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Outbuilding consumer unit

Former Community Member
Former Community Member
Coming back to this wretched EICR at my daughter's house


An outbuilding used as an office is supplied by a 6mm^2 T&E carried from the house on a catenary wire.and fused at the house at 32A (RCD protected)

In the garage the the 6mm^2 is split into a 2.5mm^2 for sockets and a 1mm^2 for the lighting

This is coded C2 for the inadequate protection and C3 for using T&E outdoors.  Both of which seem reasonable


Q1  Can I put a two unit CU in the outbuilding with just a 6amp and 16amp MCB or do | need also to provide a two pole switch?

Q2  What do the great and the good think of using T&E outdoors?  Should I replace it with hi-tuf?
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  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    With every respect for your great knowledge, Dave, may I disagree with you and defend the code?

    The purpose of a fuse, breaker, or whatever is not just is not just overload protection but also short circuit protection.   Whilst I agree that the lighting circuit is unlikely to be overloaded (though people have been known to plug irons into light sockets); there is a very real danger of a short circuit when a man with a hammer and a bag of nails is at work hanging pictures.


    And it is my rule 2 for d-i-y installation work that all wiring should be protected by a breaker smaller than the current rating of the wire..

    Because I wa trained in an industry where fault discrimination on a large scale was very important I have a revulsion against putting two equally rated protective devices in series.  And that does extend to plug top fuses though I have never a correctly rated plug top fuse blow in this century   I will fit a two way CU for the building


    A sharp spade carried at the half port could damage a T&E cable.which would be the time to make an improvement
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  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    With every respect for your great knowledge, Dave, may I disagree with you and defend the code?

    The purpose of a fuse, breaker, or whatever is not just is not just overload protection but also short circuit protection.   Whilst I agree that the lighting circuit is unlikely to be overloaded (though people have been known to plug irons into light sockets); there is a very real danger of a short circuit when a man with a hammer and a bag of nails is at work hanging pictures.


    And it is my rule 2 for d-i-y installation work that all wiring should be protected by a breaker smaller than the current rating of the wire..

    Because I wa trained in an industry where fault discrimination on a large scale was very important I have a revulsion against putting two equally rated protective devices in series.  And that does extend to plug top fuses though I have never a correctly rated plug top fuse blow in this century   I will fit a two way CU for the building


    A sharp spade carried at the half port could damage a T&E cable.which would be the time to make an improvement
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