Warning Labels inside consumer unit lid

[ChrisElectrical88]

Taken all labels off mine at home as when it was built someone stuck in right in the middle of the downstairs hallway wall.

All pretty pointless, never heard of any home owner or school caretaker Test a RCD, only a electrician should be working in it do duel colour is pointless, 230v isn't needed and next test date isn't needed on the CU as only needed at the origin.

 

[Octopus]

A requirement none the less if required

hum.... anyone removing the lid of a CU should be more than familiar with the colours of the cables and shouldn't need a warning label this long after the colour changes...

 

[Ian1981]

The db would be fully labelled as required if it was for assessment by a scheme so don't see the difference but hey ho each to their own I guess.

 

[Ian1981]

hum.... anyone removing the lid of a CU should be more than familiar with the colours of the cables and shouldn't need a warning label this long after the colour changes...

Rightly or wrongly DIY springs to mind I'm afraid.

 

[Octopus]

Rightly or wrongly DIY springs to mind I'm afraid.

If a DIYer removes the cover of a CU and gets hurt...... its their own look out. I can't imagine a label will help

 

[onions1066]

I can't believe a thread about where to put labels has managed to get 45 posts.

 

[telectrix]

maybe this thread needs a warning label....

" Attention, Reading this thread results in using 10 minutes of your life which you'll never get back"

(black lettering min. 2" high on yellow background.)

 

[Midwest]

maybe this thread needs a warning label....

Some of your jokes do

 

[Risteard]

Can anyone tell me if they know of anyone that regularly tests their RCD's every 3 months?

I do. Otherwise there is no guarantee that it will provide the requisite protection due to stiction.

 

[Risteard]

hum.... anyone removing the lid of a CU should be more than familiar with the colours of the cables and shouldn't need a warning label this long after the colour changes...

Surely the longer it has been since the colour change the more the warning label is required as it is no longer fresh in people's minds.

 

[Dave OCD]

They often fail to meet the required times when testing for an EICR or alteration/addition job due to not being operated for years, but after a couple of 'trips' they're generally fine again .

 

[Octopus]

Surely the longer it has been since the colour change the more the warning label is required as it is no longer fresh in people's minds.

Really.........................................?

I simply don't agree.

Next the IET will be getting us to code all red and black cables C3!

 

[telectrix]

maybe add a label instructing customers that MCBs are not rewireable.

 

[Risteard]

Really.........................................?

I simply don't agree.

Well surely it stands to reason that at the time of the change most Electricians would have been aware of it, but say in 20 or 30 years time many of the new breed will never have been come across red/yellow/blue and black cables.

 

[telectrix]

Really.........................................?

I simply don't agree.

Next the IET will be getting us to code all red and black cables C3!

only if they're wrong way round.

 

[Octopus]

Well surely it stands to reason that at the time of the change most Electricians would have been aware of it, but say in 20 or 30 years time many of the new breed will never have been come across red/yellow/blue and black cables.

But if they are competent sparks the would check that the "odd" red cables are live, and the black ones neutral.

 

[Dave OCD]

Really.........................................?

I simply don't agree.

Next the IET will be getting us to code all red and black cables C3!

I still have some red sleeving left and use it on unmarked black switch wires whenever I come across them, it's annoying to find brown sleeve on both red and black on older wiring inside switches imo.

 

[Risteard]

But if they are competent sparks the would check that the "odd" red cables are live (sic), and the black ones neutral.

It's not as straightforward with a three-phase installation though where blue could be either L3 or neutral and black could be either L2 or neutral. It doesn't seem entirely unreasonable to warn people to verify what the conductors actually are.

 

[Octopus]

Fingers crossed the UK will revert to the proper colours in a couple of years......

 

[Dave OCD]

I'd love to think so, miss the old R/Y/B three core.

 

[static zap]

I'd love to think so, miss the old R/Y/B three core.

It was so simple , any colour meant danger .
As for new stuff ,
Grey isn't even a colour , and Blue is how we feel about it !

 

[telectrix]

Fingers crossed the UK will revert to the proper colours in a couple of years......

hang on. what was that just went past my window? ahhh.that flying pig again.

 

[telectrix]

It was so simple , any colour meant danger .
As for new stuff ,
Grey isn't even a colour , and Blue is how we feel about it !

agreed. primary colours mean danger, even in the animal world. ever seen a brown and grey wasp?

