Spacer between CU and trunking

[SimonH2]

The spacer serves two distinct functions :
1) To fill the gap that needs to be between the CUs and trunking (equally valid with one CU) that's required in order to be able to fit the trunking lid. Without that, no chance of maintaining any pretence at IP4x - or even just the basic IP3x provided by the trunking & fittings.
2) To protect the cables from the sharp edges of the metal - the hole in the spacer is slightly smaller than those in the metal. Yes you could just put grommet strip around the hole, but ...

The spacer is quite easy to work, so by the time the metalwork is marked out etc, it's almost no effort at all to cut the spacer - in fact, I made the spacers first and (before cutting out the holes - hole saw and fret saw) used that as a template to drill holes in the metalwork. In fact, I reckon it took no more effort to make the spacers than it takes to persuade some grommet strip to fit and stay put on the metalwork edges. It really isn't all that much more work than accurately cutting matching holes for several large bushes and assembling them.
And it makes everything "quite solid". With four screws fixing each CU to the wall, and a couple in the trunking, I don't think anything is going to move in a hurry.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

This all a bit beyond you isn't it.

What does appear to be beyond me is explaining the idea of not having the body of the trunking running all the way across the width of the two CUs in a way which is simple enough for you to understand what I meant.

 

[donrkebab]

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[ban-all-sheds]

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[SimonH2]

Do a sketch of what you think is easier & neater then. Because you've said nothing so far that would be either AFAICT.
EDIT: Yes there are other ways of doing it, but this is one of the common ways to do a neat job.

 

[OwainDIYer]

making do in the shed

It's very nice carpet for a shed

I think it's a neat job. Although I'm not sure if splashback offcut meets the requirement for non-combustable. Otherwise we could make consumer units out of it.

 

[JohnW2]

I think it's a neat job. Although I'm not sure if splashback offcut meets the requirement for non-combustable. Otherwise we could make consumer units out of it.

I don't think there is a requirement for things attached to a 'non-combustible' CU to also be 'non-combustible' - and nor is there any apparent prohibition of there being massive holes in the 'non-combustible' CU casing!

Kind Regards, John

 

[SimonH2]

BTW - this is another way of doing it - but it wouldn't have suited this install, and it's nearly as much work to connect the trunking (neatly and keeping IP4x).

 

[SimonH2]

Just a bit of a followup, here's it in-situ. As an aside, I think the IP4x kits for the trunking sure do make the joints look a lot tidier

 

[ban-all-sheds]

For the benefit of all those who are hard-of-thinking, this:

Given that they will be securely fixed and the trunking will be, why not have just had a gap in it but not in the cover?

meant cutting the trunking approximately where shown in this:

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Just a bit of a followup, here's it in-situ.

Looks good.

But it will be bl**dy annoying, won't it, to have to unmount it all so that the wall can be made good?

 

[donrkebab]

BAS has invented a new method of NOT achieving the objective of leaving space to allow trunking lid to be fitted.

As I said to him earlier - "This all a bit beyond you isn't it." - but he's not listening.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I'll never lose my appetite for laughing at you, so come on then - explain how cutting a section of the trunking away as shown would mean that the lid wouldn't fit.

 

[SimonH2]

meant cutting the trunking approximately where shown in this

Now do that and keep it IP4x or IPxxD
And you've got to do it so it doesn't end looking cack, and still need to make holes in the CU case, and still have to protect the cables from the edges of the metal.
There's another issue that fixing to a 200 year old lime & cobble wall is a right PITA - so having the 3 things bolted together means that the fixing for each of them individually isn't as critical.

But it will be bl**dy annoying, won't it, to have to unmount it all so that the wall can be made good?

No, because it isn't coming off the wall. I'll just be covering things up and working round them. What you can see in that pic is nowt but a few pinholes compared to stuff you can't see The original wiring had been plastered in, so there's some large chases to fill in, and holes where it was easiest to just pull things off the wall taking the wooden plugs with them - see above about fixing to lime & cobble wall
By the time I've finished I should have got the hang of working with lime.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Now do that and keep it IP4x or IPxxD

The gap between the spacer and the lid would be the same.

And you've got to do it so it doesn't end looking cack,

Beauty is in the eye of etc, but one would have to be pretty cack-handed to make 90° cuts in trunking look cack. Presumably you had to cut the horizontal length, at least - did you manage to do that without it ending up looking cack?

Spoiler

Of course you did.

and still need to make holes in the CU case,

and still have to protect the cables from the edges of the metal.

But not against the edges of holes nibbled into the walls of the conduit

There's another issue that fixing to a 200 year old lime & cobble wall is a right PITA - so having the 3 things bolted together means that the fixing for each of them individually isn't as critical.

Not a factor you had mentioned until now.