Considering CU update

[EFLImpudence]

You can run all the cooking appliances on the new cable.

 

[Risteard]

Hi all

I've two consumer units, crabtrees circa 1990s with MCBOs, one CU for lights and the second for sockets. The only RCDs (RCBO?) are one for garage, and the other for a shower. Am looking at having an induction hob fitted, so adding extra 6mm cable/circuit, so electrician is involved already.

Total mcbo/rcbo in use is 19, but a new one will need to be added, with a separate CU for RCD for the new circuit according to the electrician.

I'm thinking of biting the bullet and getting them upgraded.

Been quoted £1.3k by the electrician, whom I've used before.

It's a lot of money but in theory would make the installation safer is that right? Any other benefits?

What should I be looking for in terms of questions. The quote doesn't include what manufacturer for example and I'd want a quality brand. Any advice appreciated.

Thanks

There is no such thing as "MCBOs".

 

[securespark]

I'm gobsmacked how uneducated these sparks are.

Who is teaching these kids this absolute tripe?

As I have non fire rated down lights in the lounge, 13A sockets on lighting circuits and 2A round pin sockets on a 6A lighting circuit, I'm not looking forward to getting one to fit a replacement CU for me....

 

[dormermike]

This guy is going to be doing a CU update for me!

 

[dormermike]

You can run all the cooking appliances on the new cable.

I could probably run the rest of the house from the kitchen!

 

[flameport]

I'm gobsmacked how uneducated these sparks are.

 

[securespark]

There seems to be a downward trend in the quality of education. For a job I was applying for, I needed proof of the qualifications I had got on my Food Technology course. I tracked down the college bod and he kindly agreed to write me a "To whom it may concern" letter. When I went to pick it up, we chatted about stuff and he said that when I did that course, we covered topics from A-Z, but these days (at the time it was 2005) the kids were only covering A-C.

He could definitely identify a dumbing down of the coursework over the years.

 

[flameport]

Who is teaching these kids this absolute tripe?

People that accept jobs like this one: https://careers.thecollege.co.uk/vacancy/foundation-lecturer-561043.html
which for that starting salary and considering you are expected to do additional hours over those contracted as a personal tutor/student support will end up just about clearing minimum wage.
Plus all the other unspecified 'reasonable duties' which if it's like most FE establishments will expand over time to cover a colossal amount of mostly unpaid extra work.

 

[JohnW2]

I'm gobsmacked how uneducated these sparks are.

Quite so - although, as below, only (hopefully) in relation to a pretty small proportion of electricians.

Who is teaching these kids this absolute tripe?

Quite possibly people who themselves were 'taught' in the same way - i.e. a self-perpetuating problem (and the electrical trade by no means has a monopoly on this problem).

However, as above, although I personally feel that most training of electricians falls far short of the ideal these days, it is hopefully/thankfully only a pretty small proportion of electricians (or 'electricians') who are 'bad'/incompetent. As in so many other fields, impressions of the magnitude of the problem are likely to be very biased by the fact that it is primarily the 'bad' ones that we here about - just in terms of this forum (but applicable everywhere) we very rarely see people coming here to sing the praises of an electrician they have used, but we hear plenty about the 'badies'.

As I always say, when one looks at newspapers or the TV News, one does not expect to be told about all the planes that have not crashed that day, nor the political figures who have not been assassinated, nor all the celebrities who have not be found to have committed nasty crimes etc. etc.!

Kind Regards, John

 

[Jurassicspark]

I'm gobsmacked how uneducated these sparks are.

Apprentice teens, who have their earphones shoehorned in their ears for the whole day end up being uneducated while obtaining a qualification.

 

[dormermike]

The electrician has put wiring in place for an extractor fan for the kitchen which will go in the ceiling void at a later date, just getting the circuit in place, switched from a wall switch. I asked where the isolator is, and he said it's on the wall, the switch. So no isolator. I'll fit one myself near the extractor which is going in the ceiling void, as I think it's safer to be be able to isolate fixed wiring appliances.

 

[JohnW2]

The electrician has put wiring in place for an extractor fan for the kitchen which will go in the ceiling void at a later date, just getting the circuit in place, switched from a wall switch. I asked where the isolator is, and he said it's on the wall, the switch. So no isolator.

An isolator' is essentially just a switch. What is your problem and why do you feel the need for both?

Extractor fans usually don't have any dedicated switch (just come on with the lights) - which is why some people think it's a good idea to have an isolator (switch) just for the fan.

 

[dormermike]

An isolator' is essentially just a switch. What is your problem and why do you feel the need for both?

Extractor fans usually don't have any dedicated switch (just come on with the lights) - which is why some people think it's a good idea to have an isolator (switch) just for the fan.

I don't think I've got a problem!

Every other extractor fan in the house has a dedicated isolator switch as well as the activator switch but now you mention it, the upstairs bathroom comes on when the lights are on, and the downstairs bathroom comes on via humidity so maybe that's why each has an isolator. In the case of the kitchen fan, it'll be serviced from the eaves, and with the switch on the kitchen wall downstairs, I rather think an isolator would be a good idea next to the fan in case someone switches it on downstairs whilst it's being worked on. That would avoid having to turn off all the lighting circuits. Isolators are a good thing imo.

 

[JohnW2]

Every other extractor fan in the house has a dedicated isolator switch as well as the activator switch ...

Fair enough - but I imagine that none of those have a switch which switches off (only) the fan, do they? However ...

.... In the case of the kitchen fan, it'll be serviced from the eaves, and with the switch on the kitchen wall downstairs, I rather think an isolator would be a good idea next to the fan in case someone switches it on downstairs whilst it's being worked on.

OK. That's a fairly unusual situation (with the switch remote from the fan) - so, yes, I agree that in that case it would be a good idea to have an isolator fairly close to the location of the fan (for the reason you give).