Mysterious Fault Connecting a Garage Consumer Unit

ban-all-sheds · 8 Nov 2014

JohnW2 said:
AIUI, winston was saying that he needn't have done that

There are a lot of things the OP needn't have done.

Starting with thinking that he was competent to go installing consumer units and new circuits.

I wonder if he applied for Building Regulations approval for all of this, and if so what he told them would be the way that he would ensure compliance with Part P?

JohnW2 · 8 Nov 2014

ban-all-sheds said:
I wonder if he applied for Building Regulations approval for all of this, and if so what he told them would be the way that he would ensure compliance with Part P?

You are obviously very free to wonder that. Personally, I have not got the slightest interest in (and do not regard it as 'my business') whether or not he applied for approval and what, if anything, he told LABC.

Kind Regards, John

ban-all-sheds · 8 Nov 2014

333rocky333 · 8 Nov 2014

JohnW2 said:
I think you're misunderstanding.

Thanks john i knew exactly what he meant

WINSTON dont be so rude,

I read what you put, as well as your repeated jumbled misquotes and as pointed out by john it was poorly written, recently you were the one on about facts and terminoligy need to be correct.

You clearly wrote that the OP needed an RCD in the MAIN CU

Just because a few of us here knew what you meant, the OP and other DIYers will read it as you wrote it, which is not necessarily true and would be a PITA when you trip it and have to run back to the house each time

winston1 · 8 Nov 2014

333rocky333 said:
JohnW2 said:

I think you're misunderstanding.

Click to expand...

Thanks john i knew exactly what he meant

WINSTON dont be so rude,

I read what you put, as well as your repeated jumbled misquotes and as pointed out by john it was poorly written, recently you were the one on about facts and terminoligy need to be correct.

You clearly wrote that the OP needed an RCD in the MAIN CU

Just because a few of us here knew what you meant, the OP and other DIYers will read it as you wrote it, which is not necessarily true and would be a PITA when you trip it and have to run back to the house each time

My words exactly, "You will need a RCD if there is not one in the main CU"

Quite clear to me. He will need an RCD (somewhere) if he has not already got one in the main CU.

333rocky333 · 8 Nov 2014

winston1 said:
My words exactly, "You will need a RCD if there is not one in the main CU"

Quite clear to me. He will need an RCD (somewhere) if he has not already got one in the main CU.

Exactly, 6 hours after the OP posted about the problems of the RCD he has fitted in the garage CU, if YOU had read it

You had the nerve to call someone on here an IDIOT and accuse people of not reading your miswritten drivel.

JohnW2 · 8 Nov 2014

winston1 said:
My words exactly, "You will need a RCD if there is not one in the main CU" ... Quite clear to me. He will need an RCD (somewhere) if he has not already got one in the main CU.

Are people here being deliberately awkward, or are they just not reading (orthinking about) things properly?!

Your statement would only be correct if the OP had read, and heeded, your advice that it was not necessary before installing the RCD-protected CU in his garage. Since that is not the case, and he has already installed a CU with an RCD in his garage, then there is surely no question of him needing any more RCDs, anywhere, regardless of whether or not there is one in the main CU? I think you have probably just confused him with your attempt at a clever, but 'after the horse had bolted', contribution.

Kind Regards, John

333rocky333 · 8 Nov 2014

Anyway regarding the OP

Sounds as said earlier, you may have the Supply neutral in the Neutral bar rather than in The RCD input neutral and hence current not passing via the RCD.
Not sure what TTC means by a Neutral link, not sure that a two circuit board has them, though I may be wrong

JohnW2 · 8 Nov 2014

333rocky333 said:
Anyway regarding the OP ... Sounds as said earlier, you may have the Supply neutral in the Neutral bar rather than in The RCD input neutral and hence current not passing via the RCD.

FWIW, I agree.

333rocky333 said:
Not sure what TTC means by a Neutral link, not sure that a two circuit board has them, though I may be wrong

Again, I agree. I suspect TTC was thinking of much larger CUs. One like the OP has will presumably have just a single small neutral bar, probably with about 4 holes in it, and no 'links'. The load side of the RCD will usually come pre-wired to that neutral bar and, as you and others have said, I suspect the OP has wired the incoming neutral to that bar, rather than to the supply side N terminal of the RCD.

Kind Regards, John

Taylortwocities · 8 Nov 2014

Indeed, many smaller CUs are supplied with two neutral busbars with the supply & outgoing busbars connected by a link.

I've had a coule of "problems" to solve that were caused by the uninitiated DIYer leaving this in

I think the mini 2-MCB "garage" units do not have this feature. But we alll know what the problem is

mfarrow · 8 Nov 2014

Many smaller CUs from reputable makes are cheaper and easier than installing an RCD plus spur for lights.

You want people to not read OPs properly you should try a glance at forum 7.

JohnW2 · 8 Nov 2014

Taylortwocities said:
Indeed, many smaller CUs are supplied with two neutral busbars with the supply & outgoing busbars connected by a link. I've had a coule of "problems" to solve that were caused by the uninitiated DIYer leaving this in

I think I need some education or, at least, clarification here. I'm obviously familiar with medium-/large-sized CUs which have two (or three) 'outgoing' neutral bars, and that they are sometimes supplied with a link between the bars, waiting to catch those who don't notice (or don't understand). However, I've never seen or heard of a CU of any size which has a 'supply' neutral busbar (assuming you mean one to which the incoming supply neutral is connected, prior to the main switch or other incomer device), and can't really see why there ever would be one. Even if there are two or more RCDs, there is a requirement for a single isolating switch/device, so that is surely where the incoming neutral would be connected?

Taylortwocities said:
I think the mini 2-MCB "garage" units do not have this feature.

As above, I don't see why there should ever be a 'supply' neutral bar in any CU, and nor can I think of any situation in which a 'split' ('outgoing') neutral bar would ever be needed in a 4-module CU (which clearly does not have enough ways for a 'split load' arrangement). I've certainly never seen a split/dual neutral bar in such a CU - IME, the most common arrangement is for a single, small, centrally located bar.

Taylortwocities said:
But we alll know what the problem is

Indeed - well, either that or we are all wrong

Kind Regards, John

EasyGoingPat · 8 Nov 2014

...to davelx and those others who gave a helpful answer without the snobby lecture. The incoming neutral was indeed connected into the neutral block. I remember now, but I haven't done this stuff for many years, so made a simple mistake. I did, however, proceed to test my installation, discovered the fault, and then came on here for help before I burnt anything down. I could have trawled the internet to revise stuff I did years ago, but I was under the - perhaps mistaken - belief that I could come on here instead and get a bit of help without a lecture about the fact that I am not employing an electrician to do all the work (which I cannot afford). My consumer unit may be overkill, but it is neat, safe, and cheaper than an electrician.

So, thank you again, for solving my problem. It is a shame the lectures have soured my experience of the forum.

Kind wishes ~ Patrick

JohnW2 · 8 Nov 2014

EasyGoingPat said:
The incoming neutral was indeed connected into the neutral block. ... So, thank you again, for solving my problem. It is a shame the lectures have soured my experience of the forum.

Glad the problem is sorted - at least most of us were right! As for your experience having been soured, I'm afraid that you're far from the first, and undoubtedly not the last, person to have experienced that - but if one is selective in one's reading (this forum does have an 'ignore' button, if you don't trust your willpower

) there is usually some helpful advice to be found here!

Kind Regards, John

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Mysterious Fault Connecting a Garage Consumer Unit

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