Is this CU correct?

[AlwaysBestToAsk]

Hi all,

I've had a look inside my consumer unit (picture below) and it looks like there are 2 RCCB's in there but there's one at either end but on doing some investigation i get the impression that these should have the fuses that they protect on the left or right but on mine there are 8 inbetween them but there is some tape over the middle that i suspect someone has put there as the fuses have been taken out and left a gap (or so i'm guessing) but SHOULD the fuses be on the same side of the RCCB's ? i.e if the RCCB on the left is protecting the 2 fuses to the right of it and the RCCB on the right is protecting the one's on the left then shouldn't one side be the same as the other (i.e all fuses should be on the left OR right of the RCCB ?

Also am i reading this correctly that if it's the case that the RCCB on the right is protecting all the one's to the left if it's a 63A RCCB then all of those fuses add up to too much for it ?

I've not really dealt with consumer units and i don't intend to go messing around with it but thought i'd check if this is "normal" before i go calling someone ?

Thanks

 

[Deleted member 142255]

The cheapskate that did that should have fitted proper blanks.

 

[pete01]

Some are like that some protect mcbs to the right and left also, depends on the brand, but yes you need some proper blanks.

 

[Jurassicspark]

Also am i reading this correctly that if it's the case that the RCCB on the right is protecting all the one's to the left if it's a 63A RCCB then all of those fuses add up to too much for it ?

Diversity.

If you add up all the current draw by all the breakers it will likely exceed the main fuse rating.

Not a problem.

 

[Jurassicspark]

The cheapskate that did that should have fitted proper blanks.

Someone probably diyed that.

 

[Deleted member 142255]

Someone probably diyed that.

Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest, and charged for the tape.

 

[Jurassicspark]

Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest, and charged for the tape.

In fact, a lot of meter monkeys do the same too. When they approach a job to change the meter, and see exposed spaces, they whip out the black tape.

Temporarily is okay, only till finding a blank and doing job the properly.

 

[Deleted member 142255]

In fact, a lot of meter monkeys do the same too. When they approach a job to change the meter, and see exposed spaces, they whip out the black tape.

Temporarily is okay, only till finding a blank and doing job the properly.

I was industrial, and in my last role very quickly found many horror stories. My boss didn't really like it as I spent a lot of his budget putting things right.

I told him simply if he'd paid attention to what his employees had been doing they wouldn't have been in this state.

 

[Taylortwocities]

I've not really dealt with consumer units and i don't intend to go messing around with it but thought i'd check if this is "normal" before i go calling someone ?

The way that board should be configured is that the left hand RCD protects the five circuits to the right of it. The right hand RCD protects the five circuits to the left of it.
The only way to confirm that is for you to (main switch off!) remove the front cover and send a photo so we can see the busbar layout.

then all of those fuses add up to too much for it ?

That’s not the way it works and perfectly normal.

 

[Murdochcat]

You won’t know how many MCBs are protected by each RCD unless you take the cover off

AND THE MCB marked shower is a different manufacturer so might need changing too.

Proper blanks should be fitted in place of the tape

 

[Deleted member 142255]

The shower mcb also looks to be the wrong one for the CU and doesn't look to be sat properly on my screen.

 

[Deleted member 142255]

You won’t know how many MCBs are protected by each RCD unless you take the cover off

AND THE MCB marked shower is a different manufacturer so might need changing too.

Proper blanks should be fitted in place of the tape

Snap lol.

 

[ebee]

Agreed - without the cover off we can only ASSUME what it might actually be. To ASSUME could make an ASS of U and ME, so beware. I am not encouraging anyone to remove a cover unless they are fully competent to do so without any risk to themselves or anyone else.

 

[Taylortwocities]

As I suggested.

The only way to confirm that is for you to (main switch off!) remove the front cover and send a photo so we can see the busbar layout.

 

[plugwash]

but there is some tape over the middle that i suspect someone has put there as the fuses have been taken out and left a gap (or so i'm guessing)

Regardless of anything else, that needs sorting. Tape is not an acceptable way to permanently cover up an unused way in a consumer unit, it might be barely acceptable as a short term risk reduction until something can be fixed properly, but frankly even in that case I'd want to see something more rigid backing up the tape.

but SHOULD the fuses be on the same side of the RCCB's ? i.e if the RCCB on the left is protecting the 2 fuses to the right of it and the RCCB on the right is protecting the one's on the left then shouldn't one side be the same as the other (i.e all fuses should be on the left OR right of the RCCB ?

Some brands do lay it out this way with the RCDs at the ends and the MCB

Also am i reading this correctly that if it's the case that the RCCB on the right is protecting all the one's to the left.

It's likely that the left RCD covers MCBs on the left and the right RCD covers MCBs on the right.

But where exactly the split lies, is impossible to tell just from looking at the outside, it could be an equal split with 5 breakers on each side but it could also be unequal.

if it's a 63A RCCB then all of those fuses add up to too much for it ?

It's less than ideal to have all the sockets and the shower on one 63A RCD, particuarly if the service fuse is greater than 60A. That said, while it's less than ideal it's also fairly unlikely to be a problem in practice.