No Main Switch ??

[Matt Thornton]

Hi All, the company that i work for nearly allways put that there is "no main switch to isolate the entiire installation", (except when it does). eg: no main switch that isolates all sub-dis boards, i think this is wrong, the regs say that isolation should isolate the installation or a significant portion of. Anyone know ant different??, cheers Matt

 

[DurhamSparky]

6 and 2 3's

i class the main switch as the Switch in the Board...!!
so if there is two boards i fill oout 2 sets of paperwork that has main switch details and supply characteristics on..

if it has an overall main switch at the tails i just go oh thats handy if i need to kill power but dont note it down

 

[Guest123]

Theres a lot of threads on this very subject on here....some do get a bit heated.

Half will say yes you should have a single means of isolation for an entire installation, half will not. NIC say you should and I think there should be too, but sometimes it just isn't possible to have a single isolation point....where 2 supplies exist for example.

I would always rather a single means but there is no hard and fast reg that says as much (I think the word desireable is used), only various different interpretations by different minds.


Heres one.....

http://www.electriciansforums.net/e...cal-forum/10840-main-swich-between-tails.html

 

[Matt Thornton]

Thanks for the replies, looked at your link Lenny, ain't you as glad as me that the reg's state a definate answer ?. LOL

 

[Sintra]

Reg 132.15.1 Reg 537.1.3 & Reg 537.1.4 having read these many times my interpritation of the brb is that a single main switch should be installed to isolate the complete installation.

 

[Guest123]

I agree, but, GN2 almost completely contradicts those statements by declaring that it is at best desireable but not always possible, with regard to safety systems etc.

 

[Des 56]

Reg 132.15.1 Reg 537.1.3 & Reg 537.1.4 having read these many times my interpritation of the brb is that a single main switch should be installed to isolate the complete installation.

Each one of those regs seems to say very clearly that a main switch for the whole of the installation is required

That would be unusually clear cut for the regs,but as we know they are never that clear

Now the spanner in the works to make it unclear

A property can have more than one installation

 

[Risteard]

IEE Guidance Notes state that an extra distribution board (e.g. for a shower installation) might be considered to be a separate installation, and therefore only require a main switch for that installation.

So in essence an electrical installation may be made up of multiple electrical installations. Hard to answer definitively I'm afraid...