Home office set up

[DaveVector]

Hello all, I am pricing up for a domestic rewire, and the customer requires a pc friendly home office setting up. I understand he runs up to 8 pc's at a time plus various other electronica. so the question is how best to go about installing the circuit for this.
My initial thoughts are for a separate ring final circuit on its own RCD(not sure if type B or C?),with a 32a mcb (could this be an RCBO instead),
running a seperate ring protective conductor,
and adding a SPD at the consumer unit.
Please let me know your thoughts.

 

[tbs1983]

I would deffo put it on its own rcbo, as otherwise something small like a blown lamp could cause whole office to trip.

Think a type B should be ok as PC's etc dont have a huge start up current and i cant imagine all 8 would be switched on at exactly the same time

 

[derek preece]

Have you considered the earth leakage current from PCs?

 

[ste77]

you made need to split it over either two rings or radials due to earth leakage from the pcs

beaten to it

 

[grantr37]

Hello all, I am pricing up for a domestic rewire, and the customer requires a pc friendly home office setting up. I understand he runs up to 8 pc's at a time plus various other electronica. so the question is how best to go about installing the circuit for this.
My initial thoughts are for a separate ring final circuit on its own RCD(not sure if type B or C?),with a 32a mcb (could this be an RCBO instead),
running a seperate ring protective conductor,
and adding a SPD at the consumer unit.
Please let me know your thoughts.

I am going to guess that it is a website design company or a photographers studio?

if you want to offer some computer equipment and software etc as part of the install let me know, I have good contacts for getting OEM software(windows, photoshop etc) with the correct(fully legal) licences etc and can also advise you on good business computer set ups and cheap materials....free of charge of course.... will even tell you how to set it all up yourself...

I may also be able to get you a discount at viking for office equipment/furniture etc, PM me if you need anything.....

 

[partypest]

IT and AV equipment throw plenty down the CPC during normal operation. Home offices and home cinemas are problem areas for RCD. I usually split the sockets up over a couple of radials with their own RCBO's, as well as the extra CPC.

 

[Jel]

Defienlty want to be putting that on a type c RCBO, due to earth leakage.

 

[odawire]

Have you considered the earth leakage current from PCs?

That's a great point, you can get all kinds of problems with pc's ird be tempted to split it into 2 radials

 

[Andy78]

Defienlty want to be putting that on a type c RCBO, due to earth leakage.

How would this help ?

 

[partypest]

I'm with Andy78, how would a C curve breaker help/make any difference to nuisance earth leakage trips?

 

[telectrix]

dedicated circuit for the IT gear. surface cable in mini trunking. MCB, no RCD, and label as IT only, not RCD protected. and fit hi integrity earthing. job done. no trips.

 

[Andy78]

dedicated circuit for the IT gear. surface cable in mini trunking. MCB, no RCD, and label as IT only, not RCD protected. and fit hi integrity earthing. job done. no trips.

Can you reasonably apply the skilled or instructed persons exception in a domestic situation ? Never done it myself, only in commercial situations. Would make some jobs a heck of a lot easier.
What would constitute making a householder an instructed person ? Just issuing some advice and guidance regarding prescribed zones, rcd operation etc ?

 

[timbobelfast]

Tel's idea, and fit switched fused connection units instead of socket outlets.

 

[Guest55]

Can you reasonably apply the skilled or instructed persons exception in a domestic situation ? Never done it myself, only in commercial situations. Would make some jobs a heck of a lot easier.
What would constitute making a householder an instructed person ? Just issuing some advice and guidance regarding prescribed zones, rcd operation etc ?

if the socket is designated for a specific piece of equipment and labelled as such , rcd protection for sockets can be omitted even in a domestic.
the instructed / skilled person clause cannot be applied to domestic installations though.

 

[Essexboy7]

Fit anti surge protection as well

 

[Andy78]

if the socket is designated for a specific piece of equipment and labelled as such , rcd protection for sockets can be omitted even in a domestic.
the instructed / skilled person clause cannot be applied to domestic installations though.

Yeah totally forgot about that. Just had a read of 411.3.3 again. Could even put in designated use socket fronts and plug tops to go a bit further than just labelling.

 

[telectrix]

if the socket is designated for a specific piece of equipment and labelled as such , rcd protection for sockets can be omitted even in a domestic.
the instructed / skilled person clause cannot be applied to domestic installations though.

why is that then? a lot of people work from home now, so why can this not apply to the part of the home that's used as an office, esp. if the customer has the intelligence to be classed a skilled or instructed?

 

[Guest55]

dunno tel i dont make the rules , i just repeat things parrot fashion in the hope it impresses someone.
;-)

 

[Golden_Boy]

[/COLOR]why is that then? a lot of people work from home now, so why can this not apply to the part of the home that's used as an office, esp. if the customer has the intelligence to be classed a skilled or instructed?

Electrak sockets !!