I'm just a newly qualified electricain and could do with some advice please. Been asked to change a old rewirable fuseboard to a new consumer unit with MCBs. I'm worried that the cables coming into the old fuseborad will not be long enough to reach the terminals in the new CU. What would be the best way of solving this? Also if i wanted to extend a ring main near to the CU, could i take one of the cables that go into the MCB and put a junction box on it then extend it to additional sockets before returning to the MCB. Or is that not good practice?
Connecting up new CU
- Thread starter ml1936
- Start date
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tut tut.
Surely you would have covered this if you had followed the correct sequence of C&G exams, eg 2330, 2381 , 2391. What you are asking with reference to extending the ring is one of the most basicest of basic electrical tasks. As to the cable lengths , Butt crimps are used (if inside the consumer (or inside socket housings etc) ) , and if it is surfaced then you can use a JB , or anything else that is suitable to BS 7671 for making ACCESSIBLE joins. Making lots of extensions right near a consumer unit makes for a messy install , Why not just replace the cables that dont reach with new , and take them back up to wherever they come from! eg new ring cables to either end of your ring, new lighting feed to replace old , etc.
Have you the neccessary test gear , and are you going to issue a certificate for it? It will need testing before you mess about with it, as the cable and Zs would have been designed for rewireable fuses at the time (if you did the C&G curses you would be aware of the 0.725 correction factor) , its not as simple a practice as just replacing the board!
There will be earthing and bonding issues and also the introduction of RCD sockets etc also.
If you are asking questions like this, I have to wonder whether you are really competent about performing this upgrade, and wonder whether you should stick to the really basic stuff for at least a little while, until you feel competent enough - or until a part p inspector has deemed you suitable to be performing such tasks on domestic households.
Surely you would have covered this if you had followed the correct sequence of C&G exams, eg 2330, 2381 , 2391. What you are asking with reference to extending the ring is one of the most basicest of basic electrical tasks. As to the cable lengths , Butt crimps are used (if inside the consumer (or inside socket housings etc) ) , and if it is surfaced then you can use a JB , or anything else that is suitable to BS 7671 for making ACCESSIBLE joins. Making lots of extensions right near a consumer unit makes for a messy install , Why not just replace the cables that dont reach with new , and take them back up to wherever they come from! eg new ring cables to either end of your ring, new lighting feed to replace old , etc.
Have you the neccessary test gear , and are you going to issue a certificate for it? It will need testing before you mess about with it, as the cable and Zs would have been designed for rewireable fuses at the time (if you did the C&G curses you would be aware of the 0.725 correction factor) , its not as simple a practice as just replacing the board!
There will be earthing and bonding issues and also the introduction of RCD sockets etc also.
If you are asking questions like this, I have to wonder whether you are really competent about performing this upgrade, and wonder whether you should stick to the really basic stuff for at least a little while, until you feel competent enough - or until a part p inspector has deemed you suitable to be performing such tasks on domestic households.
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