DIY CU install - photos
- Thread starter FredFlintstone
- Start date
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The main bonding is 10mm and the cable between CU and MET is 16mm.
Regards
Fred
Regards
Fred
Nearly fitted 25mm earh cable!!! I removed the original cable because it was too short and thought it looked like 25mm cable. I only realised because the 25mm cable wouldn't fit the CU terminal so I had to go out and buy some 16mm stuff. 
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Here's a few more pics folks.
The old CU before I took the cover off:
The old wiring stuffed into a bit of conduit. Now I thought you had to leave some airspace in the conduit to preven heat build up. Is that not necessary? This conduit was literally packed!
The shower cable. Note how it exits the CU at the bottom left and then exits the cupboard and goes all the way up the stairs at skirting level before going up the wall to the switch at the top of the stairs. It's still like this at the moment but I need to fit larger cable anyway for a higher rated shower so will be changing it soon. Is it allowed to run the cable like this?
Finally, the finished CU with the cover on.
Thanks for all the pointers in previous posts. No one picked up on the fact that the MCB's were loose on the busbar at the time the pictures were taken. I guess it's difficult to see but they're all slightly off line with each other because I hadn't tightened the terminals at the time the picture was taken.
Any other comments welcome.
Regards
Fred
The old CU before I took the cover off:
The old wiring stuffed into a bit of conduit. Now I thought you had to leave some airspace in the conduit to preven heat build up. Is that not necessary? This conduit was literally packed!
The shower cable. Note how it exits the CU at the bottom left and then exits the cupboard and goes all the way up the stairs at skirting level before going up the wall to the switch at the top of the stairs. It's still like this at the moment but I need to fit larger cable anyway for a higher rated shower so will be changing it soon. Is it allowed to run the cable like this?
Finally, the finished CU with the cover on.
Thanks for all the pointers in previous posts. No one picked up on the fact that the MCB's were loose on the busbar at the time the pictures were taken. I guess it's difficult to see but they're all slightly off line with each other because I hadn't tightened the terminals at the time the picture was taken.
Any other comments welcome.
Regards
Fred
not entirely sure on the shower cable.. it is within 150mm of the floor but the regs only mention ceiling and corners..
if someone at a later date decides to change the skirting and fits a taller one then it's likely to get nailed through.. i'd run it up the wall with the rest and under the floorboards..
also. it's trunking not conduit, and yes there is supposed to be space left in the trunking..
on a personal note, you're not being very future friendly to yourself or whoever has to change a cable or add a circuit by clipping the cables and plastering over...
is there no way of forming a duct to put the cables in?
put some 2x1 on flat on the wall to the side and plasterboard over it.. leaves a 1 inch gap to pull cables...
if someone at a later date decides to change the skirting and fits a taller one then it's likely to get nailed through.. i'd run it up the wall with the rest and under the floorboards..
also. it's trunking not conduit, and yes there is supposed to be space left in the trunking..
on a personal note, you're not being very future friendly to yourself or whoever has to change a cable or add a circuit by clipping the cables and plastering over...
is there no way of forming a duct to put the cables in?
put some 2x1 on flat on the wall to the side and plasterboard over it.. leaves a 1 inch gap to pull cables...
I've spent years doing 1000 pair cable looms at BT so have a thing about making cables look nice.
If you ever do another CU, I suggest:-
* Keep the wires longer (+4") and loop up and then down in to MCB
* Have make off loops (which allow the longer cable cores to be re-terminated / MCB's moved)
* Support the supply tails with clips or cable tie fixings and cable ties
I would also follow the advice regarding creation of a duct for the addition of more cables. Some 2 x 2" wood and a plywood face would do the job.
You could do with some " Safety electrical connection" tags / lables for the earths. This sort of thing:-
Then there's the documentation...
Schedule of circuits
Test results
EIC
BC Completion cert
A reasonable 1st effort, but it does 'show' elements of being a DIY rather than a pro job.
If you ever do another CU, I suggest:-
* Keep the wires longer (+4") and loop up and then down in to MCB
* Have make off loops (which allow the longer cable cores to be re-terminated / MCB's moved)
* Support the supply tails with clips or cable tie fixings and cable ties
I would also follow the advice regarding creation of a duct for the addition of more cables. Some 2 x 2" wood and a plywood face would do the job.
You could do with some " Safety electrical connection" tags / lables for the earths. This sort of thing:-
Then there's the documentation...
Schedule of circuits
Test results
EIC
BC Completion cert
A reasonable 1st effort, but it does 'show' elements of being a DIY rather than a pro job.
Also the cut outs for the 25mm tails in to the CU would fail a NICIEC inspection due to size and allowing for ingress of dust mosture and the dreaded testing gauge.
There also appears to be a further hole knocked out below the tail entry.
I would have fitted the CU elsewhere. As most of the cables go up, I would say at the ceiling. This would also sever to make additions easier, as the cables would simply feed up through the ceiling. This is how ours has been for 50+ years (same place, not same unit lol). Probably not permitted now though because of disability stuff
that "second cut out" is moulded into the box.. it's for a longer section of din rail.. same as it is the other end..
not through to the outside, just the back...
as for the first hole.. there is no way of getting your fingers in to touch any exposed live parts.. and the remaining space looks smaller that 12.5mm to me...
you'd have to have very bendy fingers to even reach the neutral bar through that..
not through to the outside, just the back...
as for the first hole.. there is no way of getting your fingers in to touch any exposed live parts.. and the remaining space looks smaller that 12.5mm to me...
you'd have to have very bendy fingers to even reach the neutral bar through that..
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