Over the top?

[imago]

Doing a rewire at the moment which is part of a full refurb of a bungalow. As usually happens some additional works were requested and spec changes made. Outside lighting and garage power for example. Anyway, whilst discussing my intentions (with another spark not on this job) I said that I was going to up the board to a 12 way, and put the outside lights (5 bulkhead type, two with PIR) onto their own MCB. For the garage I'm putting a 40a RCBO into the CU to feed a two way board with a 32a and 6a MCB for the power and lights respectively. It just seemed a sensible approach to me, but he seemed to think that it was going over the top. I told him, well a shorter version of "I disagree my good fellow. Further more as it is I who have been engaged to complete this work, you should trouble yourself no further with it."

It's got me thinking now though, hence the question on here. Am I over doing it?

His suggestions by the way were that the outside lights could be combined on one of the three other lighting circuits, and the garage should just be on a 32a MCB off of the CU.

 

[Andy 7671]

I disagree my good fellow...priceless, I am, shamelessly going to steal that off you, if I can remember it.

 

[nickblake]

thats how i would do it he's thinkling of the costs so much easier , im doing the exact same thing 6mm to a cdu in a gargae to supply sockets lights etc ,then again it is my own house so lol

 

[trev]

Well you could do it his way but it's your job and your spec mate

 

[mickytuff]

i agree, either way will do the job and will work safely, its more to do with preference/cost rather than rite or wrong way to do it bud

 

[nickblake]

what i could add is who's the electrician may actually cost more adding more cables than it would installing a CDU cable time etc

 

[imago]

Absolutely. The main reason for me going down this route is that the CU isn't on the wall yet, so it seems like the ideal time to get all the flexibilty into the system that I can. I'm not suggesting he's wrong, and I know my way isn't wrong. It's just a preference while the opportunity is there to do it. I started wondering if I was doing more than was needed.

The customer is happy to go with my recommendations "That's what I'm paying you for. As long as it works, and the wife's happy with the way it looks, I'm happy." Great bloke to work for.

Thanks for the reassuring words.

 

[telectrix]

nothing wrong with your way. RCBO at CU or RCD in garage. either way is acceptable. it's your job, you do it your way. but please don't be doing frank sinatra impressions.

 

[imago]

but please don't be doing frank sinatra impressions.

I've never been to Ipanema or seen any girls from there?

 

[Heisenberg]

My bog standard install for a garage is a 4 way CU, 65A RCD + 20A (Radial) + 6A (Lighting). Fed via 6mm on a 32A back at the main CU.

 

[telectrix]

one thing i could add would be to provide double pole isolation for the outside lights. then any IR faults caused by water/damp can be isolated and can save you a 2.00am call-out.

 

[Engineer54]

one thing i could add would be to provide double pole isolation for the outside lights. then any IR faults caused by water/damp can be isolated and can save you a 2.00am call-out.

I wonder how long it will be, before you get rid of these twin RCD protected CUs to be replaced by RCBOs in domestic installations. Those things are nothing but stored up trouble in my opinion!! lol!!

 

[imago]

Good call, I'll drop one in.

 

[telectrix]

I wonder how long it will be, before you get rid of these twin RCD protected CUs to be replaced by RCBOs in domestic installations. Those things are nothing but stored up trouble in my opinion!! lol!!

difficult enough to get joe public to pay for RCDs, let alone RCBOs.

 

[imago]

I wonder how long it will be, before you get rid of these twin RCD protected CUs to be replaced by RCBOs in domestic installations. Those things are nothing but stored up trouble in my opinion!! lol!!

Excellent, lots of work for the future, and all the borrowed neutrals and the like will have been sorted when the split boards went in. So nice easy work to upgrade all the well fitted CUs. ooh look, a pig flying past.