Fused spurs

[tok]

Hello there,

I have my 1st assessment on monday and have a few questions about fused spurs throughout the house where i have changed the distribution board(nothing else).

1st I have a security light coming off the downstairs ring from the kitchen and i can't find any spur for that(and have no idea which socket it comes off), should i just note a deviation from the regs?

2nd i have a shaver socket in the downstairs toilet directly behind a light switch, does that need a fused spur? My thinking is there's not really any significant run of cable to protect?

3rd i have a shed (spurred off the kitchen ring) with 2 power sockets, and 1 lighting circuit that comes off a junction box(in shed) hence no fused spur for the lights although the cable supplying the lights is 2.5mm(same as socket), bearing in mind i thought fused spurs were primarily to protect the cable should i fit a 3 amp there or just note it as a deviation from the regs?

Thanks for reading.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Hi mate.
if you've only changed the board than providing all test results are satisfactory than that is where your reasponsibility lies, to make the system safe for use.
The points you have made di not make it unsafe just small areas of imorovement.
Take a mental note of them in case you are asked but dont worry.
With regards to the shed have you made sure this is up to scratch.
Ie earthing, cable current capacities. Loading of the circuit its spurred off?

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

 

[tok]

Hi mate.
if you've only changed the board than providing all test results are satisfactory than that is where your reasponsibility lies, to make the system safe for use.
The points you have made di not make it unsafe just small areas of imorovement.
Take a mental note of them in case you are asked but dont worry.
With regards to the shed have you made sure this is up to scratch.
Ie earthing, cable current capacities. Loading of the circuit its spurred off?

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

Yes thankyou Simple Simon, the Zs's are ok in the shed except maybe the light which was slightly over what is required for a ring main, but it's a light so I'm hoping that's ok?

 

[Octopus]

No wishing to teach you to suck eggs but you have checked/upgraded the bonding haven't you?

Re the shed light - is the neutral at the switch? If so you could change the standard light switch for a SFCU and fit a 3A fuse.

 

[tok]

No wishing to teach you to suck eggs but you have checked/upgraded the bonding haven't you?

Re the shed light - is the neutral at the switch? If so you could change the standard light switch for a SFCU and fit a 3A fuse.

Thanks Murdoch, replacing the switch will work I think.

With regards to the main bonding I thought I had checked it all, although just realised the main bonding is only 10mm and the services only 6mm.
I have now added a 6mm earth to the MET to make 16mm, and also added a 6mm earth to the gas service pipe to make 12mm.
Unfortunately the water supply earth disappears to the back of the house where the cut off tap is so it will be hard to upgrade by tomorrow!

 

[Octopus]

Get out your Big Green Book and take a read of 131.8 - its a useful reg to know.......

How big is your DNO fuse???

 

[flukey]

Thanks Murdoch, replacing the switch will work I think.

With regards to the main bonding I thought I had checked it all, although just realised the main bonding is only 10mm and the services only 6mm.
I have now added a 6mm earth to the MET to make 16mm, and also added a 6mm earth to the gas service pipe to make 12mm.
Unfortunately the water supply earth disappears to the back of the house where the cut off tap is so it will be hard to upgrade by tomorrow!

OOPS :goofy:

 

[Dave 85]

You dont have to upgrade 6mm bonding with a C/U change, just put it as advisory. Thats what elecsa say anyway.

 

[telectrix]

if it's a TN-S system, the 10mm main earth is probably adequate, as is 6mm main bonding

 

[flukey]

You dont have to upgrade 6mm bonding with a C/U change, just put it as advisory. Thats what elecsa say anyway.

even if its PME??

Hopefully your system in TNS and you can show your assessor you know what the adiabatic is or your on a very slippery slope

 

[flukey]

Thanks Murdoch, replacing the switch will work I think.

