Your preferred brand of RCBO

[Mr.Si]

Hi All,

Now I'm in my new house with its very dated wiring I'm thinking about which brand of CU and breakers to get. I was going to go with Hager, as it's a Brand that Sparky friends of mine recommend, but I thought I'd ask advice in terms of which devices are easiest to fit / least hassle.

I ask this as I've read before, probably on here, that certain brands a really fiddly to fit.

Sorry if this has been asked before, but I look forward to your replies.

Blessings,

Simon

 

[scotsparky]

Mr Si if your doing a D.B change get a spark in and he will sort it out for you.

 

[High Tower]

I'm with scots on this one a ccu replacement is not a diy job and before u say you are going to get someone to fit it, sparks have their own preference they like to fit and will not offer any kind of warranty on anything u supply

 

[ezzzekiel]

you can run into a lot of problems when fitting new split load boards, but even with that aside without having the correct test gear and the understanding how to use it then you will have no idea wether or not the shiney new box full of rcd and breakers will do the job its designed to do when it counts.

 

[white armour]

Hi Mr Si, can only agree with what has been said above regarding replacing your con unit. Not a Sunday morning job to do if you do not have the knowledge & understanding of how to test existing circuits & interpret the results. Lots of older installations can have latent faults on existing cabling that will only emerge when testing is undertaken. How to rectify these faults requires a little bit more know how.

Like to use Hager boards myself as they are good to work on and don't look too shabby. The Niglon range of CCUs/MCBS & RCBOs are almost identical to Hager and a little bit cheaper, can get a fully loaded 10 way dual RCD board for around £80.00.

If in any doubt get a competent qualified electrician to do this job.

Regards WA

 

[ian]

I am with everyone else on this. You should really be getting a qualified spark to change a C.U for you. Things like this are only easy if you know what you are doing. You could run into loads of problems by doing it yourself.

Ian

 

[Spudnik]

I think you will find he is/was in training chaps.

 

[Marvo]

I'm a big fan of Merlin Gerin, they're not the cheapest but they're robust, reliable and generally well designed. Hager are a sensible cheaper option, I have found they are less likely to nuisance-trip in high ambient temperature applications and I've used Hager specifically for that reason in the past....... but all said and done, if it was my house it would be Merlin Gerin.

 

[TPES]

If it where my house I would be installing crabtree board with RCBO's all in.

Nice solid unit, plenty of room. Everything just has that quality feel.
I have always been a hager fan aswell

 

[Mr.Si]

Thanks for coming to my rescue Jason!

Yes, I've got through my levels 2 & 3 2330 and am just trying to find time as and when to do the necessary for the practical side of things to complete the NVQ3 part. (Amongst working FT in the IT Support industry)

I have my Fluke 1652 and my Fluke Approved Voltage Detector (for my safe isolation) and I have all my regs, inc GN3 and OSG so underpinning knowledge is there.

Thanks for your concern though, to all those that were thinking I was just one of those random people that comes on here to ask a question and then leaves without giving full responses etc

I shall investigate the Merlin boards and RCBOs - safety is paramount to me so the better devices, the better!

 

[white armour]

Well in that case best of luck as & when you make the leap of faith.

Your shiny new CCU should look nice for your assessment to one of the Part P bodies, and remember to notify job to LABC. Mind you this could always be done the day after your assessment.

Finally remember to issue yourself with the relevant paperwork upon completion.

Regards WA

 

[nickblake]

Me Crabtree Wylex ,sector, volex , Merlin geran and squared D nice curly leads can be a pain to work with

 

[cbw]

Merlin Gerin is far to dear to put in a standard domestic property, I am a great fan of the Wylex/crabtree brand, the new RCBOs for Wylex look good to! I have a couple of fully loaded RCBO wylex boards here ready for next weeks jobs!

 

[Mr.Si]

I have been looking on sites I know, such as Kew Electrical (in portslade, near where I live (Lancing, W Sussex) ) for example. However, whilst the RCBOs are OK price wise (as what I had expected) the Consumer units seem a little too industrial for my liking... I don't want or need metal clad ones, which are all I can seem to find... I do presume that they can fit into other boards, but as to compatibility, I've not got the product knowledge to know which would work best with which.

Noticed a few have been fans of the Crabtree / Wylex brand(s) which I found were less expensive and thus put me off - my theory has always been you get what you pay for...

Should I think differently here?

SquareD were and still are a brand that interested me, as I'd not heard of them before, but when I used to work alongside a Horticultural (mainly) sparks, albeit a few years ago now, I never came across the name - are they a new brand?
We did use a lot of Legrand stuff though... seemed nice. However, since most of what we did was panel building for motor-gearbox control, that was a completely different ball-game.

Sorry, went on rambling a bit there...

