Secondary Switchboard for kitchen from Primary Switchboard

[Engineer54]

Your just not going to listen to any sense that you are being given are you ?? Your still going to be a complete bloody idiot by using MCB's as socket outlet switches, when there is no need whatsoever. Not only that, your going to mount a CU in a kitchen cabinet!! lol!!

Oh, and those kitchen fitting shop under cabinet outlets you posted up, well they are going to last about 5 minutes!! They even have a 10A restriction rating on them before you start!! lol!! Are you sure these are not fixed extension leads, because they very much look like it to me!!!

Complete waste of anybodies time and effort advising anything to you, because you seem to know far better than everyone here!! Good luck to you on your project, i'm thinking your going to need it, if not now then later, when this can of worms is finished!!

somewhere I read that that is one reason why fires because of electric faults are more common in the UK than in other countries.

You really do read some crap don't you. You must believe everthing you read, try looking at domestic electrical fires in the States!! lol!!

 

[Outspoken]

Thanks again for your replies.

I am now looking for an electrician to make sure that everything is ok...

In the meantime I run a 10mm2 (64A) cable from the main CU, to the secondary CU, I will probably start using it with the 40A breaker and if it jumps too easily I will change it with a 63A breaker.

FYI The under cabinet sockets I got are:

Double socket | Häfele UK Ltd

Other issue is:
- the person that designed the kitchen cabling did the sockets as "radial" (i.e. one cable to the CU for each plug) rather than "ring". We meant to use a box (which is difficult to find) to connect (with a 6mm cable) the 7 sockets to a 32A switch. The first electrician that came around to have a look said that that radial is not possible in the UK because ring is the standard and if I want do do it radial I need a switch in the CU for each plug. Is this correct?

Radial systems should be more secure, because if the ring breaks the a 2.5 mm cable might overheat... somewhere I read that that is one reason why fires because of electric faults are more common in the UK than in other countries.

The Uk is the only country where "rings" are used.

What utter drivel. Sorry, but you're not listening to advice given and what you are proposing is a total nonsense. There are far simpler ways to achieve your ends and doing it safely and in a compliant way.

You have NO understanding of electricity and no understanding of what you actually want to do, stick to your day Job and lets the professionals do theirs, in the long run you will save money by shutting up and allowing an electrician to solve the problem for you...all you need to do is tell him/her what you want and allow them to decide the most practical path.

Dump the idea of a sub-main to a separate board, it is a total nonsense in a domestic setting and does nothing to solve your problem, you have no more thought this out than Nick Clegg thinks before speaking!

 

[telectrix]

love the nick clegg reference.

and sounds like the OP is going to use frogs for OCPDs.

 

[Silvermerlin]

Get a qualified electrician in to do the job, It will be done right and correctly tested and certified

 

[Brightspark2]

Which is basically what i said he means, regardless of what manufacturer he chooses. I must say, those eBay units look like really cheap and nasty outlets.

Probably made in china........

 

[Outspoken]

Probably made in china........

I think one of these is called for here

 

[Rampantchilli]

Radials are safe and have thier place in the uk.
rings are also safe and also have thier place in the uk.

the idea of running a sub main to a second CU in domestic setting is admirable but over complicating a simple job, you should not use circuit breakers as switching for your appliances, firstly they are not intended to be used for regular on off actions, this could cause wear and ultimately failure.

the 10mm cable can carry 64a, BUT that's makes 2 assumptions,
first
its flat twin and earth
second
its clipped directly to the wall, without being enclosed or covered with insulation.

so with those 2 assumptions satisfied yeah you could potentially upgrade to a 63a mcb/Rcd combination, but they are not likely to be satisfied, as you don't want anything on show, so worst case scenario is the cable can only carry 32a.

when you had an electrician on site and he advised you, he is the best person to listen to, for all the advice we have given has been given on the information YOU have supplied, but with your limited( and that's being kind) knowledge of bs 7671, you may have left out some very valuable information, like the construction of the building, or that your 17th century mansion has its own power station which runs on 110v.

get an electrician in, tell him what you want including some central controls, then let HIM tell YOU the best way of doing it, not the other way round. Laws and regulations need to be satisfied before any consideration of your aesthetic opinion.

 

[telectrix]

but don't get the spark who advised that you need a separate MCB for each socket outlet. he's got less knowledge of electrics than i have of piloting a helicopter.

 

[Outspoken]

but don't get the spark who advised that you need a separate MCB for each socket outlet. he's got less knowledge of electrics than i have of piloting a helicopter.

I'd pay to see you try though

 

[telectrix]

haha. i can fly a fixed wing tin can, but not an egg-beater.

 

[Engineer54]

the idea of running a sub main to a second CU in domestic setting is admirable but over complicating a simple job, you should not use circuit breakers as switching for your appliances, firstly they are not intended to be used for regular on off actions, this could cause wear and ultimately failure.

There's nothing admirable about running a sub-main to a separate CU, for a typical run of the mill domestic kitchen!! If the house was the size of a mansion, that would may be another matter!!

This guy is a total idiot, and isn't going to listen to anyone. Best leave him to his own devices!!

 

[heartofgold]

Smells like he'll be needing a qualified spark to save him a load of cash by doing it properly and certifying it on completion. !!