UK Adding another DB

[richo106]

Hi

Just a quick one, I am a qualified electrician but i haven't been on the tools for a while and won't be doing the work but just trying to help a friend out.

Basically they are having a new kitchen diner and they currently have gas hob and small single oven which are fed off the ring main. They are wanting an electric induction hob (7.2kw) and combination oven (3kw) so i said they would need 2 new separate circuits for these.

However they have no spare ways in their DB (older style 6 way DB with RCD) ideally they would need a DB upgrade but in the past someone has installed the combi's boiler in front of it (amazing) and can only just get in turn reset an MCB.

But they have 100A main fuse with 25mm tails that is split already one to the main DB and one to 60A large switch that has a 45A fuse in that just has the garage SWA supply to it, my question is it just possible to replace this 60A switch to a small 4/5 way DB single RCD that will house garage supply (down rate to 20A) Hob circuit (40A) and Oven circuit (20A)

All advice and options welcome

Thanks

 

[James]

is it possible to replace 60A switch with a new consumer unit 100A main switch?

if so you can probably have your cake and eat it!!

 

[snowhead]

Now might be a good time to sort out the poor access to the existing C.U

 

[James]

Now might be a good time to sort out the poor access to the existing C.U

I was kind of thinking that.

if you put a big enough new consumer unit in, you could possibly re route most circuits to the new one with little effort.
it up to the customer if they want them all moving, you could possibly use the old CU as a junction box.

 

[richo106]

is it possible to replace 60A switch with a new consumer unit 100A main switch?

if so you can probably have your cake and eat it!!

He was hoping to do that yes, only has around 230mm to fit it in the gap though.

so basically his question is can he have 2 DB's?

 

[James]

a picture would be great, but it is unlikely to be a problem putting 2 consumer units in.

 

[buzzlightyear]

DB and one to 60A large switch that has a 45A fuse in

are you referring to a 60amp isolator possible a wylex.
[automerge]1580845991[/automerge]

so basically his question is can he have 2 DB

have you measured for a new board ,and is this work to be part p to local building control .
[automerge]1580846147[/automerge]

but i haven't been on the tools for a while and won't be doing the work but just trying to help a friend out.

so who is doing the work ?

 

[James]

Hi

Just a quick one, I am a qualified electrician but i haven't been on the tools for a while and won't be doing the work but just trying to help a friend out.

@buzzlightyear
he is not doing the work, he said it, so it must be assumed to be true!!

 

[buzzlightyear]

he is not doing the work, he said it, so it must be assumed to be true

I'm not questioning ability I would not like to see any body getting hurt . I'm trying to work out the post .

 

[richo106]

Haha can always rely on this forum for sarcastic answers

But this is similar to the wylex 60A installed...https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/WY108.html

Ive asked him to send me some photos of the situation
[automerge]1580847999[/automerge]
This are the photos he just sent me, there is about 50-60mm gap from boiler to DB

 

[James]

tighter than a nun's …… cat, or that's how I heard the saying anyway.

 

[buzzlightyear]

the wylex main RCD should be up graded to a main 100amp isolator with RCBOs could get a 8 way in next door .lol.no body mentioned a boiler in the way .

 

[bigspark17]

If you had an old 6mm 32A cooker circuit adjacent would you not use this for the two new appliances?

 

[richo106]

If you had an old 6mm 32A cooker circuit adjacent would you not use this for the two new appliances?

There is no 6mm circuit in the kitchen/house, only the Single oven and gas hob on the ring main

 

[Zerax]

The recent announcement about ripping out gas boilers and converting the whole country to electric may turn out to be fortuitously timed...

 

[NDG Elecs]

Given the cost of adding new ccts and a sub board it would not be prohibitively more expensive to change the entire board instead.
The gap looks a lot more than 50mm or so to me unless the photo is playing tricks on me! Wouldn't fancy changing it myself as does look tight to work in, but not impossible...

 

[Dustydazzler]

That’s one of those board changes you just look at and sigh.
the limited access would almost certainly put off 99% of busy sparks unless they were desperate for the work...

 

[richo106]

Thanks for all the replies, i know best case would be to do a DB swap but this is not feasible with the boiler in its current location. Can't even get a stubby in let alone a drill to mount a new DB/JB

So would a second DB not be another solution in this instance? It has 25mm Tails already and would only have a 3 circuits on it

He is panicking now about the cost of moving the boiler

 

[Mike Johnson]

Of course you can have a second DB, but I would be tempted to use the existing DB as a junction box and fit a new full size DB in a more convenient place as James suggested on page one.

 

[richo106]

Could he mount the new CU slightly higher and hopefully not need to extend any cables? Just potentially new tails?