Anyone see a problem here?

[Hawk81]

Came across this board today while looking for a fault on the supply to electric gates. The house is only 2 years old. It was wired by an NICEIC domestic installer. The 32amp MCB's are for ring mains circuits.

 

[andekoch]

1 - is that 2.5 into the last 32A? - nice
2 - lot of rings and load on the RCCD. hope the diversity calcs have been checked. may just be for convenience but still are they really needed to be 32A then?
3 - better to put larger breakers closer to the origin ie make the 16A the furthest from the RCCD.

 

[SirKit Breaker]

Did you find the fault?

 

[james king]

it looks to me they are using 2.5 for the incomer in to the rccb maybe my eyes though

 

[Hawk81]

I did find the fault I was initially looking for. But you are all missing a big obvious problem. And no that is not 2.5mm feeding the rccb

 

[SirKit Breaker]

If it is domestic the RCD needs to be 30mA not 100.

Do i win free beer for a week?

Cheers..howard

 

[Phil]

is it the only board in the house? mcbs for lighting circuits etc, 100ma rcd but no 30ma, no segregation of circuits

 

[andekoch]

go on then tell us. what cant i see in the pic.

 

[SimpleSimon]

It could be my eyes but are none of the screw terminals for the cables tightened?
If not I'm going with Howard.

 

[Hawk81]

Not only is it 100mA but it is S type. This was a split load board. All sockets were on this side. The other side with lights and cooker ect had another S type 100mA. The whole place was a joke. The incoming suply is TT and at the main meter the guy has an 100 amp main switch, come out of it are 2 16mm split cons. 1 goes to the garage which is a run of about 5 meters. In the garage board there is no RCD protection at all. The other split goes on a run about 25 meters to the house. In the house I had a quick look at a few things. Downlights in the kitchen and bathroom have no joint boxes just choc block connectors. The list goes on.

 

[james king]

any thing wrong with connectors? other than bad practice??? even if taped up?

 

[nickblake]

building is very dark at night , where are the lighting circuits , 100 ma RCCD 400 volt breakers

 

[Hawk81]

any thing wrong with connectors? other than bad practice??? even if taped up?

Yes it is against reg 526.5

 

[james king]

so why do down lights all come with connector blocks attached?

 

[andekoch]

overzealous type S usage and completelly forgot the 30mA requirement seems to be the case. Must be too late seeing as I commented on the 80A but ignored to comment on the more obvious type S and 100mA, cant see the wood for the trees syndrome or just late. good one. customer probably couldnt see a problem with anything on your list just to anoy you saying "but it is new" or something like that.

 

[eskimo39]

so why do down lights all come with connector blocks attached?

Most downlighters I see have a terminal strip connected to them but also come with a cover which screws over them to make them enclosed.

 

[Dunc]

so why do down lights all come with connector blocks attached?

Its not the connector blocks themselves, it's the fact that they are not in an enclosure and subsequently will also have no strain relief.

@Hawk81, I hope you're getting the customer to report this guy to the NIC.

 

[Hawk81]

overzealous type S usage and completelly forgot the 30mA requirement seems to be the case. Must be too late seeing as I commented on the 80A but ignored to comment on the more obvious type S and 100mA, cant see the wood for the trees syndrome or just late. good one. customer probably couldnt see a problem with anything on your list just to anoy you saying "but it is new" or something like that.

Customer was very understanding and said he never trusted they guy that wired the house. It was the builder who hired the electrician and he kept assuring the customer it was fine. Customer wants it all put right. Nice to get a good customer for a change.

 

[Hawk81]

Its not the connector blocks themselves, it's the fact that they are not in an enclosure and subsequently will also have no strain relief.

@Hawk81, I hope you're getting the customer to report this guy to the NIC.

The wheels are in motion

 

[High Tower]

and to make it worse, the brand is called "Control Gear" a really cheap and nasty brand worse than proteous!

 

[Hawk81]

and to make it worse, the brand is called "Control Gear" a really cheap and nasty brand worse than proteous!

I agree with you 100% i hate the control gear stuff. Used it once and swore i would never use it again.

 

[Spoon]

Most downlighters I see have a terminal strip connected to them but also come with a cover which screws over them to make them enclosed.

Most of the lights I have seen just have a connector block, as jiga says. I have not seen any with covers.

 

[Hawk81]

Most of the lights I have seen just have a connector block, as jiga says. I have not seen any with covers.

Have to say most I see have covers on them.

 

[RWJ]

Have to say most I see have covers on them.

I haven't seen any in years WITHOUT covers even low voltage

 

[Spoon]

I'll bow you your guys better knowledge. It has been a bit since I've replaced one, and that was only when the missus came home with one and ordered me change it. The thing was working so why change it???

 

[Wiredspark]

I've used control gear a few times and never had any problems. Thats not true, I was using a 3ph 12 way board and the bloody thing was only 75mm deep. Making it a wee bitty on the tight side. I noticed that board was control gear from the solid neutral conductor, I'd never say that they were worse than proteus. If I'm on a job and I get handed proteus to use, I walk. I point blank refuse. The stuff is utter garbage.

 

[tony mc]

Must of been a job lot being sold off for next to nothing I wonder if the guy installing knows the difference between RCD's ???

Whats the EIC like ??