Hager 6+6 OK for domestic CU?

[Deluks]

I've been offered this from this bloke on eBay for £50 inc. post. Will this be suitable for a 3 bedroom semi? (and is it a fair price?)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6002267784&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEDW:IT&rd=1

We're in the process of replacing our kitchen, and will be getting someone (proper) in to wire in the appliances, plus I'm running power down to the garage soon as well so thought it best to replace the ancient CU we've got under the stairs.

We've got upstairs and downstairs lights, I assume they'll use an MCB each, the up n down house circuits will probably have an MCB each too, plus shower, cooker, kitchen, and eventually garage. I make that 8?, but which of these go on the rcd side? Will 6+6 be suitable?

Cheers

 

[Nijinski001]

Personally I wouldn't buy anything functional off e bay but that's your call.
Is there a guarantee?
What happens if it goes wrong?

A Hagar 6+6 wouldn't cost you much more thna that from your local wholesaler. My local one lists the unit at £109 +vat and I know there would be at least 25% discount to be negotiated.

 

[Gary0]

A quick search on Google shows he is asking less than you'd normally expect to pay.

Seems a reasonable deal if above board, but I let others buy from those with an ebay score of only 1. At that stage I'd have thought he'd have been prepared to drop the asking price more, to help build up his reputation.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Will this be suitable for a 3 bedroom semi?

If you don't know, you perhaps shouldn't be making design decisions.

We're in the process of replacing our kitchen, and will be getting someone (proper) in to wire in the appliances, plus I'm running power down to the garage soon as well so thought it best to replace the ancient CU we've got under the stairs.

Have you thought about the fact that this is notifiable work?
Have you thought about how you will do the testing of the wiring that you should do before replacing the CU?

We've got upstairs and downstairs lights, I assume they'll use an MCB each, the up n down house circuits will probably have an MCB each too, plus shower, cooker, kitchen, and eventually garage. I make that 8?, but which of these go on the rcd side?

Do you think that assumptions are a good basis on which to design an installation?
Do you not know if you have two lighting circuits already?
If you don't know what circuits must/should/should not go on which side of the board do you think you should be replacing it?

Will 6+6 be suitable?

Who can know what circuits you need/want except you?

A final, and very important question - do you even know if this CU is suitable for you? - do you have a TT supply, or a TN-S/TN-C-S?

I'm not trying to be funny - there is a great deal more to replacing a CU than just buying one because it's a good deal and hoping that it is suitable, and from the questions you're asking, I really don't think that you should be tackling it.

 

[Deluks]

A final, and very important question - do you even know if this CU is suitable for you? - do you have a TT supply, or a TN-S/TN-C-S?

I'm not trying to be funny - there is a great deal more to replacing a CU than just buying one because it's a good deal and hoping that it is suitable, and from the questions you're asking, I really don't think that you should be tackling it.

I have no intention of tackling anything, I should've made it clearer that I'll be getting someone in to do all the work, so it will be professionally installed. I thought it would be worthwhile saving a few quid on the parts, so as reduce the overall cost of the work. I have no idea what supply I have, I didn't know that there were different CU's for different types of supply.

So I'll take it that I can't guarantee that this will be any good for my house?

 

[darren7]

A bit Harsh! poor guy. I knoew nothing about TN-S/TN-C-S but this may help you Deluks

http://www.diyfaq.org.uk/electrical/electrical.html

 

[Deluks]

Cheers Darren, lots of good info there, always nice to receive helpful replies

 

[breezer]

other thing is, if i were asked to fit it , i wouldn't.

I shall explain:

I have to fit a part supplied by you that may / not be suitable (assume it is) it then fails who are you going to blame, honestly you would blame me wouldn't you. (even if not to my face)

also i could not give any g'tee, on any work done by me since it is using a part supplied by you.

If you were asking me to quote for the job i would refuse even if i had no other work, i am also talking through bitter expeariance

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I have no intention of tackling anything, I should've made it clearer that I'll be getting someone in to do all the work, so it will be professionally installed.

Indeed you should:

I'm running power down to the garage soon as well so thought it best to replace the ancient CU we've got under the stairs.

I thought it would be worthwhile saving a few quid on the parts, so as reduce the overall cost of the work.

1) Given the discounts that electricians get at wholesalers, there is no guarantee of that.
2) Whoever you get to do the work will possibly make some of his money via mark-up on the materials. If you deny him that, he will just add it to his labour charge. He needs to make a certain amount of money to survive, feed his family etc - why should he go home with less money for the same amount of work because you have bought the parts?

I have no idea what supply I have, I didn't know that there were different CU's for different types of supply.

So I'll take it that I can't guarantee that this will be any good for my house?

Not without further investigation, no.

 

[supersparks]

i pay 36 quid for the same board, so no, its a crap price.

 

[baldelectrician]

Deluks

If you get someone in to do this job and, say something is missing / broken / faulty- what are you going to do?

You will have booked a spark and his time will be allocated to you.

In other words - if the spark supplies it and installs it he is totally liable if something is not right, if you buy it you are liable, not him.

When I do jobs like this I insist on supplying most things (such as consumer units) just for this reason, I take all the hassle and problems away with the purchase- all the cusomer gets is the end result of a new unit and certification.

It's not the first time, a consumer unit has been 10mm too big and I have had to go and swap it for a smaller one- the customer pays the original aggreed price and no extra. ( I usually measure the space if it looks smallish)

 

[darren7]

well if you post a nice picture of your current C/U and its earth. the nice people on you might help, to see if the board you want it ok. then again they might not.


offer them say 5k and they will all be round....in a flash...

Darren

Lighten...up....

 

[Deluks]

2) Whoever you get to do the work will possibly make some of his money via mark-up on the materials. If you deny him that, he will just add it to his labour charge. He needs to make a certain amount of money to survive, feed his family etc - why should he go home with less money for the same amount of work because you have bought the parts?

Now this concerns me, 'mark-up on the materials' ? Isn't that just a polite way of saying overcharging?
What the hell has his family got to do with me, am I likely to be 'overcharged' a lot more by a spark who's married with 4 kids as opposed to a guy who's single?
What about my family, are they supposed to go hungry because a job needs doing urgently is done by a tradesman who charges me £100 for a new CU (+ labour) when he only paid £40 for it?

if the spark supplies it and installs it he is totally liable if something is not right, if you buy it you are liable, not him.

No problem, at the end of the day, if I am the paying customer and are prepared to take responsibility for that then why should he be concerned?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Do what you think is best.

Go and buy that CU, get someone to fit it, and stop coming here asking for advice and then getting bent out of shape because it's not the advice you want.

 

[Adam_151]

A mark up on materials is often to cover the costs of materials that are too small to bother itemising

for example you might pay a set amount for CUs, breakers, RCDs, isolaters, showers, etc, etc, but you wouldn't expect to see things such as screws, rawlplugs, crimp connectors, terminal blocks, etc itemised on the bill, so it'd be marked up by a percentage to cover the approx cost of bits like this