This is something you need to resolve sooner rather than later as the MCBs will not provide suitable overload protection for the wiring, in their current configuration.
Could you get a larger pipe?
Solder and heatshrink would be acceptable but it needs to be done properly to a good standard. You would also need to carry out an earth bond test on the pipe, and also an insulation resistance test between Line, Neutral and earth.
Be aware that the figure 8 cable...
The loft is a good idea from a security point of view but remember the ambient temp can get very high in summer (and very low in winter if its a cold roof space) which could shorten the lifespan of the box, particulaly the hard drive.
If it's a TT system then the current returning via earth should be almost zero as there should be no connection between earth and the live conductors (other than filtering caps etc that can cause a small leakage.)
To give you some comparison, I sometimes provide lighting and power for fashion shows. We have a supply run in to a room with at least 20 stations doing hair styling and another 20 doing makeup/nails etc. Each of those stations has a mirror with around 8 lighbulbs around it (now LED bulbs) and...
Remember as well that you will need a charging system capable of charging all of the batteries, and you will probably need to have the van plugged in all night to get a full charge.
You could buy a chesp home plug in energy monitor and use that next time you are running from generators/event...
Overload protection has been part of the wiring regs since lomg before the 2000s. You are correct that the MCB should trip on overload, but you also need to make sure the connections are done properly in a suitably rated outlet plate. As these can overheat if done badly, particulalry with the...
If there is a wiring fault they are going to have to have it repaired anyway, and if it is done properly now, its unlikely to occur again in the next 20 years. So is the inconvenience of having to use work lamps/torches for a few hours, maybe once every few years, until they can get an...
Exactly, as in any other circuit design. You need to make sure the circuit (to the end of the strip) has a low enough impedance to activate the protective device (be that fuse or overload protection in the psu) before the strip catches fire.
As far as I know these PSUs just turn off their output if the load goes over 20 amps. A short at the end of a strip wont always exceed that current and so the PSU may well be seeing a load of 18 amps for example, which wont activate its protection. Someone made a youtube video where they...
The strips would only draw 3amps under normal conditions, but a short circuit would behave in the same way as on any circuit, causing the resistance of the circuit to decrease and the current to increase.
Its exactly the same as a lighting circuit in your house. You could supply it from a 400A...
The problem with having such a large power supply is if you get a short on the strip. The PCB tracks are nowhere near the 2.5mm you would probably need to safely carry that current. And due to the resistance of those tracks, a short wont always allow a high enough fault current to trigger the...
As mentioned above, you would be better going with 24v, or using 2 smaller 12v PSUs. 20A is quite a large current on the 12v side, and the strip cannot safely handle this current. So you would need to add fuses for each strip.
The loft is probably the most suitable location for accessability...
Due to the length of the submain you will also need to add some form of protection (usually a switch fuse) at the meter end. It isn't always possible/permitted to have this in the outside meter box.
Why do we not just install an earth electrode to the MET on all TNC-S installations, at the point it becomre TNS? It doesn't seem that much extra work in most cases, and if it had been written into the regs earlier on, a lot would have been done by now with board changes etc. It would also be a...
Ah yes I did think about that after I had posted it, but isnt there an argument about whether the RCD has to go in a metal enclosure with a secure tail gland, or a seperate plastic enclosure (which then wouldnt be non combustable)? Wouldnt it be acceptable to use a secure gland in to a main...
What would be the benefit of an upfront RCD? Assuming that it is all on one enclosure it would only be protecting the busbar. A main switch and two RCBOs may well come in at the same price as an RCD and two MCBs.
Do you mean RCD or MCB (or RCBO?) The circuit will need overcurrent and fault protection, usually provided by an MCB, and the hot tub will almost certainly need RCD protection.
Remember you also need to size the cable for a larger OCPD if you plan to increase it in the future. And you also need...
Faults like this can develop slowly fron a poor connection. The point where the connection is bad will heat up and expand when a load is applied and could gradually get worse. Once it starts arcing (this could be the noise you heard) it will get rapidly worse. This is the kind of fault which...
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