32A C-Form Sockets

[dunny123]

Do these come in single phase ? The requirement is to provide a 32A and 16A supply for a Wedding Marquee.

My intention was to install a small unit in the garage (fed from an existing 45A switch fuse) with 100mA RCD main switch and 2 ways, 16A & 32A to a board adjacent with c-form socket outlets. Its for a house that often holds events in its grounds. (marquee to be 25M away, marque company then provide 30mA RCD distribution system).

 

[Fred_Fanackapan]

A quick Google gives this:
http://www.jpleisure.co.uk/cat128_1.htm

 

[stunlawless]

Morning Fred,

tlc-direct do them as well, 16 or 32A rated

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_In...Index/Plugs_and_Sockets_Ind_240v_1/index.html

 

[toasty]

I'm pretty sure they go to 64amp too. I think I fitted a few of them years back for a lighting rig.

Cheers

 

[toasty]

Oooops!
Just checked, they are 63amp. But yes they do 32amp and also 63amp if you need to go bigger.

 

[stunlawless]

Slightly OT...

I always wondered why stuff is rated at 16, 32 or 63 A

Why not 16, 32 & 64 A ?

 

[RF Lighting]

Do these come in single phase ? The requirement is to provide a 32A and 16A supply for a Wedding Marquee.

My intention was to install a small unit in the garage (fed from an existing 45A switch fuse) with 100mA RCD main switch and 2 ways, 16A & 32A to a board adjacent with c-form socket outlets. Its for a house that often holds events in its grounds. (marquee to be 25M away, marque company then provide 30mA RCD distribution system).

Shouldn't the sockets be on a 30mA RCD regardless of wheter the marquee company will have their own RCDs?

 

[Taylortwocities]

I always wondered why stuff is rated at 16, 32 or 63 A

hint

 

[Spark123]

I'm not sure on the idea of having 100mA RCD at the source as they can be used to supply portables outdoors, as RF says it might be better to have 30mA protection here.

 

[dunny123]

Shouldn't the sockets be on a 30mA RCD regardless of wheter the marquee company will have their own RCDs?

I'm not sure on the idea of having 100mA RCD at the source as they can be used to supply portables outdoors, as RF says it might be better to have 30mA protection here.

Thinking is that the marquee company will connect cables from the garage to the marquee distrib. system, and then onward 30mA RCDs to sockets etc. So I want to provide some supplementary fault protection as far as the marquee, so 100mA for discrimination. Also if they have a faulty RCD then theres a fail-safe !

 

[RF Lighting]

411.3.3 (ii)

 

[dunny123]

411.3.3 (ii)

"Mobile equipment up to 32A that is for use outdoors."

Hmmm..Question is does this requirement include fixed or temporary cabling to said equipment? If this is the case all outdoor distribution systems provided in marquees, tents, stages etc fed via a distribution circuit must not have RCD's, otherwise there is no discrimination.,

Also its likely that for many such setups, only one circuit is fed outside, and then split into lighting, caterers, DJ etc. If the single RCD is upstream, then you have issues with section 314 !

If you were providing power to a shed via SWA, are you saying that a 30mA RCD must be at the source (the house CU) and then not in the shed ?

 

[RF Lighting]

No, because a supply to a shed is fixed equipment, and doesn't supply a socket before the local RCD at the shed end.

I'd have to say that a temporary extention plugged into the cee form is classed as mobile equipment.

It would not take too much to damage the cable, and that poses a great risk out doors.

Why not get one of those cee-forms with the RCD built into the socket outlet?

This would provide a readily accessible point for resetting should something trip it.

A reputable marquee company will have emergency lighting as part of their electrical installation.

 

[dunny123]

Take your point, RF. However, a cable providing a supply to a consumer unit in a marquee is, for the duration of the marquee, fixed !

There doesn't seem to be a specific section for marquees, 711 and 714 seem to be close a marquee doesnt quite fall into either.
711 for example talks of having an RCD not excluding 300mA to protect the cable...

Its not a problem providing 30mA RCD at source, more a case of knowing that the marquee people also have 30mA RCD's !

 

[RF Lighting]

Yeah but a supply to a shed is likely to be SWA buried in the ground, so the chance of it sustaining any mechanical damage which could produce a dangerous situation are pretty low.

A supply from a cee form socket to a marquee is likely to be at best a TRS cable laind on the ground.

That cable is imo classed as mobile equipment, and the chance of this cable sustaining damage is much higher.

Personally in this scenario, I think you have to contravene section 314. The risk of electrocution is more dangerous than the risk of accident due to a single point of failure.

Besides, you mentioned installing two sockets, so providi ng they are on different RCDs, you're something like