Are the Current Consumer Units that I have ok?

[mdbalson]

When BG come to change the meter, I am going to ask them to move the meter down on to the piece of wood, below where the current meter is.

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/mdbalson/DSC00017.jpg

This would then mean that I would have room to fit a Wylex 17 way Split- Load CCU, across the top of the meter cupboard. (Where the MEM CCU & the Meter are at the moment)

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Images/Products/size_3/WYNHRS17SL.JPG

This would mean that I would have 1 CCU for the whole house, I could do away with the Henley Blocks, & I would have 2 spare Non-RCD ways & 2 spare RCD ways.

Non-RCD side

1) Smoke Alarms (6A)

2) Upstairs Lights (6A)

3) Downstairs Lights (6A)

4) Immersion Heater & CH (16A)

5) Shed Freezer (16A)

6) Comms Cabinet Power (In Loft 2 DSS) (20A)

7) Shed Power (32A)

8 ) Cooker (32A or 40A)

9) Spare

10) Spare


RCD side

1) Kitchen, Bathroom & Back Outside Lights (6A)

2) Kitchen Sockets (Sink Side)(20A at moment, will be 32A when made into a Ring Main)

3) Kitchen Sockets (Cooker Side) (32A)

4) Upstairs Sockets (32A)

5) Downstairs Sockets (32A)

6) Spare

7) Spare

 

[Adam_151]

Though not a hanging offence, I'd separate CH and water heater onto separate circuits

Why a separate freezer circuit to the shed if you are already running a submain out there?

Why kitchen lights on RCD? Forgive me, but I can't quite understand the reasoning, I can see the point with the bathroom lights if you are future proofing for the next edition, though I'd personally favour having them on the normal upstairs lighting circuit via an RCD FCU that way you can fuse down to 3A if your fan instructions say to, and you don't loose bathroom lighting when you drop the kettle lead into a puddle on the kitchen worktop. Outside lights, no strong feelings too much either way, though probably better for them to be on RCD, but I'm not sure about having them on the same RCD as half the board (Though as long as the only other things this protects are sockets, then its going to be at most an inconviencience as opposed to a risk), I would however make sure you have a DP isolator for these.

On the subject of loosing lighting, I'd try and use C6 breakers instead of B6 as long as the ELFI is ok

 

[mdbalson]

Though not a hanging offence, I'd separate CH and water heater onto separate circuits

Why a separate freezer circuit to the shed if you are already running a submain out there?

So that incase the RCD in the shed trips, & I do not know that it has, it means that the freezer will not go off as well. (the shed is next to the house)

Why kitchen lights on RCD? Forgive me, but I can't quite understand the reasoning, I can see the point with the bathroom lights if you are future proofing for the next edition, though I'd personally favour having them on the normal upstairs lighting circuit via an RCD FCU that way you can fuse down to 3A if your fan instructions say to, and you don't loose bathroom lighting when you drop the kettle lead into a puddle on the kitchen worktop. Outside lights, no strong feelings too much either way, though probably better for them to be on RCD, but I'm not sure about having them on the same RCD as half the board (Though as long as the only other things this protects are sockets, then its going to be at most an inconviencience as opposed to a risk), I would however make sure you have a DP isolator for these.

The kitchen, bathroom & back outside lights are on the same circuit & on the ground floor. The Kitchen has 2 main lights (2 bulb, bar 230V Halogens) & under cupboards lights, the bathroom has a 2 bulb 12v halogen light, & the back outside lights are: 1 bulkhead light, 1 flood, & 2 half wall lights.

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/mdbalson/P2080015.jpg

The slopeing roof is the kitchen roof, the flat roof is the bathroom roof, & the platic roof is a small courtyard.

No fan in the bathroom or kitchen (only a broken cooker hood in the kitchen over the hob.) (The shower room at the front of the house does have fan, but it's a c**p fan that does not suck out that much air.)

