Ring Main at Consumer unit

More intriguing. He gives a C3 to the ring circuit because the two legs enter the consumer unit through separate knock outs. I can't find that in the regs

dcbwhaley:

My daughter has just had an electrical safety check done and I suspect that the electrician has been over zeleous.

dcbwhaley:

And you shall be told. :-)

The sheathing has been cut short by about 20mm and the coloured insulation is visible. No copper is visible and there is not room to get a dcb-standard finger into the knockout

So it is a C2 for exposed single insulation and another C2 because there is not a grommet.


The outcome is the same utter regardless of if it's a C1 or C2. I cannot see anything that is creating work that is not required, I cannot see that the inspector is trying to rip up off, you are just being pedantic.

davezawadi (David Stone):

Zoomup. Interesting comment, do you work for a manufacturer of RCBOs? I have a split CU and MCBs in my own house. I have had no nuisance trips, or in fact any at all in the last 5 years, except occasionally when I plug in my tool transformer! Of course my installation and appliances have no faults either, this nuisance trip thing is due to faults and bad appliances. Why go mad and add more RCDs for no extra protection from anything? "Oh dear my freezer went off because it was faulty, or the kettle was", is surely a good thing? It seems you want to perpetuate bad practice which is to ignore problems. A tripped RCD needs investigation and understanding, it is the first indication that something is not quite right. An RCBO might trip and not be noticed if the circuit has nothing else attached.That is actually a problem! If you have 10 RCDs in an installation rather than one the chance of a failure is ten times as great. Is that a good thing? I am not sure that it is.


Just in case you think I only have "nice" loads, this is not true. I have 4KW VSDs, all the usual appliances, RF filters, loads of SM psus and computers. Earth leakage is still < 10mA.

Hello Dave, no I do not work for an R.C.B.O. manufacturer, I work for a clown nearby. I am self employed.


I nearly always recommend R.C.B.O. consumer units these days but do mention split load boards as well to potential customers. Locally I have many very elderly customers. Their consumer units may be located in an inconvenient location like under the kitchen units, high up on a wall or in the garage. My customers may find it difficult to access the consumer unit to reset an R.C.D. that protects several circuits. I realise that relocating the consumer unit is desirable but not always possible.


So, if an elderly person is in the bath  and its dark outside, and they lose the lighting due to an appliance fault such as a faulty washing machine running at the same time, this could present a real hazard to them.


R.C.B.O. prices are dropping nowadays so are much more affordable.


I try to provide a safe and reliable installation for my customers. I can supply and install a typical new R.C.B.O. consumer unit for between £400 to £500.


Edit, add.


Then there is the pond pump saga. A garden pond pump is supplied via a split load consumer unit from the downstairs ring final circuit. The householders are away for a while. The pond pump allows water into itself due to perished seals and trips off an R.C.D. in the split load consumer unit, which disconnected the downstairs ring final circuit that supplies the freezer, with loss of frozen food and fridge contents. A dedicated R.C.B.O. circuit for the pond pump would prevent the loss of food.


Z.

Zoomup:

davezawadi (David Stone):

Zoomup. Interesting comment, do you work for a manufacturer of RCBOs? I have a split CU and MCBs in my own house. I have had no nuisance trips, or in fact any at all in the last 5 years, except occasionally when I plug in my tool transformer! Of course my installation and appliances have no faults either, this nuisance trip thing is due to faults and bad appliances. Why go mad and add more RCDs for no extra protection from anything? "Oh dear my freezer went off because it was faulty, or the kettle was", is surely a good thing? It seems you want to perpetuate bad practice which is to ignore problems. A tripped RCD needs investigation and understanding, it is the first indication that something is not quite right. An RCBO might trip and not be noticed if the circuit has nothing else attached.That is actually a problem! If you have 10 RCDs in an installation rather than one the chance of a failure is ten times as great. Is that a good thing? I am not sure that it is.


Just in case you think I only have "nice" loads, this is not true. I have 4KW VSDs, all the usual appliances, RF filters, loads of SM psus and computers. Earth leakage is still < 10mA.

Hello Dave, no I do not work for an R.C.B.O. manufacturer, I work for a clown nearby. I am self employed.


I nearly always recommend R.C.B.O. consumer units these days but do mention split load boards as well to potential customers. Locally I have many very elderly customers. Their consumer units may be located in an inconvenient location like under the kitchen units, high up on a wall or in the garage. My customers may find it difficult to access the consumer unit to reset an R.C.D. that protects several circuits. I realise that relocating the consumer unit is desirable but not always possible.


So, if an elderly person is in the bath  and its dark outside, and they lose the lighting due to an appliance fault such as a faulty washing machine running at the same time, this could present a real hazard to them.


R.C.B.O. prices are dropping nowadays so are much more affordable.


I try to provide a safe and reliable installation for my customers. I can supply and install a typical new R.C.B.O. consumer unit for between £400 to £500.


Edit, add.


Then there is the pond pump saga. A garden pond pump is supplied via a split load consumer unit from the downstairs ring final circuit. The householders are away for a while. The pond pump allows water into itself due to perished seals and trips off an R.C.D. in the split load consumer unit, which disconnected the downstairs ring final circuit that supplies the freezer, with loss of frozen food and fridge contents. A dedicated R.C.B.O. circuit for the pond pump would prevent the loss of food.


Z.

I have never understood the reason for a split CCU... ok, many will shoot me down BUT, it just doesn't make sense when one trip and half of the board goes down!! If I move I'd go for a full RCBO CCU... much safer, I think!?


I haven't fitted CCU's for years', as I'm not part of a scheme... and although I have fitted 100's, (including TP&N's etc), over the years' I would like to do my own. I have the 16th, and 17th, regs plus the 2391 and I am, somewhat confused, as to whether I can do this, for myself? 


I have read, on here, that some say you can, without being in a scheme... I just don't know, for sure? 


regards... Tom