nic and using other make mcbs in c/u

[vitoboy]

hi all
has anyone noticed that the nic have issued guidance that you can only use original makers mcbs in consumer units...
im a bit dissapointed at this really....as most 60898 mcbs are inter changable and even made in the same place with a differnt sticker/logo on.
any thoughts ....im sure some of you must have fitted different makes of mcb in cu's before now eh..

vitoboy

 

[Wiredspark]

I actually agree with you Engineer54. I also agree with richy3333 and the pict.

 

[richy3333]

Another blinking 'grey area' for us to work too!

Maybe it will be picked up on the next edition of the Regs, NOT (The NICEIC reckon the Regs are being updated again in 2015)!

 

[Rockingit]

Also what about a enclosure with a din rail mount, how is that any different?

My thoughts exactly. We'll just start grabbing DIN boxes and making our own units, then. Nowt in the regs about that, and could even be a tiny bit cheaper. If you think about it, that's all a CU is, just a plastic housing which comes with a DP iso and a bus bar.

 

[vitoboy]

ok to be clear..im not talking about doing a new install or rewire or cu change and fitting 8 odd mcbs to it.
nor am i talking about cutting bits off or this and that to make stuff fit.
thanks for all the feed back ..good to hear.

 

[snowhead]

Next it'll be all the paint in a house has to be from the same manufacturer,
Or all the tyres on a vehicle have to be from the same manufacturer,
Or knives and forks have to be from the same set.

If CU manufacturers don't want other MCBs to be fitted why don't they make them unique, like Sq D Qoe / Kq.

.

 

[vitoboy]

it would cost them to design a new one.!
i do remember couple of years ago being told buy a hagar rep that i should not use hagar domestic rcbos in a tpn cu ...
domestic ones have a short earth tail and the others a long one...same rating all 60898 same breaking capacity but the one with the longer earth tail was half as much again!!
my employer at the time asked him for some hagar paperwork to confirm this...and he went all quiet...and decided it was ok anyway...
its a shame to see the nic cosying up with the makers of these mcbs-cus and against the public..our customers and leaving us to explaine why they need a new cu for a shower circuit coz you cant get that exact type of mcb..
or leave them with no power for days while you order one form someplace.
maybe a person working for one of these makers would post a good reason for this ???
after all at the end of the day the cu is a rubbish flexible plastic box with a row of touching mcbs rcbos of variable ratings.this is the same for all makers.

 

[richy3333]

That Hager rep sounds like a plonker. I've put normal type B RCBO's into a TPN board on advice from Hager. The Hager RCBO tails now seem to be uber long to me? I can appreciate the difference in quality between different makes but if the unit is made to a British Standard then why can't they be mixed? Although the excuse not to try and cram anything new into a ****ty old Proteus board always pleases me. Hate those CU's