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friddles

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Hi,

If a home only uses 3 circuits, Can you use a 3 way garage CU as a replacement for the current old style CU (5 way with 2 spare)? Are garage CU just little standard CU's?

Is not having spare room for additional circuits a c2 fail on EICR?
Cheers
 
Why would you put a smaller CU in? If it's got spare capacity now then that's good

C2???
 
Why would you put a smaller CU in? If it's got spare capacity now then that's good

C2???

The supply tails are in a tricky position, coming in to the old CU bottom left and there´s no extra length on them. The electrician said a smaller CU may work so he wouldn´t have to extend the tails / change them. All the smaller CU seem to say they are garage ones. Are garage CU the same with less ways?

He also said to get a CU with spare space for additional circuits. c2 is an unsatisfactory fail on an EICR I believe.
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Unless anyone knows of a CU with cut outs on the bottom left hand side where you can mount and then put the main switch on the left of the bus bar. I don´t suppose people install CU´s upside down :)
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Sorry, forgot to say, the old cu failed the eicr with a C2 fail "DB of old wired type"
 
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Your electrician doesn't sound very flexible, did they make that C2 comment DB of old wired type that is a very non professional statement. Crabtree Starbreaker do left side isolators.
https://www.screwflix..com/p/crabtr...w5v_NVQ2TEt_0cQopTxoCXDYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
 
Your electrician doesn't sound very flexible, did they make that C2 comment DB of old wired type that is a very non professional statement. Crabtree Starbreaker do left side isolators.
https://www.screwflix..com/p/crabtr...w5v_NVQ2TEt_0cQopTxoCXDYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Likewise the steeple/lewden main switches and rcds are if i recall correctly not pole specific. the live and neutral can go on either side if required. Plenty f options if the electrician looks.
Either way extending some tails isn't too difficult, if there is sufficient to go into a consumer unit and a main switch there is almost certainly enough for a henley block or isolator from which new tails can be run to what ever board you want.
 
There are ways of getting around that problem without using a 'garage unit'. He needs to use his noggin a bit.
Edit...…as you can see, already.
 
Your electrician doesn't sound very flexible, did they make that C2 comment DB of old wired type that is a very non professional statement. Crabtree Starbreaker do left side isolators.
https://www.screwflix..com/p/crabtr...w5v_NVQ2TEt_0cQopTxoCXDYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Thanks for helping!

That´s the exact wording on the report. The CU is a dorman smith series 15. It had circuit breakers (no RCDs), picture below hopefully. Is that a valid fail?Using a garage CU as the main CU for flat CU.JPG - EletriciansForums.net
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Also, is it a problem that there´s no cut out bottom left on the crabtree CU you´ve suggested?

I want to go into the discussion with him knowing what to ask etc

Many thanks for everyone´s help btw
 
that would be a C3, as in non-compliant with current regs. unless there is a perceived safety issue, i.e. danger, like burnt terminals or fuse wire oversized for the circuit/s.
 
That statement makes no sense whatsoever, DB of old wired type. What earthing system have they quoted.
 
TBH there's nothing wrong with that board. However I would, as many others would, say that now would be a good time to upgrade to something with better protection such as RCDs.

A good quality board populated with RCBOs won't cost a fortune for that amount of circuits and will also give room for future expansion if required. For example a CP Fusebox with RCBOs will come in at under £70.
 
Can you post an overview photo showing the meter box and its surroundings?

As already mentioned, that is not a "wired DB" (assuming they meant rewirable fuses, which are horrible but still permitted and safe so long as the owner is competent to fit the correct fuse wire safely) but there are several good reasons to replace it:
  • No RCD protection
  • Probably difficult to get replacement breakers if needed
  • No surge protection device (as common with 18th edition installations)

I can't imagine any of the contributors on this forum having problems in sourcing a good replacement board with SPD, all-RCBO (so less trouble if a RCD trips), and a spare slot or two for any future additions.

What is odd is the lack of any cooker circuit! There appears a cut-off cable that might have been for that in the past, or maybe an electric shower. It is not unreasonable that you might want something like that again within the 10-20 year lifetime of a good CU installation.
 
Do you think I should complain?
No, you should go back and ask for regulation numbers for all the claimed faults - at which point he should realise that he's been rumbled. He'll have fun finding one to justify that C2 - as above, there's nothing fundamentally wrong with that board, and it's even steel cased like a lot of them were before people started cutting corners with cheap plastic. No RCD is mentioned on another line, and that (apart from problem getting spares) is the only thing wrong with it.
The big flash mark on the rail indicates something "interesting" has happened in the past :eek: But that's not a problem for any current EICR.
 
The flash over seems to indicate there was a protective device at way 3 as it leaves an impression of it, maybe the assumed cooker circuit which is now cut off.
 

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