Moving and Updating a Consumer unit

[optician]

Thinking of Updating my Mother inlaws board. It is presently very high, access only with step ladder.
I would like to move it to a respectable height and the existing cables are no where near long enough.
How should I connect or extend the cables to the new position?
Tails by henley blocks?
final circuits by din rail and wago connectors?
or soldering? All ways and means greatly appreciated.

Secondly it's all in the kitchen and very visible, should I chase out the wall and run the new cables or run them in trunking, I pressume time and cost is a factor here?
All advice greatfully recieved.
Dave.

 

[Spudnik]

Hi Dave,

Its up to you to be honest.

Personally crimps or solder would be the way to go and these could be buried if you want to chase the wall out.

Screw terminals should be accessible for inspection at a later date.

 

[Mac]

Thinking of Updating my Mother inlaws board. It is presently very high, access only with step ladder.
I would like to move it to a respectable height and the existing cables are no where near long enough.
How should I connect or extend the cables to the new position?
Tails by henley blocks?
final circuits by din rail and wago connectors?
or soldering? All ways and means greatly appreciated.

Secondly it's all in the kitchen and very visible, should I chase out the wall and run the new cables or run them in trunking, I pressume time and cost is a factor here?
All advice greatfully recieved.
Dave.

How far are you moving the board,can't you pull the cables back upstairs and take them through the floorboards.Only a suggestion.Wouldn't want trunking run round my kitchen

 

[optician]

Its a flat with no access to ceiling void. The current board is all on one rcd and 2m up the wall, very high ceilings, so really annoying if something trips.
So I was hoping to move it straight down the wall, to a more readily accessable ht. and give it some discrimination.
I know what you mean Mac, so I will put them in the wall.

I will probably solder the cables, although being low on experiance I hav'nt done an electrical cable yet, is there a video I can watch? (Soldered lots of electronic circuits)

And back to the original board, you wouldnt solder the tails so I'm pressuming an isolator would be best?

 

[Mac]

Sorry mate before you move or update the board it will need a periodic test done on the circuits.Can i ask if your an electrician.You said you have done some soldering on electronics.If your not qualified you will need to get a registered Part P electrician in as the work is notifiable

 

[andekoch]

I recall reading somewhere that soldered joints were not acceptable, although not sure why (my guess is that the solder may not cope with operating temps reliably).

I would go with crimps, ie a mechanical joint that does not need to be accessible so can be burried in the wall. Say in capping (or conduit) burried in the wall and plastered over.

seem some installations where 50x50 trunking was installed from new CU to ceiling and looked neat even though in full view.

 

[optician]

yes Part P and 17th and qualified just not hugely experianced in the practical side.
soldered small electonic cicuits, resistors excetera, just never done final circuits, wanted to watch
it done first.

 

[Mac]

yes Part P and 17th and qualified just not hugely experianced in the practical side.
soldered small electonic cicuits, resistors excetera, just never done final circuits, wanted to watch
it done first.

If your just moving it down the wall to a lower position,i would run some trunking down and crimp all the cables,but if your updating the board,it will still need a periodic done

 

[Steve D]

Hi Chaps,

Talking of crimps, I heard somewhere that differently coloured crimps are rated for certain currents. Is this true or should you just choose the right sized crimp for the cable?

Cheers
Steve

 

[Mac]

Hi Chaps,

Talking of crimps, I heard somewhere that differently coloured crimps are rated for certain currents. Is this true or should you just choose the right sized crimp for the cable?

Cheers
Steve

Red crimps are 1mm or 1.5mm.Blue crimps 2.5mm.Yellow crimps 4mm or 6mm

 

[mikeymoo]

Dont forget if your moving the cu and extending cables and the installation was before 31st March 2006 it maybe be the old colour code. And the cable u'll be using to extend will be harmonised. So you will need to display a warning label advising of wiring colours to two versions of BS 7671.

 

[daver]

Don't forget to heat shrink over your crimps. Moisture from new plaster will get in.

As for the soldering, I have only done it once, but I peeled of the plastic insulation of a crimp. Mechanically crimped it, and then with a rather large soldering iron, blobbed it at either end. Get a flux pen and soak it first.
Then heat shrink for a good length either side.

As for comment on solder, it melts at 135 degrees approx so I cant answer whether in a domestic situation, this would ever happen.

 

[Guest123]

Are you able to access above and crimp in a suitable enclosure or wago connectors perhaps. Both are mechanical joints so in a large polybox in the ceiling void is acceptable.

 

[optician]

Thanks Lennytheloon, I was thinking of the same thing, but in place of the existing cu, have a poly box with wago connectors inside. Can you get neat looking poly boxes?

 

[Guest123]

Hi.

They all pretty much look the same as this-

If you do place it where the old CU was then perhaps din rail and din rail connectors wouls be an option