**CU Changes And YOU**

[Boberto]

Just to clarify. Its not a situation I am in now. I experienced it in the past. Just wondering what your opinions were and where we stand as competent people if we were to leave the Ring unprotected on the new board?

 

[Boberto]

Murdoch, from memory there was no certificate. Surprisingly.

 

[malcolmsanford]

To be honest most sparks now, after the extensive use of RCDs in domestic installation will not, or should not be faced with this now. I'm sure in the beginning a few sparks were caught out like this but now we are 4 yrs down the line with extensive RCD protection, and most guys will test for this as was posted above.

But for your hypothetical question I think I would split the ring into radials, and give the at least one of those radials RCD protection, and the other one would be marked down on the EIC under "comments on existing installation" and quote the reg your deviating from and leave it on it's own. I would prove though that it did disconnect within the 0.4secs by doing the Zs and that would be me.

 

[BP Electrics]

To be honest most sparks now, after the extensive use of RCDs in domestic installation will not, or should not be faced with this now. I'm sure in the beginning a few sparks were caught out like this but now we are 4 yrs down the line with extensive RCD protection, and most guys will test for this as was posted above.

But for your hypothetical question I think I would split the ring into radials, and give the at least one of those radials RCD protection, and the other one would be marked down on the EIC under "comments on existing installation" and quote the reg your deviating from and leave it on it's own. I would prove though that it did disconnect within the 0.4secs by doing the Zs and that would be me.

+1 to this solution.

Historically, whenever my pre-change IR tests have shown poor results and I advise the client, they usually think I'm making up crap just to bloat the quote, and the job gets lost. I should brush up on my people skills...

 

[Ohmyword]

+1 to this solution.

Historically, whenever my pre-change IR tests have shown poor results and I advise the client, they usually think I'm making up crap just to bloat the quote, and the job gets lost. I should brush up on my people skills...

Tell them to get a 2nd opinion. Better that, even if you lose the job, than creating an 'enemy'.
You know how the saying goes? "Do a good job and 5 people hear about it! Do a bad job and 50 people hear about it!" ;-)

 

[Snapester]

When you guys go around to see a CU change and you carry out the test to check the installation before quoting work, do you have the customer disconnect all appliances when doing the IR tests checking for connections between L+N, as i have had problems with shorts showing on circuits because of certain items plugged in?

 

[robsparky1975]

Must be things plugged in somewhere perhaps L&N - E would be a good option here,ive had a borrowed neutral circuit recently on a board upgrade.

 

[Snapester]

Yeah, we'll checking for borrowed neutrals is easy enough but checking interconnections on ring finals with IR tests and get bad readings from plugged in items! Is a ball ache, and asking customer to unplug everything is equally a ballache! But in long run could save hrs!

- - - Updated - - -

Yeah, we'll checking for borrowed neutrals is easy enough but checking interconnections on ring finals with IR tests and get bad readings from plugged in items! Is a ball ache, and asking customer to unplug everything is equally a ballache! But in long run could save hrs!

 

[Poorle]

Hi Jason,

Thanks for the information on CU changes. I have been asked by a mate to look at his electrics. Situation is: a CU has been moved and was hanging off the wall, all circuits bar the boiler circuits removed. Flat been renovated and all cables from the existing circuits cut and left sticking out the floor boards. Owner wants all cables extended and put back into the existing CU - which has no RCDs on it. Flat has been plastered / painted and he doesn't want any damage to plasterboard or paintwork.

Would you extend these cables in junction boxes?

Would you recommend a new CU? - this one doesn't have RCD protection on any of the circuits...

 

[Octopus]

Hi Jason,

Thanks for the information on CU changes. I have been asked by a mate to look at his electrics. Situation is: a CU has been moved and was hanging off the wall, all circuits bar the boiler circuits removed. Flat been renovated and all cables from the existing circuits cut and left sticking out the floor boards. Owner wants all cables extended and put back into the existing CU - which has no RCDs on it. Flat has been plastered / painted and he doesn't want any damage to plasterboard or paintwork.

Would you extend these cables in junction boxes?

Would you recommend a new CU? - this one doesn't have RCD protection on any of the circuits...

New CU is the only way and how many cables need extending?

 

[Pete999]

Good advice many thanks

 

[Poorle]

New CU is the only way and how many cables need extending?

Thanks. All existing circuits need to be extended (around 12 cables). The cables have been cut off, none are labelled up so it's difficult to check what cables are for what circuit.

To check for a ring circuit I tried pairing up the cables one at a time and checking for continuity between lives but found none. Bit stuck..

 

[robsparky1975]

In this instance i would take a socket off for instance and do a backward continuity test,so R1 & R2 test back to the board just to help indentify or indicate circuit/s.Have had to do simliar,didnt take much longer than a standard test anyway as i dont take whats written on old boards as gospel only an indication of what it may or may not supply.Having a helping hand to do the running about would cut the time down a bit.

 

[bigbob]

Always done a full EIC stating that no new circuits or points have been installed, test results given for existing circuits are for information only.
I was told a couple of years ago by my area engineer that this was wrong, and i should not include test results for circuits I had not installed.
The next year the same area engineer asked why I had not included test results on an EIC and advised to take a look at the ESC guidance notes. I had also issued a full PIR, as not fully testing the existing install just feels wrong.

 

[Poorle]

In this instance i would take a socket off for instance and do a backward continuity test,so R1 & R2 test back to the board just to help indentify or indicate circuit/s.Have had to do simliar,didnt take much longer than a standard test anyway as i dont take whats written on old boards as gospel only an indication of what it may or may not supply.Having a helping hand to do the running about would cut the time down a bit.

Thanks, i did that and got readings of between 0.85 - 2.75ohms on all sockets connected to that ring -which is pretty high don't you think? Might be time to calibrate the fluke i bought recently!