With regards to the main bonding I thought I had checked it all, although just realised the main bonding is only 10mm and the services only 6mm.
I have now added a 6mm earth to the MET to make 16mm, and also added a 6mm earth to the gas service pipe to make 12mm.
Unfortunately the water supply earth disappears to the back of the house where the cut off tap is so it will be hard to upgrade by tomorrow!

brush up on your earthing and bonding too as you dont seem to know which one is which

 

[jase]

how is the shed fed from the ringmain? is it just spurred straight of a socket or is the a 13A fcu?
what cable is feeding the shed and how does it get to the shed ie clipped? buried? As has been said you are ony responsible for the CU change and the testing of all the circuits, any deviations from the regs should be noted

 

[tok]

Get out your Big Green Book and take a read of 131.8 - its a useful reg to know.......

How big is your DNO fuse???

DNO fuse is 100 amp

 

[tok]

brush up on your earthing and bonding too as you dont seem to know which one is which

sorry main protective bonding conductor

 

[tok]

how is the shed fed from the ringmain? is it just spurred straight of a socket or is the a 13A fcu?
what cable is feeding the shed and how does it get to the shed ie clipped? buried? As has been said you are ony responsible for the CU change and the testing of all the circuits, any deviations from the regs should be noted

shed is spurred of a 13A fcu, swa is 4mm live conductors and 2.5mm cpc, buried cable. The junction box in the shed looks as if it would fail it's IP rating as I could easily stick a finger in there.

 

[jase]

ok as long as you are aware of the deviations and note them down, and then if they are picked up by the assesor you can answer any questions on them

 

[PC Electrics]

You dont have to upgrade 6mm bonding with a C/U change, just put it as advisory. Thats what elecsa say anyway.

Not just ELECSA. It's on the ESC Forum which is agreed by all the schemes and the IET.

 

[flukey]

Not just ELECSA. It's on the ESC Forum which is agreed by all the schemes and the IET.

even for PME??

 

[flukey]

shed is spurred of a 13a fcu, swa is 4mm live conductors and 2.5mm cpc, buried cable. The junction box in the shed looks as if it would fail it's ip rating as i could easily stick a finger in there.

where is the 2.5 cpc in relation to the swa??

 

[tok]

where is the 2.5 cpc in relation to the swa??

inside the sheath(line, neutral + cpc), just went out to shed to check, I think they are all 4mm stranded conductors.

 

[flukey]

inside the sheath(line, neutral + cpc), just went out to shed to check, i think they are all 4mm stranded conductors.

lol so do i, reckon your certificate needs a bit of tippex

 

[tok]

even for PME??

I just read the Best Practice Guide for changing a consumer unit downloaded from the ESC website, and it does say on 6.1-6.3 that the earthing arrangements must be adequate before work is begun

 

[flukey]

I just read the Best Practice Guide for changing a consumer unit downloaded from the ESC website, and it does say on 6.1-6.3 that the earthing arrangements must be adequate before work is begun

thats right and you begun your works before they were. schoolboy error.
keep us posted on how the assessment goes

 

[flukey]

how did the assessment go tok??

 

[tok]

how did the assessment go tok??

how strange i thought i had replied!

The assessment went ok, the assessor said that the bonding had been "adequate", and i promised to finish upgrading it to current regs.
All the extensive testing i did was a bit wasted as he was more interested in the fundamentals and was happy with how the certificate looked, plus i had all the paperwork prepared.
I was ready to impress him with all my knowledge of circuit design, regs etc. , but he didn't really quiz me very much!

 

[flukey]

how strange i thought i had replied!

The assessment went ok, the assessor said that the bonding had been "adequate", and i promised to finish upgrading it to current regs.
All the extensive testing i did was a bit wasted as he was more interested in the fundamentals and was happy with how the certificate looked, plus i had all the paperwork prepared.
I was ready to impress him with all my knowledge of circuit design, regs etc. , but he didn't really quiz me very much!

well done, i reckon you had a right result there

out of interest, which scheme was it with??