Home Test Rig for Domestic Installer. Apols in advance for the length of this one...

[ennaress]

As I lack practical experience and recently failed to impress NICEIC into Registering me, I thought I could build my own test rig then test the hell out of it and try to develop fault-finding skills before paying for another assessment.
My rig is deliberately non-logical - eg I have a switch on one side of the rig operating a lamp on the other etc and the rig comprises:
1 No. ring final with 4 No. sockets
1 No. radial with 3 No. sockets via a FCU
1 No. light circuit with 4 No. luminaires switched by a dimmer, a neon-pull cord and a 2W + intermediate.
1 No. 'CCU' with switched socket radial (for the type, see other post when I was asking what the 'IND' marks were) - with no load and I haven't bothered with an isolator (or maybe you'd suggest I run the conductor on and out to one to give extra spice to my R1/R2 and IR tests....?)
1 No. radial (mocking an external supply) with SWA and a J-box
1 No. length 15mm copper tube to act as Equi Bonding example.
I've got a (way too many) used 10-way CU (I'll eventually use it to replace my own 'proper' 'real' CU) with MCBs and RCDs
No spurs yet, but will add at some point.
I've used 1mm, 2.5mm, 4mm and 6mm T&E for the above circuits.

Phew...
Here's the question (sorry guys!):

I'm pondering how to make the rig live - which obviously will only be when I'm live testing. I live (as opposed to live...) in a really small, 1st (top) floor flat and the only practical place for me to use it is the sitting room. The Mrs is delighted with this. I am thinking that I take a feed from my 'proper' CU, in the hall cupboard (an old fashioned, four-way/MCB Wylex 60A affair) with a conductor of suitable CSA then route this up into the loft and across and down into the sitting room.
Was thinking of terminating the 'tails' of each conductor in the sitting room in their own term box, then all three in a wall-mounted Term Box with a Fort Knox type padlock over it. I'd have sufficient length on the tails to unwind them and take them into my main incomer on my 10-way CU test rig.
I have RCD protection in that 10-way CU on the rig, but is that sufficient? Otherwise I guess I'd have to deploy a Type S RCD upstream of the test circuit, to avoid discrimination? Will my additional lengths of incomers skew my external Ze and main bonding readings, or should I just not do those tests?
Any views on this rather mad plan or alternatives? My flat is so small that basically like all my other toys, the rig would have to be connected and dis-connected each time I wanted to play with it.
Once I'm a registered spark with all the confidence needed, I'll obviously dismantle the whole rig and wiring.
Thank you all!

 

[westward10]

Don't think you are going to be married for much longer.

 

[sparksburnout]

Might I ask, what did they "fail" you for? Do you have any electrical qualifications or installation experience? You might be better trying to get some practical experience with a proper electrician? I can't really see what you are going to get from building this.

 

[Pete999]

When I was still working, I had some boards made up out of half inch ply, with just enough room for a small CU, a RingFC, RadialFC, couple of lights intermediate, SP contactor with stop start, Used a 2M lead as my supply plugged into a socket, no ideal but it served it's purpose, they are still at my od place of work, sadly no one uses them these days.

 

[Deleted member 72666]

Can't you make it 'plug and play' as Pete did with his?

 

[Rpa07]

Yes, as Pete says. 2metre flex on a plug end. It's not like you've any load on the board. I did the same, strangely enough it's still in the back room where I've left it. Worth it for practicing your CU neatness and certain terminations but as someone said, chase a job helping a jobbing electrician and get stuck in. No experience like real experience. Your missus will appreciate you all the more by getting rid of the rig and being out more often!

 

[Barry White]

I am with the plug that Pete999 suggested its easy quick safer and you don't need a big load to "test"
Please get some work as an electricians mate and learn the correct way. Just because it works doesn't mean its ok.

 

[telectrix]

what they all said.^^^^^^. put a plug on it.

 

[Midwest]

I'm with the 'if the NIC wouldn't register you', what are your qualifications experience line?

 

[Jay Sparks]

I would say get some practical experience with another sparky, as suggested above but if you are adamant on doing it yourself, can you not just give your missus some spending money every now and again and use your house/flat for testing? You could even set up some faults. More realistic than a piece of wood with some circuits on!

Jay

 

[Pete999]

I'm with the 'if the NIC wouldn't register you', what are your qualifications experience line?

Check the profile

 

[westward10]

I see he is from Guildford maybe he knows Davesparks.

 

[westward10]

Isn't the purpose of fault finding to "find" the fault, not put your own faults in to find.

 

[Jay Sparks]

Isn't the purpose of fault finding to "find" the fault, not put your own faults in to find.

Yes in real life but he wants to use it for practice. You never know, he might have loads of faults on his installation anyway. Putting a fault on his own install would help him see what readings he might expect for different faults. But he obviously needs to understand the test procedure before he can create any faults.

Jay

 

[Pete999]

Yes in real life but he wants to use it for practice. You never know, he might have loads of faults on his installation anyway. Putting a fault on his own install would help him see what readings he might expect for different faults. But he obviously needs to understand the test procedure before he can create any faults.

Jay

Practice make perfect