Meter Tails

[plreardon]

Hi, Can someone help with advice.

I am looking at having an additional consumer unit installed in my cellar. It will be approx 8meters from the meter and main board. The main board has no spare ports on it.

I will be having an electrician in to do the work but would like to do as much of the 1st fix as I can to help keep costs down.

What items would I need to do this. I have got a RCD Consumer Unit, what size/thickness tails would I need. Do I need to install a mains switched fuse as the tails will be about 8 mtrs long. They will be fixed in surface mounted trunking so no cables will be in walls or ceilings.

Hope this makes sense.

Phil

 

[securespark]

Why 8m away?

Further than 2 or 3m and you need a submain, adding to the cost.

Can't you mount the unit within 2m of the meter and extend the final circuit cables to it?

Also, trunking will reduce the CCC of the cable. What are these circuits?

 

[RF Lighting]

Is your electrician happy for you to do this work?

What is the new CU for? What are the proposed loads?

 

[securespark]

Bah, humbug!

 

[plreardon]

Yes my electrician is happy as he will only charge for the connections at both ends.

The new circuits will be for sockets and lights to the cellar, lights in the garden and one external socket.

I've got no space near to my current consumer unit to fit an additional one. Any advise how I can overcome this problem.

I was thinking about putting a single unit next to my current one and using that to feed the extra CU in the cellar but not sure if this can be done??

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I will be having an electrician in to do the work

Does he know that yet?

but would like to do as much of the 1st fix as I can to help keep costs down.

Is he happy with that?

What items would I need to do this.

The ones your electrician tells you to get.

I have got a RCD Consumer Unit,

Is your electrician happy with it?

what size/thickness tails would I need.

The size your electrician decides are needed.

Do I need to install a mains switched fuse as the tails will be about 8 mtrs long.

Your electrician will be able to answer that.

Hope this makes sense.

Hope this makes sense:

Your electrician will have to sign documents to say that the work he did complied with the Wiring Regulations and the Building Regulations. That work will include design and installation, so he can't say he did it if he didn't.

You cannot just design and install stuff and then expect an electrician to come along and take it over - it doesn't work like that.

 

[riveralt]

Yes my electrician is happy as he will only charge for the connections at both ends.

Yes but he will be signing the circuit off to the Local Authority Building Control so you SHOULD ask him for this information - again if you take our advice and he disagrees then you have wasted your money.

 

[plreardon]

I want to get as much advise as possible before he come in on Monday to look at it and quote for it.

I want to be able to stand there and have a good idea of how it could be done so I don't look like an idiot.

 

[westie101]

There needs to be a switch fuse at the actual meter position feeding a sub-main to the CU wherever you place it if the distance is more than 2 or 3 meters (cable length)
You cannot use tails direct from the meter as they will only be protected by the DNO main fuse which is not permitted

 

[plreardon]

So going into the fused switch would be tails from the henley block but what cable would come out the other side of the fused switch?

 

[westie101]

but what cable would come out the other side of the fused switch

That depends on load, required capacity & installation method so your electrician should advise on that

 

[riveralt]

So going into the fused switch would be tails from the henley block but what cable would come out the other side of the fused switch?

A grey/brown one
You really need to speak to the electrician - you don't know the size of the cable you require - the different types that are available - how the cable will be run etc.
What type of earthing system do you have? How are you going to manage that? What size earthing cable will you use?
Your really need to speak to the electrician first:
Your really need to speak to the electrician first:
Your really need to speak to the electrician first:

 

[westie101]

Your really need to speak to the electrician first

Or do some on line learning to understand how to calculate the answers for yourself.

Unfortunately there is no "this is the answer" as there are a lot of variables

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Yes my electrician is happy as he will only charge for the connections at both ends.

I want to get as much advise as possible before he come in on Monday to look at it and quote for it.

How can he be happy if he has not been in and quoted, because if he hasn't done that yet then he hasn't got the job yet.

And you don't have an electrician yet.

I want to be able to stand there and have a good idea of how it could be done so I don't look like an idiot.

Why is that important?

Could it be because you haven't discussed doing some of the work yet, with the electrician you do not have yet, who has not been yet, but unaccountably is happy for you to do some of the work?

 

[flameport]

The new circuits will be for sockets and lights to the cellar, lights in the garden and one external socket.

Surely those extra things can be connected to one or more of the existing circuits, therefore removing the need for an additional consumer unit.