Is this installation compliant with BS7671?

[RF Lighting]

This is an equipment rack cabinet in a commercial premises. It is fed via a 25mm steel conduit from above which terminates into the top of the cabinet.

The singles then run down a cable tray inside and terminate to two rows of DIN rail terminals to supply the individual items of equipment within the cabinet.

Much of the equipment is due to be replaced shortly, and the customer has asked if the supply arrangement is still acceptable.

The cabinet is not in an area accessible to the public, but can be accessed by staff in the building who possess some technical knowledge. The cabinet is not lockable.

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• RF Lighting
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[mfarrow]

Do you need a tool to open it? If so I would say yes.

 

[deadshort]

Yes. If as has stated you require a tool or key to access the termination chamber.

Industry standard in Theatre control rooms.

Regards,

DS

Looks like an NL install.

 

[RF Lighting]

No tool is required to open the cabinet, and venue techs will need to access equipment from time to time.

There is no local isolation for safe working in the enclosure.

 

[deadshort]

I would have expected the mains to be on 30A ceramic connector with shroud fitted then the mains fed to a iec or 13a socket distro located vertically within the rack. This would obviously be safer. If the supply is on TEC earth a 30ma local rcd would be installed.

Regards,

DS

 

[AdrianUK]

The supply cables 'look like' 6mm2 singles that feed into a home-made distro built from DIN rail connectors.

What is the supply protection?

Is there any fusing down not visible in the photos?

I guess the real question is where does the fixed installation end & the fixed 'appliance' begin? At the termination of the fixed wiring? (in which case all the distro wiring is outside scope - just as the wiring inside an electric oven would be) or does it continue right up until the inlet to the individual pieces of gear inside the rack?

Adrian

 

[RF Lighting]

I gather the existing setup it that the 6.0mm² singles feed into the DIN terminals as you can see in the middle of the third picture I posted. This then runs through a 32A circuit breaker before feeding back to the looped DIN terminals.

Each piece of equipment then has it's own individual fuse within the equipment it's self.

 

[deadshort]

If that's the case there may have been an EMO sequential switcher installed which has been removed.

I would advise that a mains distro is fitted, as i say this is the normal install method used for Rack Mount kit.

DS

 

[stillp]

It looks a piece of equipment. Why would it comply with BS7671? BS EN 61439 would be more appropriate.

 

[AdrianUK]

Each piece of equipment then has it's own individual fuse within the equipment it's self.

... so the IEC's that we can see are backed up by a 32A MCB?

.... and the individual items could be replaced by others that don't include an internal fuse ....

 

[Adam_151]

I would have said it falls fowl of EAWR, if it allows anyone to simply open the door and be at the DIN rail terminals.

I have the feeling that the likes of of audio techs, IT folk and caretakers go into this cabinet? I also assume the site has no records of electrical competance for these folk?

Most sites lock the machine cabinets (even if its only a standard cabinet key) and have policies of who can open them, etc

 

[RF Lighting]

In normal day to day use the cabinet is never touched, and if alterations need to be made, they would be to the equipment fronts accessed from the front door of the cabinet.

I think as long as some sort of lock can be installed, even the type found on machine cabinets, it will be ok.

 

[Adam_151]

I am reminded of something found an EICR of a school once, there is a pic.. its filled away somewhere.

Ground workers had done their own supplies to water features, a fused spur had been added to the dado above a counter top, this then went to a large adapt box under the counter top where the SWAs were connected (no glands). Within this box there were two light switches on pattresses one for each fountain. The wiring in the box and going into the switches was stripped down unto single cores, there were also connector blocks in the enclosure.

The idea was, I gather is that caretakers should control the fountains then shut up the box so the kids didn't switch them on or off.

The same place also had DMX running over 1.5mm twin and earth but thats another story

 

[RF Lighting]

That's not going to go well...

 

[plugwash]

Each piece of equipment then has it's own individual fuse within the equipment it's self.

I would be concerned about this in particular my concerns would be.

1: are you positive that all the quipment has internal fusing
2: Even if there is internal fusing are you sure the internal fusing and the internal wiring leading up to it are suitable for connection to a 32A supply. Often the internal fuses in equipment are glass fuses with very low breaking capacity (a quick check on farnell shows 1A glass fuses seem to have a breaking capacity as low as 35A, do you really want to back that up with a 32A MCB?).
3: you talk about equipment being replaced. Even if 1 and 2 are true right now how much confidence do you have that they will remain true.