Test Rig ; Best use of space?

[Lister1987]

I've got a 4ft X 2ft (1220 X 610mm) board for my test rig, I've got the following to add to it:

• Service Head (TNCS)
• 100A DP Isolator
• Single pole Henley (picked up the wrong one)
• BG 10way board
• Copious sockets, back boxes and ceiling roses
• Cooker switch point
• Fan isolator
• Shower Isolator

I'm trying to get the DNO portion as compact as possible but I keep giving myself issues with cabling

Idea is to simulate a house but also include the the test board Layout below;

CU is the top left box

Anyone care to give me pointers?

 

[SJD]

Not sure I fully understand, are you planning to fit a BG CU on the above board, and other items you mentioned, as there is not exactly much room left?

Is this practice for some practical exam, e.g. C&G 2391? If so, I'd duplicate the exam board as best you can (that is what I did, some years ago now). The only thing I couldn't do was the 3-phase bit, since I only had my domestic single phase supply.

 

[Lister1987]

This is gonn be a mess around board, just so I can practice finer points or terminating, fuse board management etc, but I want to try and fit the college project above alongside what you find standard in a home (service head, isolator, Henley, CU)

When I can get rid of the missus I'll get he board out and dry run it to see if a picture would help understanding

 

[Lister1987]

This is my dirt run.

Ignore the 2x 1G, I'm short a 2G box.

Could I improve this any?

 

[123]

Nothing looks straight or level. Are the 4 1G boxes at the top supposed to be of different orientation (3 are sideways, 1 isn't).

 

[Lister1987]

Nothing looks straight or level. Are the 4 1G boxes at the top supposed to be of different orientation (3 are sideways, 1 isn't).

You are quite right, nothing is straight or level because I was only throwing them on to get a picture to better explain the layout I was trying to describe.

On the final assembly I aim to have all screws horizontal and in line, there will also be male PVC conduit adapters between each box to give the layout in the drawing.

I'm just after opinion about changing the layout with relation to the DNO head, isolator and CU - DNO Head is sideways purely to fit it on, I know in real world usage it would not be sideways.

 

[SJD]

Why can't the DNO head go the right way up, adjacent to the isolator (which you can move down and right a bit)?

 

[telectrix]

tbh, i think you need a bigger board in order to dress cables and conduit etc. neatly. i suggest . maybe 4ft x 3 ft.

 

[littlespark]

Do you really need a DNO head and meter? As a spark you won’t be required to work on one unless you’re employed to do so.

the dno isolators normally have one sealed side that you can’t access, in my experience, that’s the top side. (Correct me if I’m wrong there)

a suggestion might be to add a cooker or shower switch so you can practice dealing with bigger cables in a tight space.

 

[JAWS]

Personally if I was you get a bigger board, & practice the level 2 assessment practical exam that comes up at the end of your course, get some 50mm trunking and 75mm cable tray & also a couple of meters of SWA and do the mock up of the exam.

Also paying out for a decent MFT which will pay dividends when it comes to testing your exam rig, this way you can also test your own rig & practice this way.

 

[Lister1987]

Good points, DNO head is just there for the sake of it really. Point taken about bigger board, was trying to work with what I had ?

 

[Lister1987]

Figured I should update my thread. Still a work in progress but I'm mailing dead testing to memory very nicely.



Left to right;
DNO cutout - cable on the bottom is a 2.5mm Artic Flex connected to a 13A plugtop

Cutout goes into 2 pole isolator and onwards to a 4 module 17th Ed Wylex board (was the only small board I had in).

From the board, power goes into RCD and from there into the only permenant circuit (6A Lighting).

The lighting circuit as you see it is 3 1G backboxes with 2way switches top and bottom, with an intermediate in the middle - This allows 3 way switching.

There are 3 ceiling roses on the circuit. Default configuration is set as 1 switch controls all 3 however there is flexibility to have 1 switch to 1 ceiling rose and a combination of the 2.

The roses themselves are wired in my standardised format (L to R - 2-3-3)

Terminal 1 - Pendant Line
Terminal 2 - Switched Line (Blue sleeved brown) return from L1 on lighting switch)

Terminal 3 - Line in (either from DB or previous fixture)
Terminal 4 - Perm Line to switch
Terminal 5 - Line out (to next fixture) - If this terminal (along with 6) is empty then fixture is end of radial

Terminal 6 - Neutral out (to next fixture)
Terminal 7 - Pendant Neutral

The next "circuit" is the 3 stacked 2G socket faceplates, with a 1G faceplate and a fan isolator (used as for 3 pole isolation)

When the isolator is in the OFF position then the sockets form a ring and pass all tests for a ring circuit.

When the isolator is ON then the single socket is no longer part of the ring and because of thid, the stacked sockets above effectively form a 3 2G socket radial.

This circuit has wiring ran back to the CU position and a 32A (or 20A if radial) fitted, if we are using/testing this circuit.

The 16A socket and plug is not wired into the CU and is literally an end-to-end wiring exercise - wire a 16A socket and a 16A plug.

Below this there is a SFCU which is spurred from Socket 2 on the stack to the left. The SFCU is to simulate a boiler spur, this then goes into the blanked off plate with Wagos covering the ends - obviously it would normally go to a wiring centre but for ease I have omitted that.

Above the blanked box is a 45A cooker isolator. The cable running from the bottom of the isolator is also Wago'd - I would add a CCU but I don't have any so just Wago'd

The final circuit on the board (at present) simulates a cooker point (didn't have one on hand), we have the countertop isolator position and it's LOAD side going down to the blanked plate.

I plan to add a shower isolator (and feed), along with an in-line fan (either on a pull cord attached to the lighting circuit [splitting off a ceiling rose] or to a blanked plate to simulate a shower.

Lastly I will add an outdoor light and PIR, along with switching to enable the light to operate independently from the PIR and also allow the PIR to be overridden (bypassed).

Hanging next to the setup is my Megger 1730 MFT. That's about it so far.

 

[telectrix]

you reallyneed a bigger board. I can letyou have a compact 20A Wylex Switch /MCB assembly to replace the DNO head. that will save some space.

 

[Mark Wright]

Where did you get the cutout?
Thanks,

 

[telectrix]

Where did you get the cutout?
Thanks,

Don't tell him, Pike.