Looking for a large (wide) Amd 3 CU

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Some people like to purchase DECENT consumer units i.e. PROTEUS, which is of decent British Built Quality, and not the far eastern junk that electricians tend to supply as default, if the customer fails to have any input.

Obviously the electrician will select the cheapest option in order to boost his profit margin!
 
I am paying him labour only.
And thereby paying more for materials that he would.


Often, contractors (including electricians) want to do things that are easier for them as opposed to being the best for me.
Not if they are any good.

But given your attitude I would not be surprised to learn that you can never find any good ones.


Hopefully this is clear enough for you.
Perfectly. Although not the clarity you wanted to achieve.


Perhaps but then I can buy the quality and quantity I want and I also have established trade relationships. Secondly, it saves the hassle for him and makes it a relatively easy job.

I agree (if they are any good), but often they are not *that* good, so needs must. As for attitude, I have just posted to ask for some help. You have responded to this and my other posts in the same hostile manner.

Some kind folks have posted advice which I have taken on-board. That's what these forums are about.
 
What are the advantages of going RCBO?
It's worrying that you should have to ask a question like that if you are working as an electrician.

Going all RCBO has major drawbacks, it is a PAIN to megger the installation for starters, as the whole consumer unit needs stripping out in order to megger it, and the price is prohibitive unless you have unlimited cash reserves to hand, and you should balance it against convenience.
 
At the same time though, you probably want to avoid grouping circuits feeding sockets on common RCD's in such a way that an earth fault on some device in one "dwelling unit" takes out power to others in the house as well.
 
Well Proteus are actually British Made Products to inspire confidence over far eastern equipment!

Like British Leyland? When my father bought a Datsun it was the first car he'd ever owned that didn't have anything wrong with it from the factory.
 
Personally, I don't mind buying whatever as long as it is reliable and competitively priced. In fact, I don't mind paying a bit more for extra quality/features. At the moment, it looks like a Hager 16 way 80A.. wish there was one with more ways available.
 
it is a PAIN to megger the installation for starters, as the whole consumer unit needs stripping out in order to megger it

It is a little bit of a pain, but to say teh whole consumer unit requires stripping out is a bit over the top! One has to lift the functional earths, then you may test L&N strapped together to earth (as you may with most other loads connected).
 
Okay NC, I can understand you wishing to do your own design, as most sparks will do a standard installation (which most time works) whilst some will do a tailored one after chatting with you. But you obviously want ownership of your project, and that's fine.

The problem is that you can't work an HMO and home on the same design principle, so you need to make a decision at some stage before your design takes shape.

But trying to answer your questions on the freezer. Ask yourself how many times you're freezer has gone off, or been turned off by other faults, and that pretty much answers whether it needs it's own circuit. Most freezers defrost by a door getting left open or the freezer dying, so I still wouldn't bother with this one. And a separate circuit for the dryer also makes no sense as it achieves nothing - as I've said before, just use a switched spur off of the kitchen ring.

And as other have said, single circuit for the external sockets and lights will work fine, but it will partially depend on the layout of the house; however, as your external sockets will be 13amp, and your external lighting circuits 5 amp, you'll need to change down the cable size with a fused switch spur at some point. If you think on the principle of how do you isolate a circuit to do work on it or it's components, then this will give you a better idea of how to lay out your circuits.

But you're current design only works for a home, and not an HMO. If you were designing for an HMO, then your freezer would still be on the kitchen circuit, but isolated from the rcd of the ring circuits so that a tenant with a faulty kettle, isn't going to bugger the kitchen etc up.
 
... DECENT consumer units i.e. PROTEUS, which is of decent British Built Quality, and not the far eastern junk ...
Have you ever installed, or even handled, a Proteus CU? It rather sounds as if you haven't!

Kind Regards, John
I asked this question a while ago and still no answer. I'm going to assume no, or he wouldn't be singing their praises.
 
Have you ever installed, or even handled, a Proteus CU? It rather sounds as if you haven't!
I asked this question a while ago and still no answer. I'm going to assume no, or he wouldn't be singing their praises.
I forgot you'd already asked but, as both of us have said/implied, what he is saying certainly seems to suggest that he has no experience of them!!

This apparent obsession with 'British' seems to be in the same league as some people's obsession with eating anything/everything 'natural'. I often have to remind them that many of the most poisonous substances in existence are totally 'natural'!

Kind Regards, John
 
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Okay NC, I can understand you wishing to do your own design, as most sparks will do a standard installation (which most time works) whilst some will do a tailored one after chatting with you. But you obviously want ownership of your project, and that's fine.

The problem is that you can't work an HMO and home on the same design principle, so you need to make a decision at some stage before your design takes shape.

But trying to answer your questions on the freezer. Ask yourself how many times you're freezer has gone off, or been turned off by other faults, and that pretty much answers whether it needs it's own circuit. Most freezers defrost by a door getting left open or the freezer dying, so I still wouldn't bother with this one. And a separate circuit for the dryer also makes no sense as it achieves nothing - as I've said before, just use a switched spur off of the kitchen ring.

And as other have said, single circuit for the external sockets and lights will work fine, but it will partially depend on the layout of the house; however, as your external sockets will be 13amp, and your external lighting circuits 5 amp, you'll need to change down the cable size with a fused switch spur at some point. If you think on the principle of how do you isolate a circuit to do work on it or it's components, then this will give you a better idea of how to lay out your circuits.

But you're current design only works for a home, and not an HMO. If you were designing for an HMO, then your freezer would still be on the kitchen circuit, but isolated from the rcd of the ring circuits so that a tenant with a faulty kettle, isn't going to bugger the kitchen etc up.

I will be talking everything through with the electrician and working out a mutually agreeable plan.

Take your point about the freezer, however, there may be a separate (to the kitchen) utility area so I may assign a circuit to that - this area will likely contain extra white goods.

With respect to the use of the property, the decision won't be clear until it is completed (unfortunately). Therefore, I am doing it to HMO standard (Building Control approved smoke/fire system), emergency lighting, FD30 doors etc., however, I accept this 'dual use' may mean some compromises at the outset. Given this, I'd be happy for suggestions as to what should be on an RCBO.
 
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