CU

[peterduckett]

Just been looking at a friends consumer unit and it looks a right mess for a new install, I was under the impression you could cut or straighten a neutral fly lead

Is my assumption incorrect?

 

[Taylortwocities]

I was under the impression you could cut or straighten a neutral fly lead

You don't make it easy to help you mate.

A lead on what, a fly, maybe?

Aah I assume there is some sort of protective device, an RCBO maybe???

One can do what one wants, as long as any necessary warning markings or labels remain.

 

[Chri5]

A picture speaks a thousand words...............


I take it the offending CU was a split board, where the feeders to the RCD rails are over length ?

Since most split boards are designed to take a bespoke number of MCB's they have to be made with enough on the fly leads to be flexible for the configuration required, which will vary from customer to customer.

Cutting back will tidy up the aesthetics, but could prevent alteration and adjustment (unlikely if the CU config is planned well with spare spacing for future adds) in the future.

Unless they are stupid lengths best thing is to simply loom them in a tidy way to retain the length.

 

[peterduckett]

Sorry i mean RCBO missed that,
I dont suppose he will need to play with it as the RCBO are next to the main switch Shower and external supply 50 and 32 respectively but the RCBO seem to have near half a foot of fly lead.

How do most people tidy their RCBO up i heard that some manufactures say it will not forfill its designed limits if they are cut

 

[Taylortwocities]

i heard that some manufactures say it will not forfill its designed limits if they are cut

Where did you get that. I would have thought that the designed limits could be compromised if the leads were extended!

Surely a shorter lead = lower impedance = better EFLI/loop

 

[Spark123]

I doubt it makes one iota of a difference, given the range of external earth fault loop impedances to different boards (main boards, submains, TN-S, TN-CS, TT etc).
Similar with neutral flyleads, I doubt it will make much of a difference.

 

[JohnD]

neutral leads on MEM RCBOs are provided at the maximum length you could possibly need. If you don't trim them, they will take up all the room available, and more

View media item 12149

 

[electronicsuk]

Some sparks do trim RCBO neutrals, others prefer to leave them full length. I'm a member of the trim them to the necessary length camp, but it does become a PITA in the future should anything need to be moved about. If the rest of the install is neat enough and the necessary paperwork has been provided then I wouldn't let your mate get too concerned.

 

[peterduckett]

We not concerned about the installation i was curious and a quick google turned up some interesting topics saying you shouldn't touch them, Why do they curl them anyway