Moving a Consumer Unit

[Bear2016]

Ok hopefully won't get too much flaming on here as I usually do! lol

My brother and I are renovating a 300 year old house. The main supply comes down the exterior of the chimney stack. DNO has agreed to move this to floor level as the chimney and roof will come off in the spring with a new box on the exterior with the meter

The current CU is located at the top of the landing along with the meter, two boxes for storage heaters and the CU

I have just recently installed a full new ring main upstairs as when tested we found a number of faults so I chased the walls out added new sockets and this has been signed off by BC along with the new bathroom (different location to old)

We have decided to put the new CU downstairs in the utility room along with the storage heater units as it is immensely unsightly mess at the top of the landing .

I have had a couple of electricians come round to price up the job as I have only ever fitted a brand new CU and a full rewire to a bungalow we converted and the whole place was dot and dabbed so it made the rewire very easy. This one I'm not sure of so thought I would get someone in with more experience then me.

I have had two suggestions 1 electrician said a full rewire of the whole house would be required
The second guy has said extend the ring mains/lights/storage heater cabling upstairs so it can be connected to the CU in the utility room and adjust downstairs cabling to suit as it would be longer. He mentioned multiple junction boxes being located in the loft to extend the cable?

I have never done this before but have come across a load of 30amp junction boxes buried under an upstairs floor where someone had fitted a new CU and extended the cabling and the property had been issued with a cert. I only found this out to repair squeaky floorboards!

I'm looking for some advice really. How should this be done? I want it to be done in the safest way adhering to the elec regs and no shortcuts taken.

Has anyone had any experience in this?

Thanks

 

[telectrix]

best way is to fit an adaprable din rail box upstairs and extend the cables using din rail connectors. this is beyond DIY so suggest a competent electrician is engaged. it's not just the installation. it's also the testing, certificatuion, and notification to BC.

 

[The Ghost]

Personally I dont like JB where they can be avoided. So if you had a ring that was short on the cable I would replace the cable to first socket each side and run a new cable for the lighting. This is assuming existing cable passed tests etc. It isnt much to run a new cable like above and far safer.

 

[Andy78]

As Tel says, you could extend from the previous position making decent connections in an enclosure.

If this job is part of a full renovation, and some existing circuits have shown faults enough to warrant new circuits, I would also be saying that a full rewire would be beneficial to do at this time.

Get competent electricians in to do any of this work. As Tel says, this is beyond the scope of DIY.

 

[Bear2016]

best way is to fit an adaprable din rail box upstairs and extend the cables using din rail connectors. this is beyond DIY so suggest a competent electrician is engaged. it's not just the installation. it's also the testing, certificatuion, and notification to BC.

I did look at Wago's and their boxes originally and when the guy suggested J/Boxes I asked him if he would use them and not sure he really knew what I meant. The testing I enjoy and have done my C&G 2394 so feel confident testing but my experience is lacking for this particular job

 

[Bear2016]

As Tel says, you could extend from the previous position making decent connections in an enclosure.

If this job is part of a full renovation, and some existing circuits have shown faults enough to warrant new circuits, I would also be saying that a full rewire would be beneficial to do at this time.

Get competent electricians in to do any of this work. As Tel says, this is beyond the scope of DIY.

Downstairs passed but upstairs failed insulation testing when I did it and later found out something had been eating the cable sheath in the loft. As the walls were being re plastered we just made the decision to renew the ring main and add new sockets at the same time.

 

[Midwest]

Ditto with the full rewire. You could use some of the existing wiring, but as it's renovation, you might as well start with a blank canvas. You know what you got then.

 

[hightower]

If you're absolutely gutting the house (which it sounds like you are) I'd most definitely opt for a rewire now. Do it now while the house is a mess, rather than have to tear up your newly decorated house later on.

 

[kingeri]

Had a woman last week asking me to rewire her kitchen, a few days after it had been fitted! Fantastic forward planning, I have to say. She seemed genuinely surprised when i mentioned taking tiles off, chasing walls, lifting floorboards etc.

Hightower's advice is the way to go. Start afresh now, it may not cost much more than fannying about with the existing wiring.

 

[7029 dave]

Yeah if you are gutting the place, just start again. It's done plus peace of mind.? NEW CABLE is the way.

 

[Octopus]

Anybody gutting a house and not planning a full rewire is mad IMHO....

 

[davesparks]

Downstairs passed but upstairs failed insulation testing when I did it and later found out something had been eating the cable sheath in the loft. As the walls were being re plastered we just made the decision to renew the ring main and add new sockets at the same time.

Out of interest did you route the cables diffently or run them the same way with added rodent protection?

 

[Midwest]

I would also be saying that a full rewire would be beneficial to do at this time.

QUOTE]

If you're absolutely gutting the house (which it sounds like you are) I'd most definitely opt for a rewire now. Do it now while the house is a mess, rather than have to tear up your newly decorated house later on.

Andy, you words don't seem to have the full impact that others have, not getting any 'likes'?

Andy, you words don't seem to have the full impact that others have, not getting any 'likes'?

 

[Andy78]

Andy, you words don't seem to have the full impact that others have, not getting any 'likes'?

Always the bridesmaid, never the bride

 

[hightower]

@Andy78 is one of the most valuable members here I reckon. He's past likes, we need a 'like even more' button for the likes of him. Hmmm, that doesn't really have a good ring to it. Perhaps we could call it something else, maybe a 'love this' button?

Nah, still doesn't sound right. Oooooo, I've got it. Eureka! How about we call it a 'thanks' button?!

 

[telectrix]

when we had a thanks button, hardly anyone used it, and posters were often reminded to do so. kind of defeats the object. i'd like to see a thanks button, though, and alongside it maybe a pi$$ off button for the trolls.

 

[Midwest]

Think people just need to read the thread properly, instead of jumping in at the end, like what I did recently

 

[Bear2016]

Yeah if you are gutting the place, just start again. It's done plus peace of mind.? NEW CABLE is the way.

A renovation and gutting the place are two very different things.

 

[Bear2016]

Thanks for all the advice guys
DNO screwing us around now want around £1800 to move the cable when originally they quoted FOC so now it will be re-run down the new chimney stack with everything in the hall being relocated into a cupboard in the main bedroom.
I did all my checks on the wiring on Thursday had another electrician come in and paid him a days wage to test everything.
Really seems very little point in chasing and rewiring downstairs when everything is good and the guy who confirmed my results has said there should be enough cable to reach the new CU location if not he will make the necessary adjustments so all legal and above board
Once again cheers for the info and advice