Garage unit

[esoxcrazy]

Can you fit a garage unit near the main consumer unit or does this go against the regs.

 

[davy_owen_88]

A 'garage' consumer unit is no different to a 'normal' consumer unit. There is no reason why you can not fit one next to the main CU, but can I ask why you are asking? What are you intending to do?

 

[esoxcrazy]

fit a new combi boiler. I dont want to be responsible for the whole ring circuit by cutting into it, therefore if i fit a new garage unit i go directly to this.

 

[Adam_151]

fit a new combi boiler. I dont want to be responsible for the whole ring circuit by cutting into it, therefore if i fit a new garage unit i go directly to this.

I don't see what the issue is unless the rfc is in a bad way, just fit your FCU, do the neccessay tests and fill out a MWC

If you suspect the rfc is in a bad way, you'd have to document this on the EIC for your new circuit anyway, duty of care and a reg, etc

You do not become responisble for a whole circuit just because you work on it, you are reposible only for the work you do and making sure that circuit is safe to add to, if there is a problem elsewhere, regardless of what circuit its on, once you know about it, its your duty to flag it up

 

[esoxcrazy]

just finished a part p course and they said once you cut into ring you take ownership of that ring, therefore if anything needs putting right you must put it right on that ring. hence a sep garage unit, if I can. But i've been in formed that you can have only one main unit. If I fit a garage unit then this becomes two isolations which is against the regs.

 

[Adam_151]

You have to make sure the circuit can take the extra load and the earthing arrangements are ok, you become responsible for the work you actually do, which as I said obviously means making sure it can support that work

You do not become responsible for the whole circuit... how can you, you didn't install it!

You also have a responibility to flag up and note any departures you find regardless of what circuit they are on,

so if you notice the ring has a chain of spurs off it... you have to flag that up regardless of whether you are working on the ring or not, for example

What you propose is just a surefire way of making sure that if the ring circuit has faults that may be only found by testing, that they stay unknown about...

(although I would recommend that boilers go on non rcd wherever possible rather than an FCU on the rfc, but thats aside from the point i'm making)

P.S. The reg calling for a single point of isolation is often mis-interpretted (well it must be, I keep hearing it interpretted two different ways... one much be wrong ), but however you interpret it it does not have to preclude you having two consumer units, if you cannot see how you can have two consumer units and still have a single point of isolation then I'm not sure how much of a good idea it is you doing this work anyway...

 

[davy_owen_88]

I just do not see how pulling the fuse, splitting the tails etc, etc is somehow easier than fitting a FCU and fixing any problems you encounter.

Do a visual inspection, and if all seems on just go ahead, I'm willing to bet the customer will be happier paying you to fix faults than install a pointless workaround.