Is a new RCD / Breaker in my consumer unit notifiable

[JohnW2]

Like everyone else, I missed the "rental" word in the initial message. What I've written therefore needs to be read together with all the caveats which have recently been added since people twigged the "rental" word!

Kind Regards, John

 

[securespark]

I'd rather not shake hands, or anything, with genitals involved.

It depends whose genitals they are, I suppose. If they belonged to a rather sexy lady, for example...

 

[CrazeUK]

Hey guys thanks for your comments.

Apologies for the bits of confusion from my post.

1. I am the landlord of the flat, so will be renting it out to tenants
2. I already have an Electrical safety certificate that is about 10 months old.
3. Apologies about mixing up the RCD and MCB thing, i was typing the post in a rush and didnt realise i mixed them up, suffice to say i am not a qualified electrician.

Here is a pic of where the work was done:




Sorry it doesnt show the wiring.

So going back to JohnW2 and Eric have said:

As eric has said, this is one situation in which the rules about notification are essentially crazy. I don't think that there is any doubt that what you have done (add an MCB and use it to feed just one socket) constitutes 'adding a new circuit' - hence notifiable. However, as eric also said, all you need to do is remove the new MCB and shift the cable onto an MCB serving a sockets circuit (together with the conductors already connected to that MCB) and it then just becomes a spur (if a ring circuit) or branch (if a radial circuit) of that existing circuit, and is hence not notifiable (even in Wales, where notification requirements are more extensive than in England).

If you are concerned about having something in your house which should have been notified, but wasn't, then I would suggest that you make the change that I've just suggested and 'forget' that the installation ever went through the phase it's currently in!

Kind Regards, John

If i was to move the wire for the socket MCB B4 to MCB A2 (Kitchen Sockets), that would be classed as a spur so none notifiable?

If so i can do that easy enough.

However if there is going to be an issue with the Cable running in the same conduit as the shower cable as what ban-all-sheds said i guess i will just get my work tested and have to fork out for the retest fees.

 

[JohnW2]

So going back to JohnW2 and Eric have said: ... If i was to move the wire for the socket MCB B4 to MCB A2 (Kitchen Sockets), that would be classed as a spur so none notifiable?

Yes, that was my suggestion. Adding a spur to an existing circuit (even if it joins that circuit at the CU) is not notifiable.

However if there is going to be an issue with the Cable running in the same conduit as the shower cable as what ban-all-sheds said i guess i will just get my work tested and have to fork out for the retest fees.

It's obviously your decision, but I personally would not be concerned about that issue, particularly given the very small load that you want this spur to supply.

Kind Regards, John

 

[deadshort]

I would agree plug a socket tester into your new socket and check polarity and and earth.

You could spur from the RFC mcb make a poor termination or not reconnect the ring properly which is a far greater risk than you adding an mcb !

Kind regards,

DS

 

[JohnW2]

You could spur from the RFC mcb make a poor termination or not reconnect the ring properly which is a far greater risk than you adding an mcb !

Quite so - I never suggested that the notification rules were sensible

Kind Regards, John

 

[kai]

That breaker on the end of that busbar sure does stand out - making it very obvious that a new circuit was installed at some point.

Using 2.5.mm.sq cable off a B16 to feed a single 13amp socket over such a short distance appears to be perfectly safe, provided all connections are secured correctly, including the earth. 2.5.mm.sq. cable in conduit is rated at more than 16amps.

 

[JohnW2]

Using 2.5.mm.sq cable off a B16 to feed a single 13amp socket over such a short distance appears to be perfectly safe, provided all connections are secured correctly, including the earth.

Of course - indeed, over any distance (within reason!).

However, given the rules, the difference between doing that and spurring off the MCB of an existing sockets circuit in the CU could be a few hundred quid for a DIYer who wanted to 'be legal'.

Kind Regards, John

 

[stillp]

My all-time favourite was an internal memo from our Marcom manager. He meant to refer to our warehouse, but the spill-chucker thought he meant "whorehouse". The girls in our logistics department were not amused...

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It depends whose genitals they are, I suppose. If they belonged to a rather sexy lady, for example...

Well, yes.

Or, at my age, even an averagely sexy one....

Genital man's agreement and shake of the hand

 

[CrazeUK]

Just an update.
So i left the new circuit that i added.

As it happened the Consumer unit for the night rate (Storage heaters) was making a few noises and one of the storage heaters stopped working.

I opened it up and noticed the Bus bar had brunt and was a bit of a mess, especillay around the RCD, it had also damaged one of the MCB's and had slight heat damage to other other two RCD's.

I got the Leccys advice, went and purchased a new Consumer unit with all the bits, got the leccy to come around and install it as well as adding the minor works that i had done, which he was happy with.

So jobs a good un.. eventually.

Thanks to all for your advice.