Extra consumer unit

[g12net500]

Probably a daft question but here goes!

I have a split load consumer unit already in place which is totally full with no spare slots. I need to create a new ring main for range of sockets in a new room with no electrical supply. I have a seperate 2 way consumer unit with a 32a mcb and the 63a main switch. This is a spare consumer unit so the 32a would be perfect for the job. Now the problem i have is that the main consumer unit is with the meter in a cupboard not large enough to house anything else. The meter is connected to a 100a sealed breaker/switch of some sort and then onto the consumer unit. If i split to output from the 100a to the 2 units, is there a maximum distance it can travel to another consumer unit (i heard 3 metres is about the limit). Or alternatively can this consumer unit work of a spur from an exisiting ring? I want to be able to isolate the new room seperatley from the others, and having the spare consumer unit is ideal, saves me buying anything else. Any thoughts would be appreciated!

Thanks

Stewart

 

[breezer]

why not put the new room socckets on the existing ring? so long as total floor area is not more than 100m sq it will be ok

 

[g12net500]

That was my original plan, but i need to isolate the new room independantly of the rest of the house. Having the extra consumer unit gives me a cheap way of acheiving this, its just HOW to do it best is the problem. Thanks for the feedback anyway!

 

[plugwash]

could you combine a couple of existing cuircuits (say take two lighting cuircuits and put them on FCUs fed from a single 20A breaker) to get a spare fuseway?

 

[g12net500]

Unfortunately i only have 1 lighting circuit so that is out of the question. Nor can i see any other circuits that i can combine. It was recently rewired and new consumer unit by the landlord, id rather not mess with the current configuration if possible. Nice idea though!

 

[breezer]

since you mention landlord, i think you should ask him if its ok for you to have this work carried out, future tennants may not understand what / why you have done.

why do you need to isolate the room anyway?

 

[g12net500]

Yes i do have the permission its family who own the building, but he rather the new wiring was not messed with, whence the dilemma. The equipment in the room is sensitive and i do not wish anyone (including my children ) messing with whats in there. When its not in use i want to isolate the whole room so no "accidents" as my wife would say, can happen.

 

[plugwash]

its possible to tee in another consumer unit before the existing one but doing so requires breaking the seals and pulling the service fuse to isolate which you aren't really supposed to do. (though many sparks do it frequently) or getting the leccy company out which is a pita.

another option is to put a 50A breaker in the existing CU and use that to supply a small CU running a couple of cuircuits.

got a photo of your existing CU?

 

[Steve]

Yes i do have the permission its family who own the building, but he rather the new wiring was not messed with, whence the dilemma. The equipment in the room is sensitive and i do not wish anyone (including my children ) messing with whats in there. When its not in use i want to isolate the whole room so no "accidents" as my wife would say, can happen.

Sounds fishy . . . you're not called dave9 are you . . . he came on here trying to wire something up for illicit purposes (some lights for his cannabis plants)

You could split the meter tails after the isolator, take them to a switch fuse rated at 40A, then run SWA up to the new CU. A lot of work.

Could you not take a 13A fused switched spur from the ring main? This makes it isolatable, and you can have as many sockets as you want, provided the total load does not exceed 13A.

 

[breezer]

assuming the "equipment" draws no more than 13A why not fit 1 FCU which feeds several sockets.
But after the fcu fit one of these obvioulsy it need the grid, front plate and box

alternatively, still extend the ring and fit one of these to the door, that way no one can spill anything on the "equipment" and no one can run an extension lead into the room to power up "the equipment"

 

[Steve]

dont secret key switches come on normal faceplates? Why only in gridswitch format?

If he wanted a really neat looking install, he could use a 2-way grid plate and fit a fuse module and a secret keyswitch

 

[breezer]

good point crafty, but my edited post has an even better solution

 

[plugwash]

If he wanted a really neat looking install, he could use a 2-way grid plate and fit a fuse module and a secret keyswitch

or just get a secret key FCU

 

[Steve]

good point crafty, but my edited post has an even better solution

very good.

 

[Steve]

If he wanted a really neat looking install, he could use a 2-way grid plate and fit a fuse module and a secret keyswitch

or just get a secret key FCU

do they make them? Find a picture and ill buy you a pint