Consumer Unit

[gedbhoy]

Hi all. So I ran a ring main circuit in for dado trunking in a community centre. The cables were taken back to a 3 phase consumer unit which along with the circuit chart had about a dozen breakers marked 'spare'. Guess what? Opened it up and it's packed. The 3 phase supply cabe is too large to drop out and split a phase with a Henley block(to supply a small consumer unit). There is no room to fit another consumer unit with more breakers either. Any ideas would be appreciated.

 

[Gazthesparky]

Simple answer and doesn't involve a Henley block. Should have checked the board properly when quoting/ deciding how to install the job.

Do you know what the loading is on the existing board ? Can the supply handle your new circuit.

 

[uksparks]

Two things... It's not a sodding ring main, it's a ring final circuit. Look it up!

secondly, I prefer the term distribution board when it's three phase, consumer unit doesn't quite sound right.

oh and the other thing, how if you could were you planning on splitting a phase off? Curious as to what you had planned.

 

[Engineer54]

That'll teach you not to take too much notice of labels attached to DB/CU's.

I'm amazed you wired everything up without opening the DB. If this is a surface mounted DB, it must have been obvious from the amount of cables or conduits entering this DB that you didn't have a dozen spare ways available...

 

[uksparks]

Me being a cowboy hasn't even wired something up without looking what I'm connecting into! It's almost comical.

 

[gedbhoy]

Thanks for the help guys. Such a nice friendly forum u have here.

 

[Jonspark]

remove one circuit and install a sub board cu from that spare way then wire the circuit u removed into your new cu along with the new ring.

 

[Engineer54]

remove one circuit and install a sub board cu from that spare way then wire the circuit u removed into your new cu along with the new ring.

Depends what the OP means by ''There is no room to fit another consumer unit with more breakers either''?? ...eg, Does he mean a larger DB, or an additional small DB??

 

[gedbhoy]

remove one circuit and install a sub board cu from that spare way then wire the circuit u removed into your new cu along with the new ring.

Thank you mate. Should have thunk of that.

 

[Jonspark]

Depends what the OP means by ''There is no room to fit another consumer unit with more breakers either''?? ...eg, Does he mean a larger DB, or an additional small DB??

theres 'always' enough room for a small cu

 

[Gazthesparky]

remove one circuit and install a sub board cu from that spare way then wire the circuit u removed into your new cu along with the new ring.

That's the very simple answer.
OP do you know the existing loading of the distribution board ? Can the supply take your new circuit load ? If you say the board is packed it could well be running at full capacity already

 

[uksparks]

Thank you mate. I should have thought of that.

I've corrected that for you.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

Can any of the circuits be doubled up?

 

[Jonspark]

I've corrected that for you.

if your trying to say gedbhoy should have thought of that, your text is incorrect as it appears that hes saying it to me. just saying.

 

[Pete999]

Simple answer and doesn't involve a Henley block. Should have checked the board properly when quoting/ deciding how to install the job.

Do you know what the loading is on the existing board ? Can the supply handle your new circuit.

I agree a simple check would have been my first item on the agenda.