Ideas for alternative shower wiring

[nickthefarrow]

Hi,

I 2x7.5kw electric showers protected by combined mcb/rcd devices and have found that one of the rcd devices is faulty - it keeps tripping but the fault follows the mcb/rcd device when moved to the other shower!

The main problem is that I cannot get hold of another combined mcb/rcd device for my (obselete) squared quickline consumer unit.

Does anyone have a view on fitting an external combined rcd/mcb device, but feeding it off a mcb from the main CU, as I dont think the CU has any chaining ability?

Thanks

nick

 

[ericmark]

You can try http://www.thefusecompany.com/index.php?cPath=54 and see if they have the device you want but fitting a second consumer unit for just two circuits seems the only way to get away with not replacing whole consumer unit. Since the consumer unit you say is obsolete then to feed with a MCB is of course out and only way to fit second consumer unit would be to use a henley block and isolator and I am not convinced this would work out much cheaper than changing whole consumer unit.

 

[nickthefarrow]

Hi Eric,

Not sure about the CU being about the same/cheaper as this would involve changing over my other mcbs to a newer type.

All I was thinking of doing was to get a external rcd and take a CU mcb output to the live input of this device and then extend the neutral and earth from the main CU strips.

Being a telcoms engineer this makes sense, but not sure if its correct procedure!

You seem to be talking about taking this back to the main feeds with talk of henley blocks?

Thanks for your help.

nick

 

[electronicsuk]

Hi Eric,

Not sure about the CU being about the same/cheaper as this would involve changing over my other mcbs to a newer type.

All I was thinking of doing was to get a external rcd and take a CU mcb output to the live input of this device and then extend the neutral and earth from the main CU strips.

There would be no problem in breaking in to one of the shower supplied and adding an RCD there, it's just not very elegant is all!