CU Change & Move, protection of tails...

[dwsnare]

Hi,

I am new to the forum, so hello, I have been stalking it for some time, but just not signed up!

I have an interesting job coming up. Basically, my friend lives in old farm house in Lincolnshire, he is doing various other things, but has asked if I can move his consumer unit and upgrade it at the same time.

Ill do all the pre move checks, IR all circuits, Ze, Zs and check bonding etc and so on, hopefully nothing too bad will crawl out the wood work!

The existing board, from the photo he has text me, i think its an old 6 way Wylex looking at it, but its not that, its the location.

Its behind a big oil burner thing for their heating and in a kitchen cupboard behind it, im going to get him to move the surface as he is doing mods to the kitchen. The things I have a query with, I appreciate its probably an obvious one, but just wanted some ideas really.

I am going to move the box from in the cupboard (as you can see from the photo, stupid location!) to above the surface at a sensible height, its going to be a pain to do anyway.

What I am proposing to do is extend all the circuits, ill use heat shrink butt connectors, and wrap them all in self amagamating tape too, then run them up the wall in trunking, which is fine as they will be RCD protected by the CU. The shower and cooker, ill use correctly sized non-insulated butts to extend the T&E and wrap them which should be fine.

The issue I have is extending the tails, the meter is only the other side of the wall at the bottom, would it be ok to stick a 100A double pole isolator in where they are left and then run new cables up from that in trunking. I can't see why it would not be ok, the run would only extend it by just over a 1 meter which the total length would only be 2 - 3 meters then, plus he would have an isolator after the meter too. For the trunking of the tails, as they would not be RCD protected, do you feel it ok so stick them behind steel galvanised capping so they have protection, and earth the capping? I can't think of any other logical way of doing it. I do not want to bury them in the wall particularly, I guess I could fit an isolator in the meter box the other side of the wall and henley block the inside, running in the cavity is not possible as there isnt one! Doh!

All the board changes I have done to date have been in the same location so have not come up against this, my head tells me my thoughts are probably ok, but thought I would check. All the extended cables and tails etc, they will all just run straight up vertically.

Any thoughts would be helpful thanks!

 

[GT1]

Insulated butt crimps + heat shrink + self amalgamating tape..
Can't help thinking its a bit overkill.
Your insulated crimps are exactly that. Insulated..!
Personally I like to use heat shrink over the top to improve appearance. But I can't see the tape improving things much.

As an alternative to running the tails up the wall, could you run them in swa or concentric up the outside wall behind then bring them in the back of the new CU ?

 

[dwsnare]

I didn't quite mean for it to sound like I was going to tripe insulate all my joints, yes quite agree sounds over the top reading it again.

Ill take a look when I go up and see about running cable up the outside.

I appreciate all your comments.

 

[DPG]

Don't insulate your joints with tripe. It smells funny. Daz

 

[dwsnare]

Woopsy! Maybe a nice bit of tuna would do better! LOL

 

[Sintra]

Hi,

I am new to the forum, so hello, I have been stalking it for some time, but just not signed

Not that new, you seem to have been here under a couple of other alias's in a past life. May I remind you that only one user account is permitted. Would you please PM me to explain.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Hi,

I am new to the forum, so hello, I have been stalking it for some time, but just not signed up!

I have an interesting job coming up. Basically, my friend lives in old farm house in Lincolnshire, he is doing various other things, but has asked if I can move his consumer unit and upgrade it at the same time.

Ill do all the pre move checks, IR all circuits, Ze, Zs and check bonding etc and so on, hopefully nothing too bad will crawl out the wood work!

The existing board, from the photo he has text me, i think its an old 6 way Wylex looking at it, but its not that, its the location.

Its behind a big oil burner thing for their heating and in a kitchen cupboard behind it, im going to get him to move the surface as he is doing mods to the kitchen. The things I have a query with, I appreciate its probably an obvious one, but just wanted some ideas really.

I am going to move the box from in the cupboard (as you can see from the photo, stupid location!) to above the surface at a sensible height, its going to be a pain to do anyway.

What I am proposing to do is extend all the circuits, ill use heat shrink butt connectors, and wrap them all in self amagamating tape too, then run them up the wall in trunking, which is fine as they will be RCD protected by the CU. The shower and cooker, ill use correctly sized non-insulated butts to extend the T&E and wrap them which should be fine.

The issue I have is extending the tails, the meter is only the other side of the wall at the bottom, would it be ok to stick a 100A double pole isolator in where they are left and then run new cables up from that in trunking. I can't see why it would not be ok, the run would only extend it by just over a 1 meter which the total length would only be 2 - 3 meters then, plus he would have an isolator after the meter too. For the trunking of the tails, as they would not be RCD protected, do you feel it ok so stick them behind steel galvanised capping so they have protection, and earth the capping? I can't think of any other logical way of doing it. I do not want to bury them in the wall particularly, I guess I could fit an isolator in the meter box the other side of the wall and henley block the inside, running in the cavity is not possible as there isnt one! Doh!

All the board changes I have done to date have been in the same location so have not come up against this, my head tells me my thoughts are probably ok, but thought I would check. All the extended cables and tails etc, they will all just run straight up vertically.

Any thoughts would be helpful thanks!

View attachment 17868

you can get into trouble for this you know....

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Hi,

I am new to the forum, so hello, I have been stalking it for some time, but just not signed up!

I have an interesting job coming up. Basically, my friend lives in old farm house in Lincolnshire, he is doing various other things, but has asked if I can move his consumer unit and upgrade it at the same time.

Ill do all the pre move checks, IR all circuits, Ze, Zs and check bonding etc and so on, hopefully nothing too bad will crawl out the wood work!

The existing board, from the photo he has text me, i think its an old 6 way Wylex looking at it, but its not that, its the location.

Its behind a big oil burner thing for their heating and in a kitchen cupboard behind it, im going to get him to move the surface as he is doing mods to the kitchen. The things I have a query with, I appreciate its probably an obvious one, but just wanted some ideas really.

I am going to move the box from in the cupboard (as you can see from the photo, stupid location!) to above the surface at a sensible height, its going to be a pain to do anyway.

What I am proposing to do is extend all the circuits, ill use heat shrink butt connectors, and wrap them all in self amagamating tape too, then run them up the wall in trunking, which is fine as they will be RCD protected by the CU. The shower and cooker, ill use correctly sized non-insulated butts to extend the T&E and wrap them which should be fine.

The issue I have is extending the tails, the meter is only the other side of the wall at the bottom, would it be ok to stick a 100A double pole isolator in where they are left and then run new cables up from that in trunking. I can't see why it would not be ok, the run would only extend it by just over a 1 meter which the total length would only be 2 - 3 meters then, plus he would have an isolator after the meter too. For the trunking of the tails, as they would not be RCD protected, do you feel it ok so stick them behind steel galvanised capping so they have protection, and earth the capping? I can't think of any other logical way of doing it. I do not want to bury them in the wall particularly, I guess I could fit an isolator in the meter box the other side of the wall and henley block the inside, running in the cavity is not possible as there isnt one! Doh!

All the board changes I have done to date have been in the same location so have not come up against this, my head tells me my thoughts are probably ok, but thought I would check. All the extended cables and tails etc, they will all just run straight up vertically.

Any thoughts would be helpful thanks!

View attachment 17868

as long as the tails are 3 meters or less then theres no need for OPD....but check with the DNO first as they might not specify OPD anyway....and as the tails will be run in a trunking then no need to go down the route of RCD....