Consumer board upgrades

[Spoon242]

What is correct for a consumer board upgrade please.

The job

Two boards, one economy 7 and the other dealing with the flat circuits.

Am I right in thinking that the eco 7 board does not need to be rcd'ed?

 

[telectrix]

Are the cables for the e7 heaters buried in walls without earthed steel protection?

 

[Spoon242]

Are the cables for the e7 heaters buried in walls without earthed steel protection?

Ok, I see where you are going with this.
I have not looked at the job yet and would need to confirm. As a guess and know the flat is at least 25 years old, I would hazard a guess at probably not.
The incoming supply is almost certaintly back to back. Meaning the metering is outside and the consumer board is internal in a cupboard she tells me, but the storage heaters of course are chased in and around the flat.
So if it's not earthed steel protection then rcd or if it is then im cool with a standard board.

 

[telectrix]

If the E7 installation requires RCD protection, you only need a single RCD for the CU.

 

[adespade]

I also have a rewiring job with a similar arrangement and havent dealt with E7 before, so would appreciate some advice on the following configuration
There are 2 old bakelite boards (obviously no RCDs in sight) and a recent Horstmann meter (2002) plus an additional single 45A fused switch (possibly for the cooker), but there are also 5 heaters but only 4 fuses in the corresponding board. The storage heaters are thermostatically controlled from a central panel.
So my question is if I undertake a complete rewire, and replace the main board with a split load CCU with RCDs, am I correct in thinking that the storage heaters should still remain on a separate CCU ??

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Usually easiest way, but could all go in one board, depends how many circuits you have/which board you are using/what set up for the heaters. Usual is time switches so they come on in the economic time, but there are LOADS of ways to do it. For example separate board & contactors and a single control point....you need a design first!

 

[Spoon242]

So my question is if I undertake a complete rewire, and replace the main board with a split load CCU with RCDs, am I correct in thinking that the storage heaters should still remain on a separate CCU ??

In my mind, that was what I was planning to do replace the two boards like for like but with an rcd upgrade. For me I just need to check for the earthed metallic protection to confirm if I require two rcd boards.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

The black iron heating elements used in storage heaters are prone to damp, especially if not used for any period of time.
This can cause quite a bit of earth leakage untill they have warmed up and the moisture has evaporated.
I'd be very wary about using a single RCD to protect multiple heaters.

 

[adespade]

Thats good info, so I interpret that to mean RCBOs per storage heater circuit and whether those are on a separate board or not shouldnt really matter (assuming adequate earthing)