 

[High Tower]

Hager all the way for me

 

[telectrix]

The ideal RCBO. IMHO, would come as a pack of 12, ready fitted in a neat enclosure, with a 100A 2 pole isolator.all wired up (except for the circuits). There would be enough room in the enclosure to dress in wiring neatly with a bit of slack and accommodate 25mm tails easily. Each RCBO would incorporate DIP switches to select 6A,10A,16A.20A.32A,40A,50A,63A, and a tripping current of 30mA,10mA,300mA, it would also incorporate a self-test facility whereby every month it would perform a 1/2, 1/ and x5, sending the results via tinternet to installers PC. In tghe case of an overload or earth fault,tripping the RCBO, it would search it's circuit for faults and reset if fault cleared. otherwise transmit fault code to installer. Oh, Yes, and all for around a tenner ( once the chinese have got them into production)

 

[TPES]

Sounds like a plan to me

 

[Bigboy247]

Wylex,Mk,Crabtree and Doepke but all the leading brands are in a bit of a price war at the moment so hunt round on the net. Wylex have always been my first choice but I like the Doepke stuff made in Germany but built in the midlands fitted one a couple of weeks ago 18 way dual RCD double IPX55 very nice tuff clean lines and plenty of space inside. Mk and some of the others brought a lot of stuff from the far east and the quality went down a few years ago but seem to be getting there again. All are good but wylex fitted plenty over the years and never been back to problems.Volex and square d are cheap and show it in the manufactor ,Hager are nice but not every one likes the look of them, always give yourself options and fit the biggest board you can as we always need space in the future.

 

[cbw]

I have Wylex in all of my rental properties, install them in all C.U changes (Budget allowing)

I enjoy installing them, plenty of space in the boards and as yet have had no problems with them.

One of my guys hates them and is allways moaning at me for buying them...........

 

[daniel hill]

i no you will all disagree with me but I have been using GE new range of miniature RCBO, the one that are the same size as a MCB they are so much better in the DB and also i think there boards do look a little bit different the RCBO are only £16 quid a piece and MCB are £1.75
i think they are really good what your ideas on them chaps

 

[daniel hill]

Wylex,Mk,Crabtree and Doepke but all the leading brands are in a bit of a price war at the moment so hunt round on the net.

yer i was talking to the wholesaler and mk had undercut wylex on price on the RCBO, MCB and DB. i couldn't believe it a MK RCBO for Just over £17 I had to sit down

 

[cbw]

I like the size of those GE RCBO, will they fit in Wylex boards or would I have to buy GE boards?

 

[daniel hill]

I like the size of those GE RCBO, will they fit in Wylex boards or would I have to buy GE boards?

think you would have to get the GE boards mate, Wylex us the screw for the attachment to the Busbar if i remember
but the RCBO are super lodes of room in the boards

 

[telectrix]

anybody used these: MCG, CPN, CUDIS, RCBO; Merlin Gerin & Mem Circuit Breakers, Wylex & Volex

 

[cbw]

I think they look dreadfull!

 

[bluescott1984]

Hi all,

sorry to go off the topic slightly, i'm about to start on a house rewire (3 bed terrace) and was just after a little info on what cu and protective devices i would be best to use in relation to 17th edition and cost effects.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[IQ Electrical]

They do look iffy but that price....

It's like beer goggles, the more I see the price, the better they look lol.

Have you used them telectrix?

 

[IQ Electrical]

Hi all,

sorry to go off the topic slightly, i'm about to start on a house rewire (3 bed terrace) and was just after a little info on what cu and protective devices i would be best to use in relation to 17th edition and cost effects.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Ah well, take your pick from the posts here on manufacturers, it's a bit like asking people what their favourite breakfast cereal is (mine's Alpen).

As for compliance, are you competent to carry out this work?

Do you have the On-Site Guide?

Also remember Document P applies.

 

[telectrix]

nope. just found em on the web. can't really see how they look from the pics. like the blanks fitting on the din rail tho.

 

[telectrix]

Ah well, take your pick from the posts here on manufacturers, it's a bit like asking people what their favourite breakfast cereal is (mine's Alpen).

As for compliance, are you competent to carry out this work?

Do you have the On-Site Guide?

Also remember Document P applies.

as IQ says. any leading brand. just personal preference. MK sentry at under £20 each look good. but i don't like alpen. breakfast for me is a strong coffee and 2 king size smokes--Tel.

 

[bluescott1984]

Yes i'm fully qualified i just come from a heavy industrial background and am doing the job as a favour for a family member, just general info on what type of board to use (split load, rcbo's etc) and what brand do most prefer to use

 

[John Bunning]

hi yes merlin gerin are bomb proof.i have never had any issues with them. but really more for the industrial job ? [steel enclosures etc] .i think there is another rcbo virtualy the same as merlin size and spec just another name //?//no not protec .but they fit a merlin board .MK //?

 

[John Bunning]

if you go wylex/mk/crab/ u wont go far wrong all good brands. give denmans crap a miss [steeple]

 

[white armour]

If price not an issue go for an all RCBO board. Makes rectifying any latent faults a lot easier and reduces nuisance tripping. If price is an issue you got to go with twin RCD type.

I have used Hager/Niglon & Crabtree Starbreaker in the past for both, IMO they are the the easiest to work with if you want to achieve a nice neat job. They also have a little more "headroom" for all the flying leads.

Regards WA