Is this commercial board acceptable for industrial use?

coolhands · 10 Feb 2011

I'm looking into starting a light motor vehicle business. One of the properties (a warehouse) has this electricity board in it. I just want to check that it looks (roughly) suitable in your opinions for the purpose of running various machines like compressor; lifts; tyre machines; small lathe etc. It is single phase and all the equipment I need can be purchased as single phase.

Here's a small pic and below is a link to a larger version in case you need to see some detail (click on the pic and it should go to max size). The warehouse hasn't been used in an 'industrial' way previously - more manufacturing small electrical components.

thanks!

http://www.chilliwack.co.uk/pictures/tyre_business/electricboard.JPG

westie101 · 10 Feb 2011

So you've got a three phase service but with only one phase in use.

I may be worthwhile considering uprating to 3 phase as it will give a wider choice of equipment to connect

ban-all-sheds · 10 Feb 2011

westie101 said:
So you've got a three phase service but with only one phase in use.

Has he?

Or has he just for some reason, like it was all they had in the van, a 3-phase cutout?

I know you should know, so I cringe slightly when asking, but is that supply cable really big enough to be 3-phase?

(There's a way to quickly find out, but I aint going to suggest it...)

RF Lighting · 10 Feb 2011

No it really isn't suitable.

As westie says, you have a 3 phase supply to the property.

You really should have the meter replaced with a 3 phase one and make use ot if.

As for that little fuse box, there is no way you'll ever be able to run a commercial garage off it, not even a small one.

You really need to be engaging the services of a commercial electrician to advise you further.

RF Lighting · 10 Feb 2011

That cable is far too big for a SP supply.

It'll be ~16.0mm² 3 core waveform concentric cable

Oh and btw, the right hand bit of the cutout is just a SP fuseholder and CNE block and then the other two phases are just loose fuseholders butted up to it.

The only thing that's specifically TP is the shroud at the bottom.

westie101 · 10 Feb 2011

but is that supply cable really big enough to be 3-phase?

In a former post I must have put hundreds of these supplies into light industrial units, the normal procedure was for them to be 3 phase but with one in use for general power & lighting.
If tenants needed to use 3 phase it was up to them to install the wiring etc.

In most cases the original CU was retained for it's original use with additional switchgear for the 3 phase.

At a glance the cable will probably be a 3c25 SAC PC (xlpe insulated) though the 35mm2 version is more commonly used

coolhands · 10 Feb 2011

OK I don't understand most of that - but thanks anyway

So are you all basically saying it has 3-phase coming in, and then only one phase is connected and actually used?

I haven't rented the place yet it's one I'm considering. I only say it was single phase as that's what the old asian guy who owns the warehouse told me when I asked.

Monkeh · 10 Feb 2011

ban-all-sheds said:
(There's a way to quickly find out, but I aint going to suggest it...)

Mmm, fried mechanic.

coolhands · 10 Feb 2011

ps Can I have the incoming electricity split into two supplies - one single phase and one three phase?

The reason I ask is because I already have some equipment that is single phase, but if I could also buy some three phase equipment it would give me more options for other equipment.

thanks

westie101 · 10 Feb 2011

Yes you can use both single and 3 phase equipment from a 3 phase supply

ban-all-sheds · 11 Feb 2011

RF Lighting said:
That cable is far too big for a SP supply.

Fair enough.

It was just that it looks smaller than my service cable, which is SP.

ban-all-sheds · 11 Feb 2011

westie101 said:
Yes you can use both single and 3 phase equipment from a 3 phase supply

coolhands - to clarify that, what westie means is that you don't need the supply to be "split" - you just use one of the 3-phases for single phase equipment. If you have a lot of it, or if the SP loads are large, you should try to spread them over the different phases, but your electrician will sort all that out when he installs your single-phase sockets, lighting circuits etc.

aptsys · 11 Feb 2011

ban-all-sheds said:
It was just that it looks smaller than my service cable, which is SP.

Look at the width compared to the fuse carrier. Looks to be about 45mm diameter

securespark · 11 Feb 2011

ban-all-sheds said:
RF Lighting said:

That cable is far too big for a SP supply.

Click to expand...

Fair enough.

It was just that it looks smaller than my service cable, which is SP.

It may well be, if your SP supply is TN-S.

ban-all-sheds · 11 Feb 2011

It is.

And a 50-60 year old cable type too....

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Is this commercial board acceptable for industrial use?

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