Dodgy trade pictures for your amusement! - 1 Million Views!

[Raptor0014]

Im guessing that the power coming in is via the furthest right hand side breaker...

That is a special kind of badgers arse consumer unit , that is so bad its actually quite funny

Correct

It is fed from a 32a MCB in the main CU but this is where the right way of doing it stops.
Live is then fed to the far right 32a MCB in this board, with a link back to the RCD, the neutral is direct to the RCD. And every circuit is fed upside down.

Impressive to get it that wrong. ?

 

[Dustydazzler]

The only thing that could have made this installation funnier is if they threw away the busbar and used tiny little 1.5mm cable links to hop between the tops of each mcb

 

[Mikegh]

I can't make any sense of that

Looks like the outgoing side is supplying the incoming side of RCD

 

[Raptor0014]

View attachment 89126

Surprised everything still operates. Is that some chewing gum they've left on the misplaced bus bar?

I did think that when I first opened it up.
It’s a bit of mortar that’s dropped in the excessive opening at the top.


Aside from that is directly exposed, looks like a snake mating ball and needs to be in a wiring centre.

They have cut the earth from the stop cock (just inside the wall to the right) so there is now no earth to any of the pipes in the property. They choc-bloc it into the heating system to give that an earth (I think the plumber might have had a go here). I tested all the pipes I could read with my wander lead and none got anywhere near the 0.05ohm allowance. Lowest I got was 13.6


But at least they cut the earth off the metal sink/drainer as it wouldn’t have worked anyway. ?

 

[Raptor0014]

I can't make any sense of that

Looks like the outgoing side is supplying the incoming side of RCD

My first words when I opened it up where ‘what the actual F!’

 

[Dustydazzler]

That job has builders wiring written all over it

The 15a connector block wiring bodge is an absolute prime example of a builders calling card

 

[Electrics]

I can't make any sense of that

Looks like the outgoing side is supplying the incoming side of RCD

I reckon it's someone from Europe - over there you feed the tops and the load comes out the bottom.

 

[timhoward]

Correct

It is fed from a 32a MCB in the main CU but this is where the right way of doing it stops.
Live is then fed to the far right 32a MCB in this board, with a link back to the RCD, the neutral is direct to the RCD. And every circuit is fed upside down.

Impressive to get it that wrong. ?

I think that's the best one yet or at least for a long while.
That would have made an excellent game of "find the incoming supply". May I steal this photo for training purposes?!
I'd found the live, but still can't totally fathom the Neutral as it looks like the bottom left of the RCD goes straight to the N bar....

 

[Raptor0014]

.

 

[Raptor0014]

My first words when I opened it up where ‘what the actual F!’

I think that's the best one yet or at least for a long while.
That would have made an excellent game of "find the incoming supply". May I steal this photo for training purposes?!
I'd found the live, but still can't totally fathom the Neutral as it looks like the bottom left of the RCD goes straight to the N bar....

Of course, feel free.

I haven't touched that board yet. I've got to go back later in the week. So will fathom out how it is wired.

Property has 2 CU's. Both have 10 circuits. All 20 circuits are not labelled. So I spent 5hrs yesterday playing my favourite game of hunt the circuit for the first CU. Only reason I had the cover off was to see which MCB from the main CU fed that one.

 

[littlespark]

Maybe someone used to 3 phase boards where the busbar goes in the top of the breaker.

they must have thought really hard to get that to work…. Would have been easier on the brain cells to do it right in the first place.

 

[timhoward]

I can't make any sense of that

Looks like the outgoing side is supplying the incoming side of RCD

I think I've got it...it only makes sense if there's a break in the bus bar behind the mortar though.
Otherwise the RCD would trip if the far right breaker that reverse feeds the non-protected half was on.
Special!

 

[brianmoooore]

So the CU has no main switch? The RH MCB serves as the nearest thing to a main switch?
I still can't make sense of it.

 

[Mike Johnson]

I reckon it's someone from Europe - over there you feed the tops and the load comes out the bottom.

I have it on good authority from both Legrand and Hager that their MCB's can be used in both directions.

Looking at the gap between the two MCB's below the mortar snot, it would seem the busbar is not continuous as suggested by Tim.

 

[Dustydazzler]

Eureka , I have the solution to this abomination

Unscrew it from the wall and flip it 180 degrees then screw it back to the wall

 

[westward10]

I wouldn't even consider rectifying that, off the wall and a new unit fitted.

 

[timhoward]

Yeah, new CU. The other immediate thought is max demand / upstream protection given ?6mm incoming conductors. Hope it's SWA. Also might be a 2.5mm in a B32. Anyway, lots to investigate!

 

[Mike Johnson]

I think a new board is a bit extreme, especially if it's not damaged, (can't see the lid) Legrand is a very good quality product, re-wiring of the board is possibly all that is needed.

As a secondary board does it need a main switch, if all the circuits are protected by an RCD? Certainly in Europe the main board would cover that, it is now a requirement not to have a secondary board supplied from an RCD, but from a cut out switch and an RCD in the secondary board.

 

[Electrics]

I wouldn't even consider rectifying that, off the wall and a new unit fitted.

Why? Doesn't seem a lot wrong with the actual board it's just the wiring that's hilariously crap. Unless customer wants an RCBO board it just seems like an extra £100 for a new unit plus the work of getting it on the wall for no real benefit imo.

 

[westward10]

If I'm putting my name to it that would be gone and replaced, cost to the client wouldn't concern me.