Flat about to be EICRed

[Piratepete]

Hi Guys
A first floor flat I rent out requires an EICR. It was purpose built in 1990. I'm no longer in business or up to date with regs and realise that there may be some issues lol.
The meter box and cutout (100Amp) feeds the Main CU and an E7 CU installed in the flat on an outside wall inside a low level kitchen unit -grovelling required for access. The Main Switches were both 63Amp and at some time I changed these to 63 Amp RCDs. The tails look to be 25 sq mm. The Main CU has MCBs and the E7 CU has the original cartridge fuses.
1. The tails are at least 4m long and installed in the wall cavity. Possibly no mechanical protection.
2. I'm told the main switches need to be 100 Amp to protect the cutout. Is this a new requirement?
3. All circuits are off one RCD, but I would argue that that it's a small flat, on one floor, so is not unsafe.
4. Cartridge fuses in E7 CU ok?

I'd appreciate your comments please, and if you have observations, what code would you give?

Cheers!
Pete

 

[DPG]

If you changed both main switches to RCDs hoe can all the circuits be fed from one RCD?

 

[davesparks]

1. The tails are at least 4m long and installed in the wall cavity. Possibly no mechanical protection.
2. I'm told the main switches need to be 100 Amp to protect the cutout. Is this a new requirement?
3. All circuits are off one RCD, but I would argue that that it's a small flat, on one floor, so is not unsafe.
4. Cartridge fuses in E7 CU ok?

1. I doubt that will get any comment on an EICR.
2. Main switches do not provide any protection to the cutout, but they do need to be rated correctly for the size of supply. If the supply is fused at 100A then the main switch should be rated at 100A this is just common sense. It's not a new requirement, it has been the same for many, many years.
3. I would expect this to be coded as a C3 at worst.
4. Yes fuses are a complaint OCPD

 

[mattg4321]

Unless all mcbs add up to less than the RCCB rating

 

[Piratepete]

re Item 2. So the original installation was wrong. Should've thought about it more at the time I changed to RCDs! Got so used to buying CUs with 100 Amp Main Switches as standard whether that rating was required or not and never having to question it.
[automerge]1597873036[/automerge]

Unless all mcbs add up to less than the RCCB rating

Hi Matt
I think davesparks is suggesting that's irrelevant? ie. 100 Amp Cutout, therefore 100 Amp Mainswitch.

 

[davesparks]

Unless all mcbs add up to less than the RCCB rating

That may affect the code given, but the main switch should still be rated for the size of the supply.

 

[Piratepete]

If you changed both main switches to RCDs hoe can all the circuits be fed from one RCD?

Perhaps I explained it badly. Each CU now has an RCD Mainswitch, protecting all the circuits in the relevant box

 

[Piratepete]

Thanks guys for your advice.

 

[DPG]

Perhaps I explained it badly. Each CU now has an RCD Mainswitch, protecting all the circuits in the relevant box

My fault - I didn't read your post properly!

 

[telectrix]

you could kill 2 birds with 1 stone.fit a 63A Switch/fuse after the meter. that will make the 63A RCDs compliant and also protect the CU tails that are over 3m to keep DNO happy.

 

[Piratepete]

you could kill 2 birds with 1 stone.fit a 63A Switch/fuse after the meter. that will make the 63A RCDs compliant and also protect the CU tails that are over 3m to keep DNO happy.

I would need 2 Switchfuses as it's E7. I'm doubtful that there's room in the meter box for 2 switches. If you cost fitting 2 Click DB750 switchfuses against supply and fitting new RCDs, the latter wins hands down! I think that the slightly too long tails may not be noticed! I'm also thinking that 63 Amps could be considered a bit tight on the load side so these 100 Amp RCDs will remove that discussion.