T
The General
Getting my bulletproof vest on ready to be shot down in flames, but here goes....
Went out for (what I'd thought) a straightforward swap of a 6A MCB at a small (2 MCB garage style) distribution box.
Looking to isolate I was expecting to find the small d/b wired from another MCB in the main CU or secondary d/b, but none of the MCBs (or main switches) isolated the small d/b. It's a TN-C-S by the way.
Checking back to incoming tails, they are split to feed the two main boxes, and then just before the main CU there's what can only be described as a 'bundle' of green/yellow insulating tape wrapped around a large cable!
Didn't want to open it up to look at this stage (as the only way to isolate would be to take out the distributors fuse) but I'm fairly certain that was the feed to the small distribution box.
None of the boxes have internal RCDs, and there is no RCD/switch between the meter and the C/U.
I've flagged up with client the safety implications of not having RCD protection on sockets etc, and that it's not up to current regulations.
He's the sort of person who feels big brother is dictating what he can do in his own house and why should he change anything when the wires have been there for years and 'no-one has died!'
He probably thinks seatbelts in a car are an infringement of his human rights too, but I won't go there....
So, basically I want to know what the minimum he can get away with to satisfy the regs (and safety!) and allow me to carry on with the original MCB replacement.
Can I just fit a main RCD/switch in between the suppliers fuse and the split for the three boxes?
30mA to satisfy requirements for socket protection?
Oh, and re-wire the insulation tape into a proper junction box! :wacko:
I'm grateful for any comments - even the ones that tell me I'm an idiot and to not expect everything to be 'classroom perfect'
trouble is, without a mentor you can only go by what you've been told and what you read - not necessarily the 'real world' solutions....
thanks.
Went out for (what I'd thought) a straightforward swap of a 6A MCB at a small (2 MCB garage style) distribution box.
Looking to isolate I was expecting to find the small d/b wired from another MCB in the main CU or secondary d/b, but none of the MCBs (or main switches) isolated the small d/b. It's a TN-C-S by the way.
Checking back to incoming tails, they are split to feed the two main boxes, and then just before the main CU there's what can only be described as a 'bundle' of green/yellow insulating tape wrapped around a large cable!
Didn't want to open it up to look at this stage (as the only way to isolate would be to take out the distributors fuse) but I'm fairly certain that was the feed to the small distribution box.
None of the boxes have internal RCDs, and there is no RCD/switch between the meter and the C/U.
I've flagged up with client the safety implications of not having RCD protection on sockets etc, and that it's not up to current regulations.
He's the sort of person who feels big brother is dictating what he can do in his own house and why should he change anything when the wires have been there for years and 'no-one has died!'
He probably thinks seatbelts in a car are an infringement of his human rights too, but I won't go there....
So, basically I want to know what the minimum he can get away with to satisfy the regs (and safety!) and allow me to carry on with the original MCB replacement.
Can I just fit a main RCD/switch in between the suppliers fuse and the split for the three boxes?
30mA to satisfy requirements for socket protection?
Oh, and re-wire the insulation tape into a proper junction box! :wacko:
I'm grateful for any comments - even the ones that tell me I'm an idiot and to not expect everything to be 'classroom perfect'
trouble is, without a mentor you can only go by what you've been told and what you read - not necessarily the 'real world' solutions....
thanks.
