Earth terminal block outside the Consumer Unit ?

[JamieH]

I've recently had my place rewired, complete with a brand new Wylex Consumer Unit.
The Earth Terminal block has been fixed to the wall beside the unit, and has half a dozen earth wires screwed to it.
Why would the earth wires and block not be situated inside the Consumer Unit?

 

[flameport]

The terminals inside consumer units usually only have 1 or 2 extra earth terminals, so if more are needed, the solution is to use an external block.

External blocks also make testing much easier.

 

[securespark]

As long as the external block is securely fixed, the conductors securely clamped by the terminal screws and the whole labelled appropriately, there is no need to worry.

 

[wingcoax]

The last CU i installed had at least 8 terminals for earth wires.How big was your CU? The only external earth terms i have seen were for bonding

 

[riveralt]

I've recently had my place rewired, complete with a brand new Wylex Consumer Unit.
The Earth Terminal block has been fixed to the wall beside the unit, and has half a dozen earth wires screwed to it.
Why would the earth wires and block not be situated inside the Consumer Unit?

Are you sure you're not referring to the main earthing terminal?

This would have earth links to your suppliers earth, gas pipe, water pipe and to your Consumer Unit.

It is not uncommon to have earth wires set up this way and is the manner suggested by the OSG for TN-C-S and TNS systems.

 

[ebee]

If these "earth wires" are cpc (circuit protective conductor) = the earth connection for the circuits themselves then they should be connected to the earth terminal inside your consumer unit.

If they are bonding (sometimes called earth bonding) then they are best in a seperate earth block outside the consumer unit, they connect your earth rod or your suppliers earth to the installation earth (the bit that feeds earth to your consumer unit earth terminal) and bonding of water & gas etc.
These cables tend to be quite thick.

Sometimes rather than use a seperate earth block and if there are unused terminals at the CU earth then it is used rather than a seperate block.