happysteve

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If you're a qualified, trainee, or retired electrician - Which country is it that your work will be / is / was aimed at?
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Eh up :)

My local wholesaler has started stocking Niglon Protego DBs... fitted one a couple of weeks ago, and fitting the next one next week. I really like them!

Positives (in rough order of importance for me personally):

  • very reasonably priced (I always offer a "budget" brand and a "big name" brand to customers, unless there's a good reason not to)
  • lid fits on really nicely, first time, every time
  • you don't need to remove the bus bar to swap a device in or out
  • mini-RCBOs with switched neutrals
  • mechanically stiff DIN rail (centre support, even on fairly small DBs)
  • single module T2 SPD slots straight onto the bus bar (like Wylex)
  • fantastic grommet strip provided for rear-entry - will never come loose
  • bi-directional devices available
  • proper DIN rail blanks
  • devices don't tend to lean when you torque them up
  • only one manufacturer-applied sticker on the outside (under the lid, and it was stuck on straight) - hate it when the manufacturer can't even be bothered to stick their own badge on straight
  • knock-outs are knocked out from the outside inwards
  • looks alright
  • tails gland (32mm) supplied
  • captive lid screws
  • torque stickers inside

Negatives:

  • RCBOs and AFDDs only available up to 40A, so if you have a 10.8kW shower you're stuffed; higher-rated MCBs are available, but a separate enclosure for a high power shower won't look great for a newly-installed board
  • although it has 32mm knock-outs top and bottom for the tails, the two side knock-outs are 40mm (may be a positive for some, e.g. if you have 50x50mm trunking) - 40mm tails glands are available, but are less common
  • less widely available than other brands

niglon DB.JPG


As you can see from the picture, the main carcass has a bevelled lip for the lid, so when it's on, the lid and the back part are flush - rather than the lid stick out on the sides and top, as for most other ones. This - combined with the stiff DIN rail that doesn't offer any vertical movement - means the devices are always lined up with the lid aperture.

You can see the black grommet strip at the bottom of the picture - really chunky, fits a good few mm in from the edge.

I don't have any connection with Niglon (or my wholesaler) - I just like to share positive experiences, and sadly with electrical fittings these are quite rare! :)
 
Looks a little bit like the new Proteus boards from CEF.

IMG_7132.png

As in the shape of bracket holding the earth and neutral bars…. Which I have found near impossible to remove to ease tightening up a locknut on a SWA cable gland coming in the top.

Proteus lid hinge is different too. Has a spring loaded pin so the lid can be removed.


Although you bring up good points, I have found that manufacturer are coming away from being able to swap out the breakers without taking out the busbar….. to minimise the chance that an electrician may be tempted to do it live.
 
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You make a very good point about the N and E bars, littlespark, I hadn't considered that. I don't think the plastic mount for the bars can be removed (maybe I'm wrong). Another mark in the negatives column, then.

They look similar-ish, but I don't think one's a knock-off of the other.

Regarding the hinged lid, one of those little magnet tabs will hold up the lid while you're marking up the circuits or whatever. Picked one up for free from a stand (of a competitor board manufacturer) at Elex last year
 
If it wasnt an existing SWA i was dealing with, i wiould have come in the bottom with it instead of the top.

I found the proteus didn't have a lot of rear knockouts to choose from... other than the big square knockouts and the plastic clip-in grommits.

Proteus mainswitches have the double screw terminals, which is a plus...

The biggest issue i had with the Proteus is the busbar is 1 module short.... or the hole in the cover is 1 module too big.

eg, for a 10 way board, theres 12 pins on the busbar.... Mainswitch N & L, SPD, then 10 outgoing devices... thats 13 modules. The lid has a 14 module sized hole. The bar doesnt reach the end... You need to use a blank to fill it up.

I wondered if the older Proteus boards needed an MCB for the SPD.... That might explain why theres an extra space
 

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Thread starter

happysteve

Broke Internet
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http://www.dovecote-electrical.co.uk
If you're a qualified, trainee, or retired electrician - Which country is it that your work will be / is / was aimed at?
United Kingdom
What type of forum member are you?
Practising Electrician (Qualified - Domestic or Commercial etc)
Business Name
Dovecote Electrical

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Niglon Protego DBs
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Electrical Tools and Products
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