What is the best way to wire this bench testing setup?

midiman · Nov 11, 2017

Hi,

When we were in College we setup up a lab using a Bench PSU, a Mini Consumer Unit and some lights etc...

It wasn't the best setup but it gave us an idea into the principles of wiring up circuits etc...

From the picture here you can see that the leads they gave us were not the best but it worked.

[ElectriciansForums.net] What is the best way to wire this bench testing setup?

I've got the same PSU in my lab and I want to re-create the setup again, albeit properly.

The lead in the pic was just a bit of twin an earth that went to a connector block wired to the consumer unit.

Is there a better way of doing it?

Thanks

Pete999 · Nov 11, 2017

midiman said:
Hi,

When we were in College we setup up a lab using a Bench PSU, a Mini Consumer Unit and some lights etc...

It wasn't the best setup but it gave us an idea into the principles of wiring up circuits etc...

From the picture here you can see that the leads they gave us were not the best but it worked.

View attachment 39239

I've got the same PSU in my lab and I want to re-create the setup again, albeit properly.

The lead in the pic was just a bit of twin an earth that went to a connector block wired to the consumer unit.

View attachment 39240

Is there a better way of doing it?

Thanks

In my last job, I had built several test boards, which consisted of
A small consumers unit, wired from that CU a small RFC, a 13A radial, a lighting circuit and a DOL SPN contacter, fed from a 13Amp socket which was non RCD protected, students could carry out all the test required apart from Earth rod testing, and of course the Ze was the Zs of the socket used to feed the board, not ideal but it worked for us, is this the sort of thing you were asking about?

midiman · Nov 11, 2017

Pete999 said:
In my last job, I had built several test boards, which consisted of
A small consumers unit, wired from that CU a small RFC, a 13A radial, a lighting circuit and a DOL SPN contacter, fed from a 13Amp socket which was non RCD protected, students could carry out all the test required apart from Earth rod testing, and of course the Ze was the Zs of the socket used to feed the board, not ideal but it worked for us, is this the sort of thing you were asking about?

Hi, yes.

I want to setup a test board using the same power supply that you see in the picture.

All I want to be able to do is create a lab where I can test some socket and lighting radials etc...

I just need to know what of leads I should use to use to get from the PSU to the Consumer unit, and what type of Consumer unit should I get.

The one we used looks like a mini Garage Unit with 2 MCBs. I took pictures at the time but I didn't get all the specs of the setup.

It wasn't a great setup but I would like to re-create again, but safely.

Thanks

Pete999 · Nov 11, 2017

midiman said:
Hi, yes.

I want to setup a test board using the same power supply that you see in the picture.

All I want to be able to do is create a lab where I can test some socket and lighting radials etc...

I just need to know what of leads I should use to use to get from the PSU to the Consumer unit, and what type of Consumer unit should I get.

The one we used looks like a mini Garage Unit with 2 MCBs. I took pictures at the time but I didn't get all the specs of the setup.

It wasn't a great setup but I would like to re-create again, but safely.

Thanks

May I ask why you need a PSU?

midiman · Nov 11, 2017

Pete999 said:
May I ask why you need a PSU?

Because that's how we were trained to do it in the workshop.

What is the other method, I don't really want to be tapping into or running anything off the house supply.

Deleted member 26818 · Nov 11, 2017

May I ask why you need to feed a CU from the PSU?
Seems to be you should already have a CU somewhere. To then plug in a PSU to feed another, seems a bit over the top.

Pete999 · Nov 11, 2017

midiman said:
Because that's how we were trained to do it in the workshop.

What is the other method, I don't really want to be tapping into or running anything off the house supply.

Use an extension lead, as I said it wasn't an ideal set up, but using a PSU seems a wasteful resource, you would need to feed the PSU anyway so why bother?

midiman · Nov 11, 2017

spinlondon said:
May I ask why you need to feed a CU from the PSU?
Seems to be you should already have a CU somewhere. To then plug in a PSU to feed another, seems a bit over the top.

