Consumer Unit labelling graphics

[Richard Russell]

I like my CU labelling to look neat, and I hate it when electricians scrawl over the paper strip identifying the breakers! I'd prefer to print out a 'customised' replacement strip, but to do that ideally I need graphics files for the various symbols or icons signifying 'upstairs lighting', 'kitchen sockets' and so on.

Does anybody know where such graphics files can be obtained, or failing that has anybody an unused sheet they could scan for me?

Richard.

reply by email change 'news' to my forename.

[Harry Stottle]

Scan the used one and blank out the offending scrawl, then enter the typed text as required.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I've never seen such graphics - and surely text is better since all such graphics are too easily misunderstood by a layman?

TLC have some of the more common ones:-

Does anybody know where such graphics files can be obtained, or

These strips vary by maker and size of CU. So you either need to get a new one from the maker or copy it before it's stuck in place. Unless it's a Crabtree Starbreaker in which case I have some scans.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

You'd not be able to scan it if it's already been fixed to the CU - but you could take a pic and scale that to the correct size in a graphics prog and use that as a template.

[Richard Russell]

It *is* a Crabtree Starbreaker (I think Wylex do an identical one)! Any chance of a copy of the scans?

Richard.

reply by email change 'news' to my forename.

[Dave Liquorice]

I thought the triangle part of a diode was either solid filled or without the line across the triangle. Same with LED in Lamps and Lighting and the top of Semi Conductors.

A lamp or signal lamp has the lines diagonally not vert/horizontal doesn't it? Though I see they have what I expect for a lamp in Lamps & Lighting.

In Connectors and Earthing that "Slow Operating Relay - Delay On" looks more like a female coax to me and that would be logical for what is near by and the layout of the table.

Nothing for CU's though. B-)

But anyone with a digi camera, a sheet of symbols, a graphics program and a bit of time could produce some. Don't look at me, no time and I'm not sure I have a sheet of symbols either.

[Andy Dingley]

I'd take a look at Wikimedia Commons (_not_ Wikipedia). You may find them, you may not. But there's a good chance they're there, and probably well-done in resizable SVG format too. Certainly there's a very good range of hazard and warning signs up there, which have been very useful to me in the past.

If you edit the wiki sandbox (or your user page, if you have one), insert the following wikicode and preview it (you don't even need to save it) to resize one of these SVGs to any size you like and show it as a bitmap on the page that you can then print

[[Image:DIN 4844-2 Warnung vor gef el Spannung D-W008.svg|300px]]

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I sort of guess 'architects' symbols for house wiring may be different to the ones we're used to. But only a guess.

Making graphics which others can understand ain't easy. I'd rather have a foreign language on instructions etc - easier to translate. But for a CU can't see anything wrong with '1st floor lights' or whatever.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Sent.

[gazz]

i first labeled mine using one of those hand held lebel printers using a black on clear tape, looked ok---ish.

i've recently got a vinyl cutter, and have re-made the labels in die cut vinyl, just simple words 'lights, kitchen sockets' etc, looks a million times better, but is a bugger to weed the vinyl sheet with small letters.

i wouldent bother with symbols my self, as not everyone sees them the same, much easier to label them in english, this is england after all so any furriners can bloody well learn to translate :)

If you want more info than can be fitted in the little label slots, you could always label them 1,2,3,4,5 etc, and make up a printed sticker which referances them, i.e. 1 = upstairs lights, 2 = downstairs lights etc, and stick the sticker on the inside of the drop down cover panel,

[Toby]

I would suggest, as others have, that pure text will be less ambiguious.

I used Corel Draw to make mine, but as it is just a line of squares with text in, then you could do it in Excel pretty easily!

Then print and stick on with pritt-stick, or somthing simalar.

Toby...

[Pete Zahut]

A mate of mine recently had his house rewired and the electrician just numbered the MCBs. He then pinned a laminated A4 sheet of paper next to the CU with a description which, IIRC, went something along the lines of:

Circuits *protected* by RCD: MCB 1, 32A, Upstairs ring main MCB 2, 32A, Downstairs ring main

Circuits *NOT* protected by RCD: MCB 3, 6A, Upstairs lights MCB 4, 6A, Downstairs lights etc., etc., etc.

He also gave my mate a copy of the paper to store in a safe place in case anything should happen to the one by the CU. Quite good, I thought.

[Huge]

That's what I've done, by trial and (fortunately so far, non-lethal) error (*) over the years. I also number all the sockets, light-switches and other gubbins with the number of the MCB they're on.

(* Some rooms have services from up to three MCBs in them. I think my house was wired by a mad-man.)

[Martin Bonner]

My bedroom has sockets on two MCBs. It isn't ideal, but we moved the bed and needed a socket for the bedside light. I took a spur from the socket on the ring-main on the other side of the wall. Trouble is, that room was on a different ring to the rest of bedroom.

I've noted the fact in the CU - can't see what else I can do. (Other than rewire, and that would be a lot of work/money for not much benefit.)

[Toby]

I would suggest noting it on the actual socket too if practical, maybe even inside, so any future removal will heed a warning This socket fed from MCB Number ## or whatever...)

[Richard Russell]

I was guessing that the symbols might be an EU requirement or something, but obviously not from what everybody has said. Nevertheless since they also include the words (in English!) I find it hard to object to them, and would still prefer to include them if I can find suitable graphics files.

(Nothing yet received from Dave Plowman, incidentally).

Richard.

reply by email change 'news' to my forename.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Just got back from work and resent it. May have made a mistake with your spam trap. I'm entitled at my age. ;-)

[Mike]

use a readable font (i.e not wingdings)

upstairs lighting downstairs lighting upstairs sockets downstairs sockets cooker shower kitchen sockets

No icons and perfectly understandable, if anything the use of icons could *decrease* safety