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SCHNEIDER ISOBAR P DISTRIBUTION BOARDS

John Peckham
I am involved in delivering a big project to install a new MCCB panel and replace 40 DBS.  I have designed and specified all the works.


The new panel and 17 DBs are being installed starting with powering down last Sunday and po wearing up on This Saturday afternoon so the IT team can get their systems up and running for next Monday morning.


I nearly always specify Schneider Isobar DBs because I love their quality and the excellent technical support from Schneider. This job I have specified the new Isobar P DBs. I got see a new one straight out of the box and I have to say I was very impressed. Just lifting an empty board up off the floor to have a look at it the heavy weight says well built quality. Looking at the inside of the board every part seems to be integrated with the other parts not just add ons to an existing design. The board has a separate neutral bar running with the line bus bars. I clipped in an RCBO that picks up both the neutral and earth without the need for flying leads. Of course it has the existing. Isobar switch so individual circuit breakers can be switched on and off and no live exposed tongues with empty spare ways. On this job we have extension boxes with meters but have not used the option yet for the intergrated monitoring of individual circuits. 


I have have no financial connection with Schneider just a happy specifier.

Parents
  • 0
    Happy Christmas John  (and everyone else too)


    mmm. things to watch out for:


    on a 4 pole MCCB (In my case 2 x 250Amp DBs) - the Neutral is on the left, then L1, L2, L3. Don't ask, Don't ask.............ones eyes expect to see what they see...........The Neutral does not go on the right hand side.............


    In order for these MCCBs to connect to a cable lug you'll need a very specifically sized lug - which schnider will sell you at about £6.50 per lug......for a 120mm lug. Don't fit just any old lug - you'll be cutting them off. 


    The lids that go around the MCBs - front cover is perhaps a better name - never come with enough flimsy little screws, you'll need to buy some more screws in. the front cover should be sturdier. 


    If you're using bottom entry to an MCCB "spreader box" - make the holes at the bottom really big - or left and right - so the cabling comes up the outside of the MCCBs - its very annoying that you can't just leave the bottom gland plate off all together (as is my habit when I have metal trunking and paxolene for cable entry) but the lid wont fit back on. If you do a centre hole, the cabling look really bad as it goes left and right around the MCCB. The top and bottom plates are a very flimsy thin plate and drilling or cutting holes in it is a mission because its so thin. As it has ridge on the front - against which the door fits, its difficult to clamp this and cut a nice neat slot, especially a nice big neat slot. Perhaps gig round holes for bushes might be an easier way to the job. 


    If you're going top entry - same annoying thing - you cant just drop the gland plate off all together. Plan your cable entry holes really big or left and right hand corners of the box. 


    The MCCB has a small screw at the tip of the thumb switch - if you unscrew this screw a much smaller thumb switch is inside that one, so that the door of the MCCB box can close. 


    The bus bar clamps are very very expensive - especially the 400Amp ones that inexplicably fit horizantally and at 90 degrees to the bus bar - its not neat. Beware those clamp costs - its shocking. Pun intended. 


    Otherwise lovely bits of kit. 


    Its really nice that the ACTi 9 MCBs fit 


    Kind Regards

    Tatty
Reply
  • 0
    Happy Christmas John  (and everyone else too)


    mmm. things to watch out for:


    on a 4 pole MCCB (In my case 2 x 250Amp DBs) - the Neutral is on the left, then L1, L2, L3. Don't ask, Don't ask.............ones eyes expect to see what they see...........The Neutral does not go on the right hand side.............


    In order for these MCCBs to connect to a cable lug you'll need a very specifically sized lug - which schnider will sell you at about £6.50 per lug......for a 120mm lug. Don't fit just any old lug - you'll be cutting them off. 


    The lids that go around the MCBs - front cover is perhaps a better name - never come with enough flimsy little screws, you'll need to buy some more screws in. the front cover should be sturdier. 


    If you're using bottom entry to an MCCB "spreader box" - make the holes at the bottom really big - or left and right - so the cabling comes up the outside of the MCCBs - its very annoying that you can't just leave the bottom gland plate off all together (as is my habit when I have metal trunking and paxolene for cable entry) but the lid wont fit back on. If you do a centre hole, the cabling look really bad as it goes left and right around the MCCB. The top and bottom plates are a very flimsy thin plate and drilling or cutting holes in it is a mission because its so thin. As it has ridge on the front - against which the door fits, its difficult to clamp this and cut a nice neat slot, especially a nice big neat slot. Perhaps gig round holes for bushes might be an easier way to the job. 


    If you're going top entry - same annoying thing - you cant just drop the gland plate off all together. Plan your cable entry holes really big or left and right hand corners of the box. 


    The MCCB has a small screw at the tip of the thumb switch - if you unscrew this screw a much smaller thumb switch is inside that one, so that the door of the MCCB box can close. 


    The bus bar clamps are very very expensive - especially the 400Amp ones that inexplicably fit horizantally and at 90 degrees to the bus bar - its not neat. Beware those clamp costs - its shocking. Pun intended. 


    Otherwise lovely bits of kit. 


    Its really nice that the ACTi 9 MCBs fit 


    Kind Regards

    Tatty
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