Are there any consumer units that have 3 bus bars?

[ringi]

It seems daft that most consumer units require fly leads to be connected for RCBOs.

So are there any consumer units that have 3 buses (Live, Neutral and Earth) that RCBO can plug into, alone with RCBO that allow the L,N,E to be terminated into their top?

 

[EFLImpudence]

It seems daft that most consumer units require fly leads to be connected for RCBOs.

It's the RCBOs that require the fly-lead; not the consumer units.

So are there any consumer units that have 3 buses (Live, Neutral and Earth) that RCBO can plug into, along with RCBO that allow the L,N,E to be terminated into their top?

No. Perhaps the future - get designing.

The Earth wouldn't need plugging in.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

It seems daft that most consumer units require fly leads to be connected for RCBOs.

Why would that be daft, considering the nature of the device?

So are there any consumer units that have 3 buses (Live, Neutral and Earth) that RCBO can plug into, alone with RCBO that allow the L,N,E to be terminated into their top?

You would not need to earth the RCBO, the device does not require to have CPC terminated to it. Other than that the RCBO's already have a L/N terminal. With regards to busbars, all the consumer units have the facility of busbars for L/N/CPC.
So not sure what your particular issue is?

 

[AndyPRK]

Some rcbos have a functional earth lead. The din rail could be used for this.

I think the OP would like a neutral bar rather than have lots of blue cables between the rcbo and neutral block

 

[JohnW2]

It seems daft that most consumer units require fly leads to be connected for RCBOs.

Why would that be daft, considering the nature of the device?
.... You would not need to earth the RCBO, the device does not require to have CPC terminated to it. Other than that the RCBO's already have a L/N terminal. With regards to busbars, all the consumer units have the facility of busbars for L/N/CPC. ... So not sure what your particular issue is?

I think you have probably missed the OP's point, which, IMO, is not a bad one. AIUI, he is suggesting that for all-RCBO boards, it would be nice to have proper busbars (solid lumps of copper, like the current L ones) for L, N and maybe even earth) to which the L and N of the supply side of the RCBOs (and maybe even functional earth, if present) could be connected directly (just like their L terminals now are), rather than having to have N flyleads (and functional earth leads) littering the place. A similar issue arises with DP MCBs.

If/when we come to the day when all-RCBO boards are 'the norm' (or, at least, very common), I imagine that we'll see DB/CU designs just like the OP is envisaging. However, I personally certainly haven't seen any yet.

Kind Egards, John

 

[ringi]

Thanks John,

You put it better than I could.

Just add double waga type connectors at the top of each RCBO (for L,N, and E) so it is quicker to terminate the outgoing cables for the icing on the cake.

(As I always spec all RCBO boards for properties I rent out, I consider them to be the norm.)

 

[EFLImpudence]

You could easily have a three row Crabtree Starbreaker-like board with each RCBO having three prongs to fit.

 

[333rocky333]

Just add double waga type connectors at the top of each RCBO (for L,N, and E) so it is quicker to terminate the outgoing cables for the icing on the cake.

do you have a picture of this

 

[JohnW2]

Just add double waga type connectors at the top of each RCBO (for L,N, and E) so it is quicker to terminate the outgoing cables for the icing on the cake.

do you have a picture of this

I have a feeling that we're talking about ringi's dream/'wish list', not something which exists and can be photographed!

Kind Regards, John

 

[333rocky333]

Oh i see thanks john.

Some merlin gerin din rail stuff like timeclocks are using twin push in terminals, so maybe only a matter of time before used on mcb's and neutral/ earth bars

 

[JohnW2]

Oh i see thanks john. ... Some merlin gerin din rail stuff like timeclocks are using twin push in terminals, so maybe only a matter of time before used on mcb's and neutral/ earth bars

I suppose that's fair enough provided that one 'trusts' push-in (spring) terminals - the problem is that is really has to be on the basis of 'faith', since one doesn't have the satisfaction of 'knowing that one did up the terminal screw tight enough'!

Whilst, if one has that 'faith', I suppose that it would be fair enough for the supply side of MCBs/RCBOs (i.e. onto bus bars, with ringi's proposal). It would be more of a problem on the load side, where it's far from unknown to have three conductors in the L (and N if it's an RCBO) terminal - to cater for that, there would have to be a lot of push-in terminals. Mind you, getting a bus-bar out of several MCBOs or RCBOs simultaneously would presumably require one to have an awful lot of hands (to operate 'release mechanisms') - or some pretty clever tool.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I think you have probably missed the OP's point, which, IMO, is not a bad one. AIUI, he is suggesting that for all-RCBO boards, it would be nice to have proper busbars (solid lumps of copper, like the current L ones) for L, N and maybe even earth) to which the L and N of the supply side of the RCBOs (and maybe even functional earth, if present) could be connected directly (just like their L terminals now are), rather than having to have N flyleads (and functional earth leads) littering the place. A similar issue arises with DP MCBs.

But you can get them.

RCBOs would need to be redesigned if they were to use a busbar connection for functional earth, but if you have 2-pole devices, be they RCBOs or MCBs, what's the problem with getting a 2P busbar for them?

 

[JohnW2]

But you can get them. ... RCBOs would need to be redesigned if they were to use a busbar connection for functional earth, but if you have 2-pole devices, be they RCBOs or MCBs, what's the problem with getting a 2P busbar for them?

No problem at all, in terms of what you describe. However, I presume that the OP was thinking of ('standard') single-pole (hence usually single-module) RCBOs, and I've never (yet) seen a (commercially available!) "2P busbar" that could cope with that - have you?

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

http://images.google.com/images?q=2p+busbar

 

[JohnW2]

http://images.google.com/images?q=2p+busbar

Fairy Nuf. Thanks. (it remains the case that I hadn't {previously} seen such animals).

Kind Regards, John