Strange Extra Fuse Box

[Rob_Quads]

Got a strange extra fuse box and can't work it out..

Box on the left has fuses and is supplying power to everything in the house.
Box on the right (one shown close up) is connected with tails BUT no fuses and turned off. Looking at it two of the fuse blocks are connected to cables which go straight into the wall behind, there is a 3rd cable which is looped across to the left hand fuse box.

It looks like the right hand box was an old box and the left hand one a newer to provide more seperation BUT where do the two cables behind the left fuse box go??? How would you work it out??

Also I only have one set of tails from the meter BUT two into fuse boxes - would these be split in the wall cavity??

Cheers for any thoughts

Rob

 

[pdcelec]

The "old" one on the right was probably for storage heaters and connected to an off peak supply. Do you have 2 meters? is the one on the right live?. By "new" do you mean it was installed only 40 years ago since both have a wooden frame.

 

[Adam_151]

I'd hazard a guess that it was once for storage heaters that you no longer have, though it looks suspiciously like its got 2.5mm² cable in 30A fuse ways, though it could be 4mm² I suppose, but storage heater radials are normally 15A, maybe someone extended them and whacked a bigger fuse in at some point?

Tails are split with henly blocks http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Consumer_Units_Index/Connector_Blocks/index.html

looks pretty old, totally green sleeving on the earths, not sure when that went out but its not been used for a while.

Bit of a mess tbh, maybe you should consider having a spark in to do a PIR at the very least and probably a CU change as well

 

[Rob_Quads]

I need to get my Multimeter out to check if the tails are live. 1 only have 1 meter.

Now that you say that they probably were both connected when the house was built ~35 years ago as you say but now only 1 is used..

 

[Rob_Quads]

Bit of a mess tbh, maybe you should consider having a spark in to do a PIR at the very least and probably a CU change as well

PIR? I am looking to get a replacement split load CU put in so I can put in seperate circuits for the shower, door bell and alarm and new power to the loft

 

[Adam_151]

PIR?

Periodic Inspection Report, its where you have a spark come round your house, have a good poke around your electrics, and make a list of everything thats wrong with it, marking them 1 for very dangerous and needs ficing immediatly, 2, slightly less dangerous but fix asap, 3 for needs more investiagtion, and 4 for against the regs but not dangerous

 

[kai]

On the left hand fusebox, the order of the fuses is incorrect - the smaller Blue 15 amp fuse is right next to the main switch, when it's the Red 30 amp fuse that should be next to the main switch.
White 5amp lighting fuses should be farthest from the main switch.

 

[Rob_Quads]

The reason its like that (guessing at least) is that the far right hand fuse is the cooker supply which is fed by 6mm2 cable i.e. it could be a 30Amp fused circuit if it wanted to be but as they did not need 30A they have put a 15 amp in

 

[Rob_Quads]

After having a good poke around this morning i indeed found another set of tails tucked just above the outside access box for the meter so it looks like it was a fusebox for economy elecy.

Now just need to find where the cables lead to see if I can just cut and tape them up or if they need to be kept in a scotch block

Only worry now is that the existing tails are not going to be long enough for new CU.