Single pole RCCB Isolator

[oharaf]

Hi chaps, another very very slow day!!!!!

Any an old mate from college called me today, he is doing some work (I don't really think he should be!!)

So I get a phone call from him

"their is no earth in the lighting circuit in the bathroom what shall I do?"

"What are you doing"

"putting some lights in a customers bathroom and a shower"

"Is there an RCD anywhere?"

"No"

"Well what do you think YOU SHOULD DO?"

"I don't know that is why I called you"



So in the van go up to see him.

I look at the CU, MEB 16mm and 10mm, good

Square CU with ancient push in MCB's, he has in the mean time read his college notes and gone and got an RCBO for the CU

PLEASE GUESS THE PRICE OF THE RCBO!!!!!

The Isolator is an RCCB BS4293 30mA single pole of bakelite appearance, tails are 16mm at best looks more likely to be 10mm

The service head is huge I am suspecting a fused neutral!!

In the mean time he has pulled in a new lighting circuit purely for the bathroom, I hinted he might want to think about doing that there is also 10mm for the shower.

He smiles and produces a 40A mcb

"I got one of these as well cos the 32A was to small"

He was correct there


GUESS THE PRICE OF THE MCB!!!!!!!


Now I have suggested that he may like to

1. Upgrade the tails to 25mm
2. Add some henley blocks and split the tails to a mini consumer unit with
an RCD and 2 ways for a 6A and 40A MCB
3. Connect his NEW circuits to the mini CU and not to forget to bring the
earth from minicu to the main cu

4. Not to forget to inspect, test, certify and notify his work

GUESS THE PROBLEM HERE!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, the question I really want to ask you guys is.

The main Isolator is this RCCB BS4293 rated at 80A

The supply is TNS, should this not be a standard 2 pole isolator? 60947-3 for example?

Any other pointers would also be helpful.

From looking at only a small part of the installation I found rubber coated cables in the lighting circuit, no earth in the upstairs lighting, the MCB's literally fall out of the CU!!!

I personally would have reccommended a re-wire of the entire lighting circuits and a CU change

 

[oharaf]

Been doing some reading around, starting to get the feeling this little item might be an ELCB!!!

 

[Spark123]

If it is an voltage operated ELCB then it wont have 30mA stamped on it and wont be to BS4293.
What make consumer unit? Square D qoe? If so then you need a mortgage to buy parts for them!
Square D Qoe RCBO will be somewhere in the region of £90 + Dreaded.
MCBs will be a tad cheaper, probably £10 ea??
Does he own a tester and know how to use it, also know how to interpret the test results? Is he a member of a competent person scheme?

 

[oharaf]

How do 123
Yep QOE RCBO £120+gordans
MCB £40 + gordons

Glad to hear it is not ELCB

I doubt he has a MFT, I would be suprised if he still knows how to use it, as for being

www.competentperson.co.uk

NO!!!

I think what he is pushing for is for me to guide him through and sign it off



Unfortunately what he doesn't know is that unless it is all to my satisfaction and to the regs, it won't be and that it is going to cost him ALOT!! either way.

I think the plumber he is working with has already clicked on and has my number!!!!

It really gets my goat, i'm fully payed up and quali have the gear can do the job, then half baked cookies come in do work and have not got a bloody clue what they are doing!!!!![/url]

 

[Spark123]

Ouch!!
Just bought some off ebay - got a qoe B6 and a B10 as part of a package of 5 RCBOs for £30.
Got 3 x B10 for £30 the other week too.
I got one or two qoe MCBs in stock too. The 3 phase MCBs seem to be pretty pricey too!