Commercial radial circuit

[Divspark]

Hi everyone looking to clarify something, had a tester onsite today testing circuits we've been installing the past few weeks, in his opinion he found fault with one circuit, we had wired a 30m radial circuit in 2.5mm 2core & earth fp200 on a c16 mcb. The cable was clipped direct throughout its entire run so according to the tables it should be rated 27amps, he said all radials feeding sockets should be 4mm and that it was in the regs, don't get me wrong we would normally cable in 4mm but seen as all we had was 2.5 and the table said 27amp we didn't see an issue. So my question is in all reality was he right ? And if so where in the big green book is the reg stateing it ?

 

[davesparks]

Ask the person who found fault with the installation to specify which regulation he is basing it on.

 

[ipf]

Hi everyone looking to clarify something, had a tester onsite today testing circuits we've been installing the past few weeks, in his opinion he found fault with one circuit, we had wired a 30m radial circuit in 2.5mm 2core & earth fp200 on a c16 mcb. The cable was clipped direct throughout its entire run so according to the tables it should be rated 27amps, he said all radials feeding sockets should be 4mm and that it was in the regs, don't get me wrong we would normally cable in 4mm but seen as all we had was 2.5 and the table said 27amp we didn't see an issue. So my question is in all reality was he right ? And if so where in the big green book is the reg stateing it ?

What make of tester was it ?

 

[davesparks]

What make of tester was it ?

I would guess the ever popular Electrical Trainee brand if it fails a 16A radial purely because it is wired in 2.5.

I dread to think what they'd say about a 16A radial wired in 1.5!

 

[telectrix]

and it depends on the load. if it's a fixed load, you only need fault protection. no requirement for overload protection. either way, he's talking through his arse.

and you can cut and paste and print that. show it to him.

 

[Plonker 3]

and it depends on the load. if it's a fixed load, you only need fault protection. no requirement for overload protection. either way, he's talking through his arse.

and you can cut and paste and print that, that will certainly confuse him

Better

 

[Divspark]

Cheers for the replies guys. I did tell him he was talking out his arse along with a few other choice words but it fell on deaf ears he was adamant that it was wrong, I also asked him to show me the page in the regs to which he said it's been like that since the 16th...nothing like avoiding the question. Ended up I ran in another leg and made it a ring but I've spent all day huffing about it

 

[Brightspark2]

Rubbish, its fine.

As above ask him to show you the regulation...

 

[Guest77]

He might have been drunk Div, you scots do start early.

 

[telectrix]

they started after culloden and they not finished yet.

 

[davesparks]

Cheers for the replies guys. I did tell him he was talking out his arse along with a few other choice words but it fell on deaf ears he was adamant that it was wrong, I also asked him to show me the page in the regs to which he said it's been like that since the 16th...nothing like avoiding the question. Ended up I ran in another leg and made it a ring but I've spent all day huffing about it

By making it a ring you have admitted to being wrong and proved him right.

 

[Divspark]

Haha......wait drinking at works frowned upon ?!

 

[Divspark]

No by making it a ring I got to go home after a 12hr night shift ! I could've spent all day arguing with him at the end of the day he's the man appointed by the company to sign it all off, the fact I made it a ring only made it right to him

 

[Silly Sausage]

And if so where in the big green book is the reg stateing it ?

He's probably thinking of Appendix 15, but even that shows 2.5mm.
I'm confused!!!

 

[telectrix]

you should have gone over his head.................................... preferably with a steamroller.

 

[Andy78]

You should send this guy an invoice for the extra work to make it a ring. Tell him the invoice will be waived upon evidence of a regulation that proved your original install did not comply to them.

 

[dingledong]

They soon will when they go independent they will have to sell all their booze to survive

 

[Guest77]

They soon will when they go independent they will have to sell all their booze to survive

You just cannot wait for Friday evening can you lol

 

[Divspark]

You should send this guy an invoice for the extra work to make it a ring. Tell him the invoice will be waived upon evidence of a regulation that proved your original install did not comply to them.

He unfortunately works for the same company I do we just have separate guys who do the testing, the company tends to have a set spec we work to for larger jobs but for small ad hoc circuits it tends to be at our own discretion, I can only presume he's referencing against the fact we normally use 4mm rather than any real reg

 

[dingledong]

But why use 4ml ? In the first place ?

 

[7029 dave]

But why use 4ml ? In the first place ?

32amp breaker?

 

[Andy78]

He unfortunately works for the same company I do we just have separate guys who do the testing, the company tends to have a set spec we work to for larger jobs but for small ad hoc circuits it tends to be at our own discretion, I can only presume he's referencing against the fact we normally use 4mm rather than any real reg

Overtime request then instead of an invoice

Sounds like he was just being the officious twerp that a QS is supposed to be..

 

[Divspark]

But why use 4ml ? In the first place ?

Its just the way the company like it, power circuits 4mm - lighting circuits 2.5 I can only assume that it's there preference and seen as the majority of time we fit to spec that's what goes in, the vast majority of circuits we do the cable will be overrated but like I say that's there decision !

 

[Tiny Spark]

But why use 4ml ? In the first place ?

Place I used to work put in 4mm Rings and radials as standard.
It was basicly due to the size they could grow to and the amount of stuff that would be plugged in!

 

[Guest77]

Most Commercial jobs these days use 4mm2 as standard and lighting 2.5mm2 as standard, it seems to be the way it is going, the engineers who design jobs just stick the sizes in and we have to follow their spec and drawings, no big deal really, however there is nothing wrong with a 2.5mm2 cable supplying a socket on a 16 amp circuit lol.