCBos have that make it very Safe in terms of Powering them up when you slot them in place (Merlin Gerin had these too).
  • Dan:
    I chose for myself Eaton/Memshield 'cos it's built like a battleship, and indeed wouldn't look out of place in one. The availability and cost of three-phase RCBOs were a consideration. Schneider and Hager were on the shortlist.




    The Hager's do look very nice! ?  How did the availability/price of RCBOs compare?  Cheers.




    I don't think that there was a big difference in price of the three-phase RCBOs from Eaton or Schneider - both were eye-wateringly expensive. IIRC, the Schneider ones take up more space. I don't know whether the changes to 411.3.3 have led to greater numbers of sales and a consequent fall in price. Perhaps there are just more documented risk assessments now? ?


  • Cheers Chris. Out of interest, would you say that a RCD or RCBO would be essential when installing a 20A 3-phase Socket in a small (sole-trader) commercial premises?
  • Out of interest, would you say that a RCD or RCBO would be essential when installing a 20A 3-phase Socket in a small (sole-trader) commercial premises?

    Unless someone can come up with a risk assessment that shows that it isn't necessary, then the regs demand 30mA RCD protection for all sockets rated ≤32A - including 3-phase ones. (Although I'm not sure what a 20A socket looks like).

      - Andy.
  • Dan:

    Cheers Chris. Out of interest, would you say that a RCD or RCBO would be essential when installing a 20A 3-phase Socket in a small (sole-trader) commercial premises?


    I thought that it was important enough to spend a few hundred pounds on one. The thing is that machine tools have a lot of exposed conductive parts.


    The obvious workaround is to hard wire the equipment. Another alternative would have been to have a (much cheaper) RCD incomer, but I wanted to avoid the possibility of everything going off at the same time.