New consumer unit (not DIY)

[Roland Perry]

In message <0ii* [e-mail]>, at 08:08:12 on Fri,

11 Mar 2022, Theo <theom+ [e-mail]> remarked:

Yes, but not being able to find an exact match there, is why I asked here.

The cloth-covered rubber wire is (for the umpteenth time) something which is notably not present here, rather than T&E.

It's my turn to be flabbergasted, that they'd even consider wiring up a modern meter to it.

You mean like the way in the link above they've wired a new meter into a generation older's wiring than mine?

I'll ask him to quote for that, too.

[Andrew]

Can't understand the difficulty. You buy as many or as few breeze blocks required in Wickes and the biggest B&Q's.

Any decent builders merchant will sell you what ever number you want, just don't go in on a SAturday morning or you will may be regarded as rich pickings.

[Andrew]

Or even borrowed neutrals ?. Don't all earths go to a common point anyway ??

[Roland Perry]

In message <t0g6el$vpp$ [e-mail]>, at 19:03:47 on Fri, 11 Mar

2022, Andrew snipped-for-privacy@mybt>

The difficulty (at the time, about five years ago) was that most of those didn't list breeze blocks at all. Have they now added them to the catalogue?

Believe me, I tried every one within 50 miles.

Most have nationally-set "computer says no" filters. So they won't for example normally split palettes up, because there's little demand for

95% of a palette of things from other buyers. And in any event the order processing system often only accepts integers, not fractions (of a palette). Just like they won't sell you ten screws from a box of 100.

Mid-morning mid-week is best. I did find a distant Travis Perkins to sell me some other groundwork piece parts, despite the much nearer one not listing them at all (moral here is that not every one in a chain stocks everything the others do).

[Roger Mills]

Sorry - borrowed neutrals was what I meant. Put it down to brain fart!

[ARW]

I knew what you meant.

BTW although it will not find a borrowed neutral I have often run a fuse box via a 30mA RCD as a test before swapping it for a RCD CU. It saves all the trouble of meggering the circuits.

[Theo]

OOI, I wonder if we are seeing more borrowed neutrals work with RCDs these days. If an LED lamp is 2W, at 230V that's 8.6mA - below RCD rated tripping current. Obviously many RCDs are sensitive below the nameplate 30mA, and if you turn on lots of lights it's going to trip, but maybe there are cases of isolated lights (like toilets and such) which get away with a borrowed neutral when there's an LED in there.

Theo

[Andrew]

Presumably also a way of basic testing an RCD. Wire up a bulb that takes just over 30mA via an MCB intentionally connected to the 'wrong' neutral and see how long it takes for the RCD to trip ?.

[ARW]

Or just use the test switch which is just a resistor that does the same thing.

[ARW]

What did he quote?

[Roland Perry]

In message <t0o0mp$kc2$ [e-mail], at 18:14:49 on Mon, 14 Mar

2022, ARW snipped-for-privacy@bluey>> Need a new consumer unit for approx three ring mains and two lighting

Just got it in. He wants to combine all three existing CUs into one new one. £749, no breakdown of the various elements, or specification (eg number of circuits, RCD or what or not, etc). I did also ask about new tails and these aren't mentioned.

[Robin]

Can I interest you in the young Gloucester Old Spot I have in this Louis Vuitton "shabby chic" bag?

[Roland Perry]

In message [e-mail], at

15:55:07 >> In message <t0o0mp$kc2$ [e-mail], at 18:14:49 on Mon, 14 Mar

Yes, it's about twice what I was looking for, although for a "quick sale" and getting this project off the list, I might have paid a slight premium.

[Roland Perry]

In message [e-mail], at 18:03:19 on Tue, 8 Mar 2022, Roland Perry [e-mail]> remarked:

Postscript. Gave the job to the second person to quote.

One new unit replacing all the three, plus new tails, surge protector, a new twin socket under the stairs and all the T&E put into trunking.

Took him about six hours (including testing), resulting in seven circuits plus one spare.

Total bill around £500.

Full disclosure: one outstanding issue with 2-way switched upstairs hall light, but fixing that will need going up in the attic, and there may not be enough conductors to the downstairs light switch.

It's been disconnected for now. I'm wondering if the simplest thing would be powering from nearby fully functioning upstairs lights, with cordless on/off switches. That way we can also have an upstairs switch in the master bedroom, which is preferable to only half way along the hall.

[Fredxx]

It is normal to ask for an estimate or quote first. I would have expected a cheaper price.

[Fredxx]

Given the work done I would say that is on-target.

[Roland Perry]

In message <t3gst4$h3t$ [e-mail], at 12:15:47 on Sun, 17 Apr

2022, Fredxx [e-mail] remarked:

I did that. I wasn't reading the £749 off a cornflakes packet.

So would I.

[Owain Lastname]

Coward :)

Owain

[Animal]

The comments on complications that follow are one reason we diy. I'd start by assessing what's there so you know what does & doesn't need doing. Otherwise it could wind up being anything from a CU swap to a full rewire & redecorate.

[Roland Perry]

In message [e-mail], at

00:31:30 >> Need a new consumer unit for approx three ring mains and two lighting

Did you DIY the NICR, or had someone else do that part?