choice of consumer board

[waitees]

hi all

Got to change 2 old consumer boards to one tomo, its had lots of alterrations in the past, just going to change it to a nice 8 way rcd board.

The question is i can only find a wylex 8 way (all the split boards dont seem to have enough ways, i need to rcd all the circuits as the outside lights have been put on a indoor lighting circuit), i only need 7 way, but the best i can find is 8 way with just an 100amp rcd, no main switch.

Is it ok to have just an rcd board, and having the rcd as a main switch ? or shall i go one up to a 10 way ending up with 3 spare ways but with a 100amp main switch.

Slightly confused ? cheers Paul

 

[ezzzekiel]

you need to protect all circuits with a rcd but you also need to provide seperation so one rcd will not do, you could either fit all rcbos or use a split load board, i would fit 10 way board anyway leaveing spareways for future additions.

also required to be 30ma

 

[rocker]

Yea go the 10 way 17th split route... there are often deals on them that work them out cheaper than messing around with smaller boards, and if you do a good job and they get you back a year down the line to wire up their new shower room then, well hell Mrs Jones I'll do that easily for you cos there's a spare way for it in the board, and while I'm here your driveway would look briliiant with ground lights. Yep, we can do that with another way to spare.....

You do need at least 2 RCD banks... you could do an 8 way with a 100A isolator and all RCBOs, but that would work out much more expensive.

EDIT Oh yea and if you're talking about one of those 100A 30mA RCCB incomers they aren't recommended anymore. You need the RCDs AND a 100A (or 80 or 63) incomer.

 

[Hawk81]

i agree with the above posts 17th split load board with room for spare ways. You need a main switch to fully isolate board not an rcd.

 

[GT1]

Alternatively have a normal board and normal main switch, with 7 RCBO's. !
expensive but provides a far better solution to separation of circuits when a fault occurs.

 

[ezzzekiel]

agree, but you find most customers not too happy with the price

 

[DurhamSparky]

volex special at B&Q 59.99....!!! selling like hot cakes..! (nothing to do with themn catching fire) as good as a Wylex CU... (same factory same production area, same workers, same delivery chain but with a cheaper name)