Different consumer units

[Hammy]

Hi guys, doing a rewire for a friend. Where the consumer unit is now is quite a narrow cupboard. Fitted now is a 16th edition 6 way contactum board. House is getting extended eventually and need to leave room for a couple of new circuits and also spare. No way cupboard can go wider, can make it higher though. Anybody know of anything on the market taller rather than wide. As in two rcds above each other if you get what I mean? From a commercial / industrial background so not up to speed with whats on the market. Also what LED GU10s are you guys using at the moment. Fitted Diall in my house about 3 years ago and still going great but pretty pricey at £10 a whip. Only ones I could find that didn't give off that yellow or blue tint. Any better options on the market?

 

[David M]

There's nothing wrong with installing 2 boards, maybe a little costly but will solve your problems and should give you the option of future additions.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

I think Dillbs idea is good.. You can get RCBO's 'relatively' cheaply if you look around, and this would enable you to save the horizontal space of 2 RCD's (so 4 spaces really).

Also the idea of splitting the tails with a Henly sounds like a solution and having 2 seperate CU's above each other, although you would need to have a single point of isolation. If TT then you could fit a 100mA S type RCD, if not then a DP isolator.

I wouldn't be fitting a CU on its side, even if it does function.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

As for the LED's, there seems to be so much on the market at varying prices that it's difficult to choose.

I have bought most of my LED GU10's from Best Commercial LED Lighting Bulbs, Appliances - Convertabulb (recommended by Tel) and I like them. The lumens seem to be as stated, the customer service is very good and they give you a discount if you say you are trade.

I have also heard good stories about LED Hut - LED Lights, LED Bulbs GU10 LED and MR16 LED Bulbs + Loads more at Amazing Prices but I have never used them for GU10 LED's, so could not personally recommend them.

I have also just succumbed and bought cheapy LED GU10's (SMD - warm white - 5W - 320-400 lumen) from ebay (£1.85 each)10 x GU10 48 SMD / 60 SMD 5W 6W LED Bulbs Spotlight Day / Warm White Light Lamp | eBay. As the price is so low I thought I would test them out in my own home. I dont like them, they are not 50W halogen equivalent as stated, in fact they do not give off as much light as my 35w halogen GU10's. I'll keep some fitted to see how long they last but I wouldn't recommend using them for customers.

 

[Deleted member 72666]

Good shout bud but Rcbos are pricey as you know. Had loads of rcbos on last job too, sure a few could have went missing no probs. Too late now[/QUOTE]


Eh!,,, That's not very professional is it? Not only you have space issues but you want to remedy this with cheap or stolen parts! Inform the customer of HIS dilemma and take it from there.

 

[D Skelton]

Either fit a new board sideways, or fit a switch fuse and put the new board elsewhere. Cost allowing, I'd be choosing the latter option, but nowt wrong with the former.

One last thing, if you want LED downlights, IMHO you should be scrapping the idea of using LED GU10s and be going for integrated units. Aurora M10s are the mutts nuts and all I use now unless prior spec says different.

 

[davesparks]

Have you tried Eco-star LED downlights?
Personally I prefer them to the aurora and similar brands, but each to their own

 

[Engineer54]

As far as the CU is concerned, go for an all RCBO arrangement. RCBO's can be had for as little as a tenner + the VAT from some outlets for SP units and a bit more for the SP+N units.

I don't and wouldn't advocate mounting any CU in any orientation other than that it was designed for. At the very least, it would make the installer and installation look like a DIY'er been at work!!

 

[ElectricianJohn]

As far as the CU is concerned, go for an all RCBO arrangement. RCBO's can be had for as little as a tenner + the VAT from some outlets for SP units and a bit more for the SP+N units.

I don't and wouldn't advocate mounting any CU in any orientation other than that it was designed for. At the very least, it would make the installer and installation look like a DIY'er been at work!!

I get my RCBOs from the place below for around a tenner, if that helps.

Residual Current Operated Circuit Breakers - RCBO's - NB3LEU

 

[D Skelton]

I get my RCBOs from the place below for around a tenner, if that helps.

Residual Current Operated Circuit Breakers - RCBO's - NB3LEU

Lovely!

NOT!

Chang Wang rubbish.

There's a reason you only pay a tenner. That's if you're actually an electrician and not the business owner of that website trying to peddle his cheap rubbish.

 

[shanky887614]

Lovely!

NOT!

Chang Wang rubbish.

There's a reason you only pay a tenner. That's if you're actually an electrician and not the business owner of that website trying to peddle his cheap rubbish.

i quite liked the boards we were supplied, schneider acti9.

we have about 10 rcbo's in the back of the van, each one costs more than a full 17th board!!!! the acti9 boards and breakers are nice but i didnt realise they were that expensive.

 

[Engineer54]

Lovely!

NOT!

Chang Wang rubbish.

There's a reason you only pay a tenner. That's if you're actually an electrician and not the business owner of that website trying to peddle his cheap rubbish.

You'd be hard pushed to find electrical materials such as MCB/RCBO's and the like, that aren't made in China, and that includes certain ranges of Schneider, ABB and many other well known manufacturers...