16A MCB in pre loaded CU

[swelec]

hi, i am new to this forum

have been reading the electrics section in order to "brush up" on recent changes

Have also read all of Brian Scaddans book as a refresher and scanned through edition 16 ammendments

It has been about 20 years since I did any house wiring ( I am a time served electrician who left the profession to become a pen pusher )

I have a new MK split load CU from screwfix pre loaded

Have now got understanding again of what to put on RCD and non RCD protected but have one possibly silly question

What are the 16 amp MCB's suitable for except gap fillers

 

[plugwash]

individual sockets immersion heaters smaller garage power installs (though most sparkys doing one from scratch seem to prefer to spec to at least 32A and sometimes 40A)

 

[swelec]

thanks for the reply

I was thinking along those lines but

1) who fits immersion heaters these days ?

2) where would a single socket be any use ?

 

[breezer]

quite a lot of people have immersion heaters, converted single room flats for example

single sockets are still put in due to "cost saving"

 

[swelec]

cheeers breezer

in the past few days have read many of your responses to peoples questions

you are always helpful and patient with newbies

guess i will take the 16A mcbs to my local electrical outlet and part ex them for a few 32/40 A

I need these as i am running four ring mains

downstairs/kitchen/upstairs bedroom ( computer room ) and a projected multimedia room

 

[breezer]

 

[kai]

16 AMP MCB's are used for Fridge Freezer Circuits and Domestic Immersion Heaters, where they feed a 2.5.sq.mm cable direct to a single unswitched socket for a fridge freezer, or a 13amp Fuse Connection Unit in the case of an Immersion heater.

They are also used to feed economy seven night storage heaters too.

Immersion heaters are also installed as secondary backup water heating in a gas central heated house.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Also, let's not forget that Screwfix are just an online shed....

 

[securespark]

Breezer did say individual socket, not single, no?

You can have a double on a 16A breaker.

Seems like your 20 years has made you rusty!!

Here, have some WD40!

 

[plugwash]

well in our CU we have

non-rcd side
2xB6 lights (btw anyone know where i can obtain "GET" C6 breakers im fed up with theese B6s tripping)

rcd side
1xB16 outside wiring to garage and sheds
3xB32 sockets
1xB40 shower
1xB16 immersion heater
1xB16 loft socket

 

[swelec]

securespark thanks for the quick rub down

maybe I will run a circuit from one 16A via 2.5mm to run the fridge freezer rather than a fused spur off the kitchen ring main

I could leave this on the non RCD side to prevent nuiscance trips causing my food to rot

another could feed a UPS system which the main computer would be fed off

 

[kai]

maybe I will run a circuit from one 16A via 2.5mm to run the fridge freezer rather than a fused spur off the kitchen ring main

A Fantastic Idea - I wish all housebuilders adopt this facility as standard!

 

[AdamW]

Immersion heaters are great! A good tankful of gravity-fed, pump-assisted hot water makes for a better shower than any combi-fed or electric shower I have ever experienced! And with the pump hidden away in my airing cupboard it is actually quieter than an electric shower I was using for 2 years!

Sorry, just mine died last week and it wasn't until I had a cold shower that I appreciated how lovely immersions are. I promised the new one I will always look after it, and since then it has looked after me by allowing plenty of good hot pressure-washes!

Great idea for the fridge, it will hopefully reduce any noise caused by the pump switching on (some people find their TV pops or hums when this happens). Best if you have an unswitched socket behind the fridge, with a switched FCU close at hand. You will pat yourself on the back when you come to defrost!

 

[AdamW]

Oooh, but one idea: why not run any radials in 4.0mm T&E? If at some point in the future you decide you need two heavy-drain appliances run off that circuit you can safely do so, no need to fuse down to be sure.

My immersion (I love it) is wired in 4.0mm, fairly short run across joists, which means should I (or a later owner) decide to upgrade to a twin-element tank or some kind of industrial 6kW element then it is a matter of just upgrading the breaker.

 

[plugwash]

4mm is apparenlty more expensive than 6mm because of the low volume

i guess like so much it comes down to attitudes

at one end you have do it as cheaply as possible within the regs
at the other end you have do a job that is overkill everywhere to allow for easy future expansion (like that house fwl found with everything wired in lsf singles in conduit appart from the cooker which was iirc 10mm 3 core lsf sheathed PYRO!)