Chocbox manufacturer on Dragons' Den

[Cremeegg]

Agreed rjb - for most of my work (some lighting arrangements excepted) a JB works at least as well - only real difference is that cables being held outside of JB by clipping direct to surface rather than cable clamps inside chocbox

 

[very_pointy_ears]

In ref the "Tails to extend".... You say you have many, may we ask why?
and tails, i asume you means spurs?

I don't mean spurs.

I'm replacing the consumer unit. The new one is bigger and will therefore have to sit in a slightly different place in the cupboard. The cables going into the existing one won't quite reach the new location by about 6 inches so I will need to extend them somehow.

There are two ring mains, a cooker feed, an immersion feed and two lighting feeds, so 8 T&E cables of varying sizes. 8 junction boxes will be rather bulky and awkward where space is limited.

I'm putting in additional circuits and obviously these will be no problem as I will use cables of appropriate length for these - it's just the existing stuff that's going to need joining up somehow.

Cheers,
Kingsley.

 

[RF Lighting]

That would be an absoloutly cack soloution, as would lots of JBs in my opinion.

The best soloution would be to rewire the first leg of each circuit, but failing that, you could use a gewiss box with DIN rail connectors inside

 

[very_pointy_ears]

Do you have any links to suitable products? I did some searching but all I came up with was waterproof boxes and things that just didn't look right, or stuff about audio DIN connectors.

It's going to be quite impractical to be able to rewire the first leg of each circuit as I can't really get to a lot of it without being quite destructive. I could do a few but not all.

 

[Adam_151]

DIN rail stuff: http://www.rapidonline.com/products...er2=Control+Gear/DIN+Terminal&tier3=Terminals

 

[gtd.]

Whats the big deal?, looks like a similar idea to a deta box, been using them for ages on bathroom upgrades for Gateshead housing
Chocbox

Deta box

 

[daytona]

are these boxes fire rated?

personally they dont look as good quality as a jb and i wouldnt use them if my life depended on it.

i think they are a retro fit idea,which is no substitute for doing it properly in the first place

 

[ColJack]

they're usefull for conecting the 12V spots to the transformer..

 

[RF Lighting]

but 12V connections don't need to be enclosed.


We had a load of choc boxes, ans deta boxes at work.

The choc boxes are better than the deta ones, but we have reverted to using proper junction boxes.

 

[very_pointy_ears]

DIN rail stuff: http://www.rapidonline.com/products...rol+Gear/DIN+Terminal&tier3=Terminals[/QUOTE]

Thanks for that, though I've no idea what I'd do with any of those components!

It'd be different if I saw an assembled box complete with connectors and cabling with my own eyes but just looking at a web page there of discrete components is for me like looking at a pile of jigsaw pieces and not having the picture to assemble them with ...

If anyone here is a supplier and would like to quote me for the bits I'd need including delivery to Camberley then please drop me a PM. At the least I'll need to join five 2.5 T+E, one 1.0 T+E as these are the bits where I can't easily rewire the first leg without bashing holes in walls in recently decorated rooms.

A picture of a wired up DIN rail in a box would be a plus

Unless someone tells me otherwise, my plan would be to install in the ceiling void (there's no insulation to cause cable heating issues in this particular location).

 

[Taylortwocities]

Unless someone tells me otherwise, my plan would be to install in the ceiling void ......

It must be accessible, screwed terminations loosen up over time and you wont want to rip your ceiling out if a fault develops. Also, PVC wiring is good for several decades - have pity on the poor spark who comes to fault find in the year 2027..............

 

[Adam_151]

What you are trying to acheieve is appropiatly sized/rated terminals on a din rail in a box, you just need the right terminals, a length of DIN rail to hold them (the same stuff circuit breakers mount on in a DB) and a box to put it all in

Keep it accesable as TTC says, put it where the old CU is and put the new one a little to the side

As a side point, there is no real reason why you cant use just one set of 32A+ rated terminals for a ring final circuit and 6mm² to the breaker, except it means fiddling about in the box to test the ring final circuit, rather than doing it from the board, ought to be documented properly

 

[very_pointy_ears]

Space really is at a premium in the CU cupboard so I can't use anything too bulky. What sort of enclosure would you put it all in?

In another thread I saw someone recommending this box for lighting stuff:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/ASJ701.html


I don't know what connectors he uses inside but the vendors seem to be advocating the use of choc strips.

Obviously ring mains have more current and bigger cables but is there any reason why I shouldn't use something like that if I can't get the DIN rail in next to the CU? I've seen I can get 60A choc blocks somewhere.

 

[equitum]

There is a requirement in HIP to include copies of BC Building Regs Conformity Certs

I've had two jobs to PIR recently to certify conformity with Part P

Chocboxes are great for enclosing crimped joints under floorboards

Too short, surely, Whats wrong with heatshrink ?

 

[very_pointy_ears]

What you are trying to acheieve is appropiatly sized/rated terminals on a din rail in a box, you just need the right terminals, a length of DIN rail to hold them (the same stuff circuit breakers mount on in a DB) and a box to put it all in

Thanks Adam. Having read that it makes a lot of sense. I'll see if my local electrical wholesalers have anything like this in stock tomorrow.

I think on balance this seems like my best option.