'Real World' CU upgrade.

[Dave OCD]

I just thought I'd post up a typical (but smallish) CU replacement done today. Commonly you don't have much if any slack cable to work with and with trying to dress previously connected conductors you're never going to get the same level of neatness as a brand new install. But I think this is a reasonable standard. I really like the Fusebox CUs, they seem very well made and the RCBOs always test out very well. ?

 

[SparkyChick]

Looks good. Did MK make the devices? Look a bit MK like in terms of their interpretation of vertical.

 

[Dave OCD]

Thanks SC , I'm afraid I refitted the busbar twice while trying to grasp all the devices at once to keep them vertical but this always happens to an extent. But in this case when the outer cover was on they seemed to magically straighten up again!?

 

[SparkyChick]

Thanks SC , I'm afraid I refitted the busbar twice while trying to grasp all the devices at once to keep them vertical but this always happens to an extent. But in this case when the outer cover was on they seemed to magically straighten up again!?

I get it... whilst I liked MK boards, their penchant for laying down on the job used to irritate me somewhat (insert your own substantially stronger words here).

It doesn't matter how hard I try though I can never achieve that level of neatness, so if you've got any words of wisdom you'd like to share, I'd certainly appreciate hearing them.

 

[Yahtzee]

Fitted a Crabtree Starbreaker last week was an absolute joy not having to bugger about with a busbar, had to extend a few cpcs though.

 

[westward10]

I would have split the spur from the ring final?

 

[Dustydazzler]

Defo a solid 9/10 from me ...

I am not a fan of the perfect dressed fuseboards you sometimes see on youtube. Give me neat , tidy and functional... JOB DONE

 

[Dave OCD]

I would have split the spur from the ring final?

Ha ! Didn't have another 16 or 20a RCBO with me. And I'm surprised there's no comment about the 3mm g/y sleeving !?

 

[westward10]

Ha ! Didn't have another 16 or 20a RCBO with me. And I'm surprised there's no comment about the 3mm g/y sleeving !?

I was tempted??

 

[Dave OCD]

Defo a solid 9/10 from me ...

I am not a fan of the perfect dressed fuseboards you sometimes see on youtube. Give me neat , tidy and functional... JOB DONE

Thanks mate, quite a generous mark I think. ?

 

[telectrix]

do i see fine stranded N tails without ferrules? or is it my old eyes?

 

[Dustydazzler]

do i see fine stranded N tails without ferrules? or is it my old eyes?

Looks like they have the original soldered tips

 

[telectrix]

not easy to see on the pic.

 

[westward10]

They have the original ends on them.

 

[Baddegg]

Bloody hell @daveocd......you could’ve tidied that up before taking the picture!.....?

take me a week to make something that neat!.....I like the fusebox boards as well, get mine from West Country way as well ?

 

[littlespark]

If you had more than one rfc it would be more crowded than that.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

C1. No cover on CU ?

Very neat Dave ?

 

[7029 dave]

Proper job Dave.

 

[telectrix]

C1. No cover on CU ?

Very neat Dave ?

and the L busbar shroud is missing. ?

 

[Dustydazzler]

and the L busbar shroud is missing. ?

Put some tape on it

 

[telectrix]

Put some tape on it

red or brown?

 

[Dustydazzler]

red or brown?

G/Y

 

[telectrix]

is tht Grey/Grey to comply with harmonisation?

 

[Ian1981]

Thank god there’s no ferrules on the 6mm conductors going into the rcbo, the YouTube gang would be furious with you Dave.

 

[DPG]

Great job!

 

[Mike Johnson]

All you guys recommending tape, have you never heard of Hot Glue??

 

[Dave OCD]

Thank god there’s no ferrules on the 6mm conductors going into the rcbo, the YouTube gang would be furious with you Dave.

Believe it or not they are ferruled Ian, just hard to see in the picture. And to quote Jim Royle , I couldn't give a shiny sh1te about the YouTube gang. ?

 

[Ian1981]

Believe it or not they are ferruled Ian, just hard to see in the picture. And to quote Jim Royle , I couldn't give a shiny sh1te about the YouTube gang. ?

 

[pc1966]

Believe it or not they are ferruled Ian, just hard to see in the picture.

Indeed, close inspection shows the uninsulated ferrules used! Neat.

Also the originals are not soldered - that is a big no-no for screw terminals as it compresses with time and becomes loose - but it is an ultrasonic weld. Basically squashed it to sold again.

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

Looks good. Did MK make the devices? Look a bit MK like in terms of their interpretation of vertical.

The key to overcoming the MK slant is a quick release ratchet clamp, grip the mcbs, rcds and main switch etc then fit busbars. everything then sits nice and vertical without the slant.

 

[DPG]

The key to overcoming the MK slant is a quick release ratchet clamp, grip the mcbs, rcds and main switch etc then fit busbars. everything then sits nice and vertical without the slant.

Theres a gap in the market for a VDE rated ratchet clamp then ?

 

[Dustydazzler]

i Quite like the MK lean , you wouldn’t try to straighten the leaning tower of pisa.
the lean is part of its charm

 

[littlespark]

Newlec lean too.

The Hager mcb was a recent addition by a Fischer Heat installer. Don’t know whether to bring it up

 

[Dustydazzler]

Royal Holticultural Society RHS socket ?

 

[littlespark]

Right hand side. There’s an LHS on other rcd.
In the house, it’s more front and rear of the house. One room has sockets on two circuits on opposite walls. (I know, not an issue, just mentioning)

Whatever happened to upstairs downstairs?

 

[telectrix]

Right hand side. There’s an LHS on other rcd.
In the house, it’s more front and rear of the house. One room has sockets on two circuits on opposite walls. (I know, not an issue, just mentioning)

Whatever happened to upstairs downstairs?

Hudson retired.

 

[Dave OCD]

Right hand side. There’s an LHS on other rcd.
In the house, it’s more front and rear of the house. One room has sockets on two circuits on opposite walls. (I know, not an issue, just mentioning)

Whatever happened to upstairs downstairs?

It's a way of saving cable, two halves of the house incorporating upstairs and downstairs instead of running a ring all the way round twice. It can be a pain for accurate labelling though and most of the lazy buggers just write 'sockets' with no more detail.

 

[Dustydazzler]

It's a way of saving cable, two halves of the house incorporating upstairs and downstairs instead of running a ring all the way round twice. It can be a pain for accurate labelling though and most of the lazy buggers just write 'sockets' with no more detail.

I have never been a fan on this left hand right hand way of wiring sockets, I have come across houses where you have sockets and legs of rings all interconnected all over the place. Having a socket fed from 2 mcbs sets my spider senses into over drive. And 2 sockets in the same room on different circuits sets my ocd off

 

[Dave OCD]

I did an EICR today which included 5 socket circuits in an average 3 bed house. 4 of these circuits were rings and all were just labelled sockets, so I had to check exactly what went where and label accordingly - one RFC served just two sockets in a bedroom !

 

[pc1966]

one RFC served just two sockets in a bedroom !

Someone in the past clearly did not understand the point of the RFC!