 

[Dave OCD]

Still got a bit of 'old' cable somewhere , miss the white sheath too, much more discreet for a little bit of clipping along the skirting board.

 

[Dave OCD]

agreed. primary colours mean danger, even in the animal world. ever seen a brown and grey wasp?

The EU harmonised Wasp is still being developed Tel, hopefully they won't sting the UK for any more funding towards it though.

 

[stevethesparks]

They often fail to meet the required times when testing for an EICR or alteration/addition job due to not being operated for years, but after a couple of 'trips' they're generally fine again .

They are not fine again, if they fail on the first operation then they need replacing.

 

[Dave OCD]

They often fail to meet the required times when testing for an EICR or alteration/addition job due to not being operated for years, but after a couple of 'trips' they're generally fine again .

They are not fine again, if they fail on the first operation then they need replacing.

Really ? So you test an RCD with your meter, one that may not have been tested in any way for years- it fails on the first test by a few milliseconds- so you now insist it must be replaced even if the next and subsequent tests are all well within spec ? I think that's ridiculous, are you Dave Sparks in disguise ?

 

[davesparks]

Really ? So you test an RCD with your meter, one that may not have been tested in any way for years- it fails on the first test by a few milliseconds- so you now insist it must be replaced even if the next and subsequent tests are all well within spec ? I think that's ridiculous, are you Dave Sparks in disguise ?

How long will it remain operational for after you've tripped it a few times?

 

[stevethesparks]

My way of thinking is that the first test may have been the rcd actually in action / fault condition, before anyone has had a chance to free it up. So if you fit and test a brand new rcd that will not meet requirements on its first test, but appears ok on subsequent tests, do you let it go or get the free replacement?
It would have to be a good disguise, I'm about twice he's age (but more handsome)

 

[davesparks]

Surely the longer it has been since the colour change the more the warning label is required as it is no longer fresh in people's minds.

A label which states that there are different colours used, but doesn't tell you what those colours are doesn't really help very much for someone who isn't already aware of what the colours are?

 

[davesparks]

Fingers crossed the UK will revert to the proper colours in a couple of years......

Which proper colours? Red yellow blue, red white blue, red white green or any of the other different colour schemes which have been used in the U.K. over the last century!

 

[stevethesparks]

How long will it remain operational for after you've tripped it a few times?

Better put than me, thank you.

 

[telectrix]

Still got a bit of 'old' cable somewhere , miss the white sheath too, much more discreet for a little bit of clipping along the skirting board.

get some LSF T/E then.

 

[Dave OCD]

How long will it remain operational for after you've tripped it a few times?

Well if the end user operates it on the test button regularly as advised to prevent the 'stiction' described by Risteard there's no reason why it won't provide reliable service, a brand new one will inevitably be slow over time if not operated regularly.

 

[Dave OCD]

Which proper colours? Red yellow blue, red white blue, red white green or any of the other different colour schemes which have been used in the U.K. over the last century!

But the warning label refers to colours to 'two versions of BS7671' , the wiring regulations certainly haven't had that reference for 100 years !

 

[Toneyz]

and don't for get to put on danger 240 label on , they love them !

not needed

 

[davesparks]

But the warning label refers to colours to 'two versions of BS7671' , the wiring regulations certainly haven't had that reference for 100 years !

I was replying to the comment that we could return to the 'proper' colours soon, not to anything about the label.

 

[stevethesparks]

Well if the end user operates it on the test button regularly as advised to prevent the 'stiction' described by Risteard there's no reason why it won't provide reliable service, a brand new one will inevitably be slow over time if not operated regularly.

sorry but think you are grasping at straws there, you cant be relying on the end user to keep an RCD maintained. If you nailed the 3 monthly test notice on their heads, most would still not do it as it upsets the clocks around the house.

 

[Dave OCD]

I agree Steve, but replacing it after failing just one test won't change anything, the new one will become exactly the same without being operated so IMO it's just a waste of time and money. Would you give an EICR an unsatisfactory overall assessment if the RCD/s were over the permitted time on the first test only ?

 

[Dave OCD]

I was replying to the comment that we could return to the 'proper' colours soon, not to anything about the label.

Ah ok, but surely it's pretty obvious which 'proper colours' the poster would be referring to, hardly an antiquated system long gone eh ?