Quick replies please

[Missing-spark]

a woman owns a block of flats 2 to each floor. Only small flats some are beds it's some are one bedroom. Each floor has one consumer unit feeding the two flats. She wants them brought up to date. I can't just replace the old ones with split loads can I? Each flat/bedsit has to have its own consumer unit right? Or does it?

 

[Richard Burns]

individual accommodation should have its own consumer unit but shared accommodations can have a group one.
I would not like to have my consumer unit available to an annoyed neighbour who might switch off my supply.

 

[Plonker 3]

Seriously. Why do you think you can't replace them for a split load?

why not install RCBOs on each circuit to prevent nuisance tripping?

 

[Missing-spark]

individual accommodation should have its own consumer unit but shared accommodations can have a group one.
I would not like to have my consumer unit available to an annoyed neighbour who might switch off my supply.

Yeah but is it regulations to have its own

 

[Plonker 3]

Yeah but is it regulations to have its own

What at does it say in your version of the BGB?

 

[Missing-spark]

What at does it say in your version of the BGB?

How ow hard is it to get a straight forward answer from anyone on here. It may be a stupid question to you but I am still learning and the way to learn is ask questions and get answers. Please can somebody answer my question. Can I be done and signed off or does it need to be done with rcbo's

 

[Engineer54]

a woman owns a block of flats 2 to each floor. Only small flats some are beds it's some are one bedroom. Each floor has one consumer unit feeding the two flats. She wants them brought up to date. I can't just replace the old ones with split loads can I? Each flat/bedsit has to have its own consumer unit right? Or does it?

Individual CU's would indeed be the ideal.

Depends how this woman is renting these flats/bedsits. If it's a weekly/monthly all inclusive rent, then it's not going to make much difference to the greater scheme of things, If the lecky is charged separately, then that may present problems, in that one or the other of the two flats is using the majority of the units consumed, the other flat will then be subsidising a portion of those units used by his neighbour!!

If a single CU is to be used to supply both flats, i'd make sure the final circuits are kept to serving one flat/bedsit only, ...and not both

 

[Silvermerlin]

Is the whole block metered as one property and how does she charge each tenant for their portion of electricity used

 

[Missing-spark]

Thank you for answering. Yeah all bills are included in the monthly rent. She just wants them brought up to date the cheapest way. It would be ideal for seperates but just to clarify it isn't against regs to put them both on one split load c/u. Yeah ring mains are seperates to individual flat/bedsit

 

[Missing-spark]

Yeah all one meter bills included in rent

 

[Brightspark2]

If each flat has its own curcuit then as dilb says it wants RCBOs. If you use a split load consumer unit and there's a fault in one flat then it's going to effect the other flats.

 

[Plonker 3]

How ow hard is it to get a straight forward answer from anyone on here. It may be a stupid question to you but I am still learning and the way to learn is ask questions and get answers. Please can somebody answer my question. Can I be done and signed off or does it need to be done with rcbo's

If you are still learning why are you carrying out work that you are unsure weather it satisfies the regs or not?

You do have a copy of the regs font you?

 

[Richard Burns]

It is probably a good start to mention that you are still learning, but since you are considering undertaking this install then you do need to be competent to do it. If you want quick replies then you get quick replies.
If you want to know the details of something then you should be referring to the regulations and assessing the situation from your own knowledge and research.
Electrically the problems may come in separating the bonding for the flats if each are individual accommodations and in ensuring a fault on one flat does not take out circuits in the other flat.
Logistically the charging, metering and accessibility are all things to consider.
If there is one incoming supply to the building then you can pretty much electrically do what you want in terms of separation, however if you were to supply a split load consumer unit then the anticipation would be that one flat would be on one RCD and one flat on the other. This may mean you would be not avoiding nuisance tripping in any one flat as a single earth fault would take out the flat.
In terms of the regulations, as they are domestic properties, then you can probably do it but it would not be a good solution.

 

[Octopus]

How ow hard is it to get a straight forward answer from anyone on here. It may be a stupid question to you but I am still learning and the way to learn is ask questions and get answers. Please can somebody answer my question. Can I be done and signed off or does it need to be done with rcbo's

Are you doing the signing off? andf if you have 1 RCD covering each dwelling, how do you plan to mimise inconvienence?

 

[telectrix]

it's most likely that each flat/bedsit will have ony 1 socket circuit, 1 light circuit, 1 cooker circuit , and maybe immersion heater. in trhat case division of circuits is not much help, so a 4 way CU with RCD main switch ib each may be the simplest solution,

 

[Octopus]

it's most likely that each flat/bedsit will have ony 1 socket circuit, 1 light circuit, 1 cooker circuit , and maybe immersion heater. in trhat case division of circuits is not much help, so a 4 way CU with RCD main switch ib each may be the simplest solution,

Or a 4 way board with RCBO's

 

[telectrix]

agreed, murdoch, but cost may be the deciding factor.

 

[Missing-spark]

If you are still learning why are you carrying out work that you are unsure weather it satisfies the regs or not?

You do have a copy of the regs font you?

Because I am just as competent as the next person in all aspects of installation i just don't know all the regs off the top of my head and have never come across this type of situation before and was unsure about it. I know all the regs relevant to the work I carry out on a day to day basis but this just threw me a bit and was looking for a bit of advice and to be honest I'm a bit unsure as to where in the regs book I would be looking for this type of situation

 

[Octopus]

agreed, murdoch, but cost may be the deciding factor.

I have to disagree with you. A single upfront RCD will not comply with the regs whereas a RCBO board will - so the regs argument wins.

I guess the OP could call his scheme and ask them........

 

[telectrix]

i agree, but in the situation i described, how will RCBOs be of use when if sockets are off, all are off, whether or not the single circuit has it's own RCBO or not.

 

[Brightspark2]

i agree, but in the situation i described, how will RCBOs be of use when if sockets are off, all are off, whether or not the single circuit has it's own RCBO or not.

Because then the lights, cooker or whatever will still be on...

 

[Knobhead]

If the supplies aren’t metered does each flat actually need its own CU?

This isn’t an ideal world and the person ordering the work has the ultimate say.