In the college labs.

We plugged the PSU into the 3pin outlets on top of the desks, then ran two leads from the PSU into a mini consumer unit.

That was the setup and then we built the radials on the board fed from the consumer unit etc...

This was the board setup

Thanks

Resu · Nov 11, 2017

Google "banana plugs" and you should find some that you could easily wire a bit of flex onto.

The board could be anything you like, as you said, a small garage consumer unit would be ideal. Make sure you get one with enough ways to cover the amount of circuits you intend on wiring up.

If you post up your location someone local might have an old unit in the back of their shed they may be willing to give you.

midiman · Nov 11, 2017

Pete999 said:
Use an extension lead, as I said it wasn't an ideal set up, but using a PSU seems a wasteful resource, you would need to feed the PSU anyway so why bother?

Ok so you are suggesting just running wiring up a bit of twin an earth to a 13A plug and doing it that way instead of using the PSU?

I can see what you are saying but I'm just trying to work out why they made us use the PSU then.

The PSU has variable voltage control, overload protection and a fan etc..
The extra consumer unit in the setup was there to get us to learn about wiring up a CU.

Like you say they may not be needed to a pro but it helped us to get an idea of what we need to do.

Thanks

Resu · Nov 11, 2017

midiman said:
Ok so you are suggesting just running wiring up a bit of twin an earth to a 13A plug and doing it that way instead of using the PSU?

I can see what you are saying but I'm just trying to work out why they made us use the PSU then.

The PSU has variable voltage control, overload protection and a fan etc..
The extra consumer unit in the setup was there to get us to learn about wiring up a CU.

Like you say they may not be needed to a pro but it helped us to get an idea of what we need to do.

Thanks

I can only imagine the PSU was used as a safety factor but that would be a guess.

If you were to go down the wiring into the mains method, you should use a length of flex (1.0mm or 1.5mm 3 core) with plugtop on one end and a stuffing gland into your board at the other.

midiman · Nov 11, 2017

Resu said:
Google "banana plugs" and you should find some that you could easily wire a bit of flex onto.

The board could be anything you like, as you said, a small garage consumer unit would be ideal. Make sure you get one with enough ways to cover the amount of circuits you intend on wiring up.

If you post up your location someone local might have an old unit in the back of their shed they may be willing to give you.

Thanks

I only want to wire up to a maximum of two circuits so I don't need anything major.

I just want to add some sockets, lights and switches.

That would be nice because the cheapest Garage Consumer Units are around £35 and the PSU just cost me £20. Although I got that at a decent price because most places want £120!!

I just need an old Garage CU.

Dannyg8810 · Nov 11, 2017

Resu’s suggestion sounds like all you need to do

Resu · Nov 11, 2017

midiman said:
Thanks

I only want to wire up to a maximum of two circuits so I don't need anything major.

I just want to add some sockets, lights and switches.

That would be nice because the cheapest Garage Consumer Units are around £35 and the PSU just cost me £20. Although I got that at a decent price because most places want £120!!

I just need an old Garage CU.

Shop around a bit, as it's for a test rig it doesn't have to be anything fancy.

Here's a brand new one for £20. Link.

Pete999 · Nov 11, 2017

Resu said:
Google "banana plugs" and you should find some that you could easily wire a bit of flex onto.

The board could be anything you like, as you said, a small garage consumer unit would be ideal. Make sure you get one with enough ways to cover the amount of circuits you intend on wiring up.

If you post up your location someone local might have an old unit in the back of their shed they may be willing to give you.

I would volunteer if the OP isn't to far away

What is the best way to wire this bench testing setup?

midiman

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Pete999

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midiman

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Pete999

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midiman

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Deleted member 26818

Pete999

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midiman

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Resu

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midiman

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Resu

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midiman

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Dannyg8810

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Resu

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Pete999

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