Main bonding upgrade and cu stickers?

[23jonny85]

Hi, i am new here so sorry if this is in the wrong forum. I am a time served electrician and have been laid off so i am taking the jump to setting up on my own. I have been mainly commercial and industrial with only small amounts of domestic work. I have got a job coming up next week that i wish to use for my niceic inspection and have a few quieries.

it is a new kitchen and the home owner wants extra sockets and supplies for dish washer ect moving.
the house currently has a an old wylex re-wireable board.
and the bonding is 6mm

the questions i have are,

1) i proposed to install a small 2 way rcd unit beside the cu to put the sockets on as i believe any work i do has to be rcd protected to comply with regs? ( customer didnt want cu change)

2) i also was going to upgrade bonding to 10mm however upon reading internet im a little unsure can 6mm be deemed as ok? Just water pipe is at opposite side of house so is quite a job.

3) do i only need to test the circuits iv had something to do with? As i believe iv to put sticker near db saying its had a periodic done?

And if anybody else has any advice or other points i may of missed.

any advice would be greatly apprieciated.

jonny

 

[alanl]

Hmm, you will be struggling a little with your assessment I think.
Yes, a separate RCD CU will be fine for the socket outlets.
How are you going to isolate the supply?
Your assessor wont be too happy to see the seals missing if you pull the fuse. Please get the Supplier to come out and disconnect it, or fit an isolator for you.

Bonding - what do the Regs say? They say 10mm for most situations. If this is your assessment, why go against the Regs?
Yes, it is possible to still use the 6mm main protective bonding, but could you explain your reasoning on why it is still there, and where, from an official document, it says that 6mm MAY still be allowed?
It is in GN8, but dont think about leaving the 6mm in. You'll fail your assessment if you do.

Testing, yes, only a need to test whatever work you have done. And yes, you will need to put at least 3 stickers on the CU - periodic inspection, RCD test, and probably mixture of colours.

 

[23jonny85]

Hi thanks for your response, as i say majority of my experience is 3p and industrial/commercial, hence why i am wanting to sort these quieries out before i do the work.

as for isolation am i not able to use the old way the sockets are coming out of to feed the new rcd enclosure opposed to a henley? Therefore i could isolate the main breaker?

I know the regs say 10mm which is why iv told customer they need upgrading, its just i had read on web that it can be left as 6mm in some circumstances, i was going to ask for ref number in regs as didnt want to change if no need. Will do now though.

as for the label of period, how come one has to be displayed when i wouldnt have actually carried out a periodic? Surely if there was any faults anywhere else in the house that would make me liable?

 

[telectrix]

6mm bonding is OK on a TN-S.( think adiabatic for main bonding, then halve the CSA required to size your min bonding conductor/s). if it's TNC-S, i'd be inclined to up it to 10mm. don't forget reg. 522.6.101. for ant circuit with buried cables.

 

[Engineer54]

If this is a new kitchen being installed, then replace the existing 3036 CU with a new one to current Regulations along with the new main bonding cables!! If the client can afford a new kitchen then they can afford a CU upgrade that will not only protect and cater for the new kitchen, but also the properties electrical installation as a whole!!

I just can't understand why electricians entertain farting about adding secondary CU's when the installations CU as a whole needs to be upgraded!!

 

[Silly Sausage]

Eng, it's just how most people think regarding property.
New or refurb jobs, the underlying work of the building could be of the highest standard imaginable, but if the final finish looks a bit crappy (for want of a better word!), they're not interested.
They don't care how it's built, it must have the 'WOW' factor, so it's no surprise they don't give a flying fig about the electrics.
Some of these fancy taps probably cost more than a CU swap, trouble is, Charlene doesn't get moist looking at a dusty distribution board.

 

[markc123]

Hmm, you will be struggling a little with your assessment I think.
Yes, a separate RCD CU will be fine for the socket outlets.
How are you going to isolate the supply?
Your assessor wont be too happy to see the seals missing if you pull the fuse. Please get the Supplier to come out and disconnect it, or fit an isolator for you.

Bonding - what do the Regs say? They say 10mm for most situations. If this is your assessment, why go against the Regs?
Yes, it is possible to still use the 6mm main protective bonding, but could you explain your reasoning on why it is still there, and where, from an official document, it says that 6mm MAY still be allowed?
It is in GN8, but dont think about leaving the 6mm in. You'll fail your assessment if you do.

Testing, yes, only a need to test whatever work you have done. And yes, you will need to put at least 3 stickers on the CU - periodic inspection, RCD test, and probably mixture of colours.

Agreed. However if the OP see's anything else dangerous in the property, that has had nothing to do with him then he should note it down on the certificate.

 

[Engineer54]

Eng, it's just how most people think regarding property.
New or refurb jobs, the underlying work of the building could be of the highest standard imaginable, but if the final finish looks a bit crappy (for want of a better word!), they're not interested.
They don't care how it's built, it must have the 'WOW' factor, so it's no surprise they don't give a flying fig about the electrics.
Some of these fancy taps probably cost more than a CU swap, trouble is, Charlene doesn't get moist looking at a dusty distribution board.

With those types of shallow people, just tell them that Mr's Jones next door has just had a brand new all singing, all dancing up to date CU installed, ....that should do the trick!! lol!!