Bridging the consumer unit gap

[riveralt]

Hi, I'm shortly going to fit a new 17th Edition compliant Consumer Unit to replace the old semi rewirable fusebox in my garage. The old unit is positioned approximately 2 metres from the floor I am aware that the 450/1200mm rule does not apply to the garage but I would like to put the new consumer unit at a more accessible height, namely 1500mm. The new consumer unit will take 7 circuits (3 ring mains 2.5mmT&E, 1 Shower 6mmT&E, 2 lighting 1mmT&E, 1 cooker 6mmT&E). Potentially 30 conductors.

The question I ask is what is the best legal way to bridge the wire gap between the old unit and the new consumer unit.

LABC is giving me conflicting advice, suggesting Henley blocks or junction boxes. I thought Henley blocks were just for meter tails and not sure you can get such large junction boxes.

Or should I simply move the new unit further up the garage wall.

 

[flameport]

If you must move it, connection options are:

1. Solder and heatshrink
2. Crimps and heatshrink
3. A considerable number of junction boxes
4. An enclosure containing a DIN rail and a lot of terminals

Or, jut fit the new one where the old one was and save a load of time and money.

 

[oharaf]

You could use junction boxes, if they are the coirrect rating and suitable for the conditions, but it will look sh1te!!!

Personally crimp and shrink!!!! then a nice bit of trunking or enclose in a neat wooden frame.

 

[Lectrician]

Crimp and shrink? YUK YUK YUK! Especially if on show in a garage.

I would fit a large gewiss box with metal backplate, pop rivit a length of dinrail to this, suitable rated dinrail terminals clipped to this, ensuring you also fit end caps and stops.

It is going to remain accessible so would be fine. A length of 4X2 PVC trunk from this gewiss box down to the CU would be the quickest and neatest way to route the cables.

In my opinion, soldering is just text book - it is rarely done in practice. Crimping and sleeving is fine for a cable and so often, but to be honest, I am not sure if it complies? Does heat shrink have a BS? Does the join conform to a BS?

Using loads of joint boxes would comply if the cables where restraigned and the JB's fixed, but would look crap.

Gewiss and dinrail for me.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

What's wrong with Sarel, or Fibox, or Himel, or......?

 

[RF Lighting]

Everyone stocks geweiss

 

[ColJack]

or just gut the existing fusebox and put the dinrail and terminals in there..

 

[riveralt]

Thanks for the replies. Crimpings, soldering, junction boxes etc all seem like a lot of effort and probably wouldn't look very neat, especially is the Napit assessor was to view it. In the end I climbed into the garage loft space and found that a kind spark had left some slack in the circuit cables so I should be able to fit the new consumer unit and move it down a bit.