Test rig

[pennychew]

I started this off at the weekend but ive never had a chance to do anything more with it until today, We're due to start one of these at college next week but i wanted to do my own as well so i cleared a wall in the shed and went out and bought/borrowed some bits!!

I started off wiring in the first lighting circuit with 1.5mm t+e but after talking to the sparkie at work he reckoned as i have it in conduit i should be using singles (which i'd never even thought of) so ive been and picked up a couple of rolls and re-done it with that







Pics not great but its pitch back outside and there's a florouscent tube right above the board.

I've done a forum search on test rigs and after reading a couple of old threads i'm going to put the following on to start with...

1 ring main with a spur on it
1 cooker circuit
3 lighting circuits
the first 1 switch and 1 light
the second 2 switches and 1 light
the third 2 lights with three switches the middle one being an intermediate switch

Anyone have any other recommendations or ideas?

 

[telectrix]

looks good. let's have some in progress pics as you go on.

 

[pennychew]

Managed to get a bit of time in the shed after dinner tonight and got a bit more done,

Finished the conduit runs on the lighting circuits.


Started running my singles, i ran out of the little bit of 3 core i had so couldnt finish the bottom circuit


So this is where im at now...


Need to pick up a bit of 3 core and earth tomorrow and also an intermediate switch as ive been for stuff 3 times now and forgotten one every time!

I borrowed the board off a mate so thats why i havent connected the conduit up to it or used any of the other knock outs as i want to give him it back in the same condition i got it off him.

Any criticism or pointers welcome!!

 

[SirKit Breaker]

Nothing to criticise, looks like a nice tidy job, keep us posted mate.

Cheers…………Howard

 

[Paul.M]

Looks good Pennychew.

Next stage for you is to install a bit of SWA, FP200 maybe a bit of SY. Doesn't have to be terminated to the CU if you have to give it back to your workmate. Buy a knockout box and terminate them to it.

Also have a go at Isolation switch and a single phase commando socket. Good luck and have fun.

 

[pennychew]

Looks good Pennychew.

Next stage for you is to install a bit of SWA, FP200 maybe a bit of SY. Doesn't have to be terminated to the CU if you have to give it back to your workmate. Buy a knockout box and terminate them to it.

Also have a go at Isolation switch and a single phase commando socket. Good luck and have fun.

Thanks for the tips, I have a few ideas in mind but you've given me a couple of new ones! Only snag is due to unforeseen circumstances i'm not currently residing in the marital home, you may even see my test rig in an ebay job lot along with a load of power tools if the wife realises what they are worth. Just when you think you've hit rock bottom and things cant get any worse it wont even let me start a new paragraph when I press enter/return?? its been one of those weeks! Stu

 

[Paul.M]

Difficult one to reply to..... If you put as much effort into your marriage as you have with your test rig, both of you will be back on track in no time. Good luck Pennychew.

 

[pennychew]

Reading that back i've probably made that sound worse than it actually is!

I was only kidding about her selling my gear! we've fallen out and im staying at my ma's for a few nights thats all.

Ive also just downloaded firefox web browser which has cured my problem with the paragraphs!

Stu

 

[pennychew]

Small update...

Back in the shed after nearly two weeks exile!

I've got some SWA,SY, glands and metal clad boxes to put on but i've been wanting to get my head round contactor operation while ive been away so i had a crack at that today.

Donor Parts


Contactor mounted on a fresh bit of MDF with a lamp in place of a motor




N/O contact used to energise the coil, worked a treat and i was quite chuffed to hear it click! (is that sad?)


Looped back from T1 to A1 to keep the circuit running and N/C contact fitted to break the circuit.




Donor setup was from a 3 phase motor, i just stripped it all back and had a go to see if i could get it working on a single phase circuit, I have no idea if its wired correctly or not but it works and it gave me a bit of an understanding of how they work. I'll try and pick up some panel mounted push buttons and indicators over the weekend and wire something a bit more permanent up then.

Stu

 

[pennychew]

Bumping this for hightower as I've just offered him these bits for his own test rig and may be of use to him!

 

[telectrix]

Bumping this for hightower as I've just offered him these bits for his own test rig and may be of use to him!

going back to ypur OP, glaring error in pic #2. the N and E connections for the circuit in no.1 MCB should be in the corresponding terminals in the N and E strips. i.e. each in terminal 1. :bulb2:

 

[pennychew]

going back to ypur OP, glaring error in pic #2. the N and E connections for the circuit in no.1 MCB should be in the corresponding terminals in the N and E strips. i.e. each in terminal 1. :bulb2:

Yeah i did that back before i started at college, had been on the forum loads and just wanted to try things out and get some practice!

 

[telectrix]

i thought you'd probably have rectified it by now. post was more to educate the greener trainees.

 

[pennychew]

i thought you'd probably have rectified it by now. post was more to educate the greener trainees.

All that gear is in my container now man! soon to be passed on the next generation of eager trainees

 

[Pete999]

I started this off at the weekend but ive never had a chance to do anything more with it until today, We're due to start one of these at college next week but i wanted to do my own as well so i cleared a wall in the shed and went out and bought/borrowed some bits!!

I started off wiring in the first lighting circuit with 1.5mm t+e but after talking to the sparkie at work he reckoned as i have it in conduit i should be using singles (which i'd never even thought of) so ive been and picked up a couple of rolls and re-done it with that

View attachment 21329

View attachment 21330

View attachment 21331

Pics not great but its pitch back outside and there's a florouscent tube right above the board.

I've done a forum search on test rigs and after reading a couple of old threads i'm going to put the following on to start with...

1 ring main with a spur on it
1 cooker circuit
3 lighting circuits
the first 1 switch and 1 light
the second 2 switches and 1 light
the third 2 lights with three switches the middle one being an intermediate switch

Anyone have any other recommendations or ideas?

Not a ring main it's a Ring Final Circuit, are you doing it all in conduit?