How to install a second consumer unit

[AL]

Right, before anyone says anything i am not going to attempt this myself, i will get an expert in. However i would like to know how it's done so i can't be fobbed off / conned etc.

I've semi installed an electric shower, everything apart from the connection to the consumer unit. The problem is, it is not possible to buy MCB's for this old fashioned unit (typical), so i've got a dedicated shower consumer unit complete with MCB/RCD. How is the spark going to connect this up? my current supply set up is as follows:

The supply comes into the house via a 60A tamper proof fuse, then through the meter to the existing consumer unit (Rated at 100A max), although it could never draw more than 60A else the main fuse would blow i guess? The existing Unit has the following MCB's fitted, 40A (cooker), 30A(downstairs ring), 30A (upstairs ring), 15A(immersion heater) and 5A(lighting), Is that no overloaded already? all those MCB's add up to 120A max which is 20 more than the C/U rating and double the main fuse. So this is why i am confused?

Will the sparky have work with the live wires as i see no way of turning the supply off apart from at the cunsumer unit.

Me confused again

AL

 

[breezer]

even if he did turn it off at the consumers unit it would still be live, the main fuse has to be pulled and the elcticity board informed.

you may also need to get your supply uprated (most are 100A), as if someone takes a shower while the cooker and imersion heater is on, not to mention if it is dark, you 60A fuse may go.

Its all worked out acording to a welshman called Di versity, he assumes that not everything will be on at the same time, but as its winter.......

If you are having a secondary consumers unit fitted because you can not get mcbs for your existing consumers unit, why not take back what you have just brought and get a bigger split consumers unit (thats a technical term, it doesn't mean broken ) , that way you will have mcb's and rcd protection

 

[il78]

Lets be honest..when have you ever seen :

Delia cooking with all rings on and grill and oven
Shower fully on (ouch)
Lights lit up the Blackpool
Sockets with electric heaters on and kettles on
Immersion left on all day
Door Bell ringing away
Alarm sounding away
Stanner Stair Lift running away with itself
Harry Green using a drill in the garage.....

That welshman is one busy fella

 

[masona]

Sounds like Scoby house

 

[AL]

This is starting to get expensive I can't really see that i'm ever going to draw 60A, We don't use the imersion heater as we have gas central heating, i think if i had every electrical appliance that we own it wouldn't ad up to any more that 10 - 15 amps max no where near the 2 x 30A ring mains. The only big power eater we have is the cooker, although saying that it is only a small single oven (built in type) and a hob.

To save loads of money, hassle etc what if (bodge of the century perhaps), i got the sparky to take the shower consumer unit off the same 40A MCB as the shower? this way, the worst that might happen if i had the cooker on full blast and the shower on full blast too the 40A mcb may trip (probably wouldn't though) Am i just talking crazy(most likely), How much is this going to cost me to get it done properly?

I think i'm grasping at straws now

AL

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Your sparky won't work on live wires.

He should get the supplier to remove and then refit the main fuse, but many of them will pull it themselves. A better solution is to have the supplier fit an isolation switch for you - they could do that at the same time they upgrade you to 100A, which you do need, as you are getting perilously close to that - a 10.5kW shower is over 40A on its own, and even a single oven is 10-12A, so oven and shower together doesn't leave enough to put the kettle on.....

 

[AL]

so basically, this is going to cost me big time

Who do i need to talk to, my local electricity board(SEEBoard) or my electricity supplier(Southern Electric)?

AL

 

[il78]

I would go for the split-load board idea...this is then going to give you the extra spareways available...it aint going to cost you that much.....its easy to do......only problem you have is the isolating the main fuse....you dont really want to work live.....your local authority should install an isolator between their meter and your board for free (dont quote me on this)....they will also upgrade the 60A to a 100A fuse aswell.....Happy Days..

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Who do i need to talk to, my local electricity board(SEEBoard) or my electricity supplier(Southern Electric)?

If you find out, let us know - I'm a SE customer too, and I need a switch fitted.

As soon as I've found my roundtuit I was going to start with the customer services number, and see what they say. I was thinking about having the meters moved to the outside at the same time - does anybody know what sort of charge is usually made for that?

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

Sounds like Scoby house

I was just going to say that !!!

 

[Gaff]

I would go for the split-load board idea...this is then going to give you the extra spareways available...it aint going to cost you that much.....its easy to do......only problem you have is the isolating the main fuse....you dont really want to work live.....your local authority should install an isolator between their meter and your board for free (dont quote me on this)....they will also upgrade the 60A to a 100A fuse aswell.....Happy Days..

Must you contact your local authority, or the company who bills you?

Did anyone confirm if there is a charge for the isolator, and is there a charge to upgrade the fuse?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I think our old friend

meant the local electricity authority/board/company, not the council. As long as you get it done before Part P...

 

[Gaff]

I think our old friend

meant the local electricity authority/board/company, not the council. As long as you get it done before Part P...

Part P, yes well, there seems to have been a lot of discussion on it, am I correct in thinking it will make a big difference after June, at the moment it will only mean that people employed in the trade have to be registered?

Having been outside of the UK for some time, we are quite familiar with the need for an Electrical Compliance Certificate which has to be obtained whenever a property changes hands, (will something similar be introduced here?) and having to have any electrical installations inspected and signed off by a registered electrician, if not installed out by a registered electrician.

If the charges are reasonable, it may encourage DIYers to have their work inspected and signed off, which would be to everybodys benefit.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I fear that the words "NICEIC" and "reasonable charges" may turn out to be an oxymoron.

But I hope to be proved wrong.

The thing is, Part P isn't about raising the standards of DIY work, it's about stamping it out entirely and forcing all electricians to join one of the industry bodies.

 

[il78]

I think our old friend

meant the local electricity authority/board/company, not the council. As long as you get it done before Part P...

Wow....Now I look like a sad plane spotter.....Cheers Ban