Adding a Garage consumer unit

[archers3001]

Hi guys can I get a little help please as im looking to add a second consumer unit in my house.

Ok so im looking to set up a reptile room in my house but wont to run it on its own consumer unit. So have looked around and ebay is full of garage consumer unit for not a lot of £££. Now I think I know how to go about doing this but would like some input from you all. So ill say how I think im going to do it and maybe you guys can tell me if im right.

1 Turn power off to house Consumer unit
2 Remove tail's from consumer unit and fit to Henley block
3 Fit new tail's same size from block to both Consumer unit
4 Run 6mm power cable from garage consumer unit to room
5 Wire up double wall socket and add power strip

Now im going to be pulling around 900 watt's or around 7/8 amp's. Im going to use around 10mtr of cable at the most so will 6mm be ok ?
thanks guys

 

[Monkeh]

The correct procedure would be:

1: Hire an electrician to do the job properly.

 

[flameport]

1 Turn power off to house Consumer unit

Is there an isolator before your existing consumer unit?

Aside from that, this is notifiable work, and there is rather more involved than the 5 items you have listed.
For example, how is this going to be tested? What is this 'power strip' you mention? Why does it have to have a separate consumer unit anyway?

 

[RF Lighting]

If you just turn off your consumer unit and pull the tails out, you are seriously going to be in a whole world of trouble before you know it.

It WIll go with an almighty bang. The arc can leave you blind and set fire to your clothes, and the tails will be spraying molten copper all over the place as they burn away.

Not good.

Seriously this is a job for an electrician.

Why do you think you need a seperate CU for a load of 900W? (which by the way is NOT 7/8 amps)

 

[archers3001]

Is there an isolator before your existing consumer unit?

Yes Its got a isolator switch

from that, this is notifiable work, and there is rather more involved than the 5 items you have listed.
For example, how is this going to be tested?

To test it I was just going to use a plug tester and rent / loan a Digital RCD Tester.

What is this 'power strip' you mention?

The power strip is just that just a strip with socket in it come with like up to about 12

Why does it have to have a separate consumer unit anyway?

Its becous I got a old 5 fuse unit and theres no room in it.

 

[Electrifying]

FFS - Give us a break!!

You watch, we'll have John along in a minute telling us how it's a DIY forum and we should be nice and answer all the questions without being judgemental.

 

[archers3001]

FFS - Give us a break!!

Im lost as to why you put the above

 

[Alarm]

Gets the popcorn machine on....................

 

[Electrifying]

Because you haven't got a clue what you are talking about - and asking on here isn't going to help - how do you know that what you will be told will be correct.....we can't agree amongst ourselves half the time.

Your knowledge is too limited for what you are talking about doing - it would be different if you knew most of it and were just clarifying a couple of things, but come on!! Get someone in who knows.

 

[archers3001]

how much would a job like this cost you think ? with me supplying the parts and with out me supplying anything.

And yes you are right i dont have a clue thats why im asking as I said I dont wont to kill my self or set my house on fire. I just guess thats how it would be done.

 

[flameport]

If you do what you propose, you will just end up with an extension lead with 12 sockets on it.

You may as well just get one of those and plug it into the nearest socket.

 

[archers3001]

thats what im looking to do the resone behined the second CU is so if its trip's it trip's just the one room and not the hole house. As i say my CU is about 15 + years old.

EDIT

could I just wire up a 2 Gang RCD Wall Socket would that do the trick ?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Seriously - don't even think about installing a CU. There's far more to it than you think there is and it requires you to know and be able to do things you don't even know exist, so you'll never find them out by asking only about things you know you need to know.

Yes Its got a isolator switch

Before the CU - separate from it?

To test it I was just going to use a plug tester and rent / loan a Digital RCD Tester.

Inadequate. http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/8.1.1.htm

could I just wire up a 2 Gang RCD Wall Socket would that do the trick ?

No - if you're concerned about a fault taking out the whole house that means you've got a single RCD in your CU, and an RCD socket is not guaranteed to trip before that - a fault could still easily trip the main one.

 

[bernardgreen]

Now im going to be pulling around 900 watt's or around 7/8 amp's.

900 divided by 230 equals 3.91

So your 900 watts will be around 4 amps.

DO NOT EVEN CONSIDER removing the tails from the CU If you cannot calculate wattage and current equations then your knowledge is apparently in-adequate to under take any work involving a CU,

This is a DIY forum and there is lots of help and advice for tasks that are DIY compatible. For you adding a CU is not DIY compatible.

 

[archers3001]

im going to phone a couple of electrician to day as you say dont think its worth me tuching it now lol.