Yes it is also future proofing for the 17th edition.

Can you get 2G DP switches in Chrome, Or Chrome MK Grid Plates then

On the subject of loosing lighting, I'd try and use C6 breakers instead of B6 as long as the ELFI is ok

Why a C6 MCB then & for what lights

 

[mdbalson]

any replies

 

[ricicle]

 

[securespark]

When BG come to change the meter, I am going to ask them to move the meter down on to the piece of wood, below where the current meter is.

National Grid, no?

But they will charge you handsomely to move the meter...

 

[mdbalson]

When BG come to change the meter, I am going to ask them to move the meter down on to the piece of wood, below where the current meter is.

National Grid, no?

But they will charge you handsomely to move the meter...

BG= British Gas

Why would they charge alot, just to move the meter down about 1m

 

[JohnD]

They charge you a lot of money because they are a protected monopoly supplier.

British Gas is a trading name (in the UK only*) of Centrica (which was formerly part of a previously nationally owned company and squandered lots of money on credit card, roadside repair, and telecomms ventures). It is a retail supplier of gas and electricity but does not own the pipes, cables or meters.

The gas pipelines are (mostly**) owned by National Grid (It was previously a nationally owned company), which bought up the (gas) Transco company (hived off from what used to be the Nationalised British Gas company) that owned the pipes and is responsible for transmission and distribution (but not retail sales of the gas to you). For a while the company was called National Grid Transco.

*Outside the UK, the other company called BG (which is an Oil and Gas Exploration and Production company) has the rights to the name. Blame Mrs Thatcher. It was another part of a previously nationally owned company.

** Bits of the Gas network were sold off about 2 years ago. Some of them are owned by Scotia Gas which is a company jointly owned by a Canadian Pension company, and Scottish & Southern Energy. Down here they use the name SGN (Southern Gas Networks) and drive around in the old pale blue vans.

Luckily you only need to contact the supply company who sends you your gas bill. It is their job to know who to contact. The consumer has little chance of knowing which company owns what this week.

 

[mdbalson]

Though not a hanging offence, I'd separate CH and water heater onto separate circuits

Why a separate freezer circuit to the shed if you are already running a submain out there?

So that incase the RCD in the shed trips, & I do not know that it has, it means that the freezer will not go off as well. (the shed is next to the house)

Why kitchen lights on RCD? Forgive me, but I can't quite understand the reasoning, I can see the point with the bathroom lights if you are future proofing for the next edition, though I'd personally favour having them on the normal upstairs lighting circuit via an RCD FCU that way you can fuse down to 3A if your fan instructions say to, and you don't loose bathroom lighting when you drop the kettle lead into a puddle on the kitchen worktop. Outside lights, no strong feelings too much either way, though probably better for them to be on RCD, but I'm not sure about having them on the same RCD as half the board (Though as long as the only other things this protects are sockets, then its going to be at most an inconviencience as opposed to a risk), I would however make sure you have a DP isolator for these.

The kitchen, bathroom & back outside lights are on the same circuit & on the ground floor. The Kitchen has 2 main lights (2 bulb, bar 230V Halogens) & under cupboards lights, the bathroom has a 2 bulb 12v halogen light, & the back outside lights are: 1 bulkhead light, 1 flood, & 2 half wall lights.

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/mdbalson/P2080015.jpg

The slopeing roof is the kitchen roof, the flat roof is the bathroom roof, & the platic roof is a small courtyard.

No fan in the bathroom or kitchen (only a broken cooker hood in the kitchen over the hob.) (The shower room at the front of the house does have fan, but it's a c**p fan that does not suck out that much air.)

Yes it is also future proofing for the 17th edition.

Can you get 2G DP switches in Chrome, Or Chrome MK Grid Plates then

On the subject of loosing lighting, I'd try and use C6 breakers instead of B6 as long as the ELFI is ok

Why a C6 MCB then & for what lights