Relocation of consumer unit over 3m away from Meter

[sparkyhead]

Hi Im about to undertake my first house rewire to use for my registration to ELECSA and have come across an unusual issue (well for me).

My client wants his Cu moved to the hall way from his living room where the meter and supply enters in a very odd position. He's having the meter moved to a more usable location in the room but its still not ideal to have a 10 way c/u there.
The new cable run to the Hallway wall is under floor and then up the drywall where it will emerge hi up and into the new 10 way consumer unit.

The incoming supply fuse looks like an old 60amp with 16mm red and black tails , its too costly for my client to have this uprated to a 100 amp and never the less Its a small house so will be fine, if anything he will draw less power than before.

The issue I have is whats the ideal solution to the meter tails length. Should I run new 16mm tails to a switch fuse connection from the meter then continue with 16mm tails from that under the floor, up the wall etc or as I suspect should I run 16mm armoured swa? Possibly 25mm swa to account for the extra length. The length in total is roughly 5m from meter to new position.

Cheers, any advice from you seasoned guys would be great.

 

[somersetsparks]

Just run tails or 16mm T+E from an MEM KMF switchfuse, however if it runs flush and less then 50mm from the surface of the wall, I suppose you will have to run SWA

 

[Strima]

If the cable is buried in the wall <50mm it will need 30ma RCD protection so best bet would be SWA. Is it in the middle of the wall or butted up to a corner etc?

 

[sparkyhead]

It will be in the middle if I where to go that rout but Im actually now thinking of running it further and into the cupboard under the stairs so which will not be drywall so I can run SWA in trunking externally to the new consumer unit.

Cheers for your replies, it confirms my thoughts and makes a newbie a lot more confident in his knowledge

Phil

 

[nickblake]

dont forget to earth the armour seen it so many times when the armour is just cut off and not terminated what i do if i have space is run an armour terminated into a galve box and continue the inner cable into the consumer unit inner cable i meant just remove the armour not the outer insulation or of course use a metal clad consumer unit and terminate there

 

[sparkyhead]

Cheers Nick, I will certaily be earthing the armour. Ill use a a Galve box as you suggested many thanks.
Ps sorry for my lack of terminology regarding the electrical industry but is there another name for Galve box just as I cant seem to find it under that name with suppliers? I know what they are and have used them, just not sure of the name

 

[Strima]

Adaptable box. Could also use Galv trunking, depends on how artistic your feeling... Don't forget your grommets Gromit...

 

[telectrix]

if the tails are in trunking, then there's no need to use SWA.

 

[sedgy34]

i would use 16mm T&E from a kmf just put some containment in the studwall

 

[sparkyhead]

Hi all Thanks for your help, I was thinking I may get ridiculed by you seasoned chaps. (Feel free to do so!)

Not to keen on running trunking from living room to a cupboard under the stairs via under the floor, Ill probably wreck the house ! lol

So this is how I will proceed. Im gong to connect a kmf switch fuse rated at 60 amp to the meter tails (Less than 3m). From this I will run 2 core SWA under the floor and up into an plastic adaptable box next to the cu where Ill use plastic round conduit or trunking to to the C/U. Ill run from the earth terminal in the C/u a continuos 16mm un-armoured cable to to the incoming fuse (Haven't seen if the supply is Tn-c-s of Tns yet, I know its not presently earthed though!!!!!). Please correct me if you think I've missed something out. I know about the grommets and glands etc

The only thing Im stuck on now is how to earth the armoured cable? presumably I should run 4mm (correct me if Im wrong) from the armoured earth copper attachment plate (not sure what the name is for that bit) to the C/u.
Cheers Guys and Gals

This job is to help for my assessment to Join a registered scheme, so thank you for helping get it right and done safely.

Phil

 

[Taylortwocities]

And how will your main earth get from the incoming supply head to the consumer unit.
Will that be a separate 16mm conductor?
Or do you the steel armour will be big enough.?

 

[sedgy34]

no need for swa run a 16mm T&E and run a seperate 16mm Earth if you want just comply in the stud wall

 

[somersetsparks]

no need for swa run a 16mm T&E and run a seperate 16mm Earth if you want just comply in the stud wall

But if its less then 50mm deep in the stud, it would need some form of earthed metallic protection, hence swa,

On looking at the situation, I would get a Wylex wy110M switchfuse, take the tails into it, gland the swa out with 16mm fly lead to the banjo, straight to a dappy box (galv) at the fuseboard end, and into the board.
This way you can use 2 core armoured, no need for a dappy box at the mains end.

 

[sparkyhead]

Ok everyone this is a few days old and Im back to get you seasoned lot to double check things before I get the materials needed.

Just want to clarify what Im now doing.

I will run 16mm tails from (ISOLATED) supplier into a 60 amp switch fuse (Incoming is 60amp) I will run 3 core (LIVE, NUTRAL and Earth) 16mm swa from the switch fuse, under the floor to the new location in cupboard under the stairs to a metal galv box then run the de armoured armoured 16mm from there in pvc surface mounted conduit into the 10 way duel rcd consumer unit.
Should I attach the earth of the armour from the gland to just the metal box and the switch fuse box only or should I run it into the c/u?
Sorry thats the only bit that seems to fog me a little?