CU Change and extending circuit wiring

[d3jpt]

I am changing my home CU for my NIC inspection. At the moment i have a rewirable fuse CU in a 1960's house so thought its about time its changed. On initial inspection everything seems in order, ok it all need to be brought up to 17th standards and none of the lighting circuits have an earth but it doesnt look too bad.
One thing is though there isnt enough slack on the cable and every circuit needs extending to fit inside the new CU. My question is as it needs to be inspected is what would you use to extend the cable for each circuit? I was tought that red/blue/yelllow butt connectors are fine but just not really sure about these. what would the NIC say?
cheers for any advice

 

[telectrix]

first, if all cables come from above, can you not fit the new CU higher up.? second, if not, i would get an adaptable din rail box with din rail terminals and extend using that. however you extend, the joints must be enclosed in a box or trunking or similar.

 

[Electricalserv]

I am changing my home CU for my NIC inspection. At the moment i have a rewirable fuse CU in a 1960's house so thought its about time its changed. On initial inspection everything seems in order, ok it all need to be brought up to 17th standards and none of the lighting circuits have an earth but it doesnt look too bad.
One thing is though there isnt enough slack on the cable and every circuit needs extending to fit inside the new CU. My question is as it needs to be inspected is what would you use to extend the cable for each circuit? I was tought that red/blue/yelllow butt connectors are fine but just not really sure about these. what would the NIC say?
cheers for any advice

There are numerous ways to extend cables. Aslong as they are mechanically sound. Alot of people use crimps. Forgot what the industry name for them is.

 

[malcolmsanford]

^^^^^^ as above IMO far better than crimps in this situation.

Tel's suggestion

 

[High Tower]

adaptable and din rail
adaptable and wagos
trunking and crimps

take your pick

 

[topquark]

If you go the route of wagos, watch the current carrying capacity of the wago is adequate for the cables maximum rating (even if the breaker is considerably lower in value).

 

[d3jpt]

Cheers for the sugestions, The CU is in the garage which is attached to the house all the cables are coming through the wall.
I will look into the adapatable din rail, Just got to make sure its right.

 

[telectrix]

and if you use an adaptable box you can label i german " Achtung, Gerfingerpoken Verboten"

 

[nickblake]

/I know thread is a week old but ive used wagos to extend the wires here's a pic and before you say it it had grommits on when i finished it and i had ran out of green and yellow wagos , if you 've not used them before then these are the push fit din connectors

 

[Octopus]

/I know thread is a week old but ive used wagos to extend the wires here's a pic View attachment 5670and before you say it it had grommits on when i finished it and i had ran out of green and yellow wagos , if you 've not used them before then these are the push fit din connectors

Nice and neat, how long did that take you?

 

[Phil]

nice job there Nick. thats my prefered way of extending when doing a cu change

 

[topquark]

/I know thread is a week old but ive used wagos to extend the wires here's a pic View attachment 5670and before you say it it had grommits on when i finished it and i had ran out of green and yellow wagos , if you 've not used them before then these are the push fit din connectors

Very neat Nick. You can do my hair anytime (not that I've got any left).

 

[ian]

How good does that look. i use an adaptable box too. although its neat, i wish i could say its that neat.

ian

 

[Des 56]

Nick may have now raised the standard of these cable extensions

We will all be trying to match him for quality pretty soon then

 

[telectrix]

/I know thread is a week old but ive used wagos to extend the wires here's a pic View attachment 5670and before you say it it had grommits on when i finished it and i had ran out of green and yellow wagos , if you 've not used them before then these are the push fit din connectors

nice neat job, nick. just think it would have looked so much better with red/black cables .LOL

 

[Goody]

/I know thread is a week old but ive used wagos to extend the wires here's a pic View attachment 5670and before you say it it had grommits on when i finished it and i had ran out of green and yellow wagos , if you 've not used them before then these are the push fit din connectors

You have set a standard there. Experience shows!

 

[nickblake]

thanks for your comments guys im realy touched , mudock wanted to know how long it took , it was about 2 hours ,the house was an old stone house with an extension and it was decided to move the CU to the utility where the extension was and to extend the existing cables to the new CU , the other end now has a hi integrety dual RCD board for the power and a 8 way RCBO loaded board for the lighting /its not quite finished yet i need to go back and sor out the functional earth wires , the nice thing i find is as i work for myself im not under pressure i take as long as i want , i do tend to be picky if i dont like how it looks then ill take all the wires out and start again , drives my apprentice nuts , i have to admit some times you just can make them look neat

again thanks for the comments guys

 

[Engineer54]

Nice, neat board and extension box installation Nick. Did you mark or leave a circuit identification schedule in the extension box for future referral?? The only minor improvement i can see that could be made, is the use of crimped ferrules on the thin multi stranded neutral cables from the RCD devices. ...Again a nice installation Nick.

 

[nickblake]

Nice, neat board and extension box installation Nick. Did you mark or leave a circuit identification schedule in the extension box for future referral?? The only minor improvement i can see that could be made, is the use of crimped ferrules on the thin multi stranded neutral cables from the RCD devices. ...Again a nice installation Nick.

Yes i did you cant see it on the pic each of the cables is marked and there is a list on the box lid , the neutral wires on the lighting board didnt need ferrules the wires had been tinned so they were installed with out ferrules , the main board did need them ,when i go back to sort out the functional earth wires then the ferrules will be installed , these i normally do but forgot to take them them with me on the day when i did the board , i normally keep them on the van but was using them at home totally forgot to put them back on the van

thanks for your comments engineer 54

 

[mattmoo1974]

/I know thread is a week old but ive used wagos to extend the wires here's a pic View attachment 5670and before you say it it had grommits on when i finished it and i had ran out of green and yellow wagos , if you 've not used them before then these are the push fit din connectors

Thats well Preddy Nick
Hat off to you mate