Ping GB

[ARW]

You said it took three hours to swap your CU (not that that matters as it was a DIY job) but how long do you think it would take you to swap this one (and add another 4 circuits that are coiled up in the loft above it.)

Oh and there are 3 Sangamo time clocks attached to the bottom of the board that will need to be reinstalled.

Just to make matters a little harder is the 2 core 35mm SWA incoming supply that will have to be reglanded to allow the cables to reach the new main switch.

I am sure that you could do it, and that you would do a good job (unlike my 4th year apprentices).

I just wondered how long you think that it would take you.

[GB]

You'd have to be really quite organised and methodical. I don't think it would be a good plan to rip all the cables out of the old box then worry about identifying them afterwards.

3 phase - do the red yellow and blue labels indicate some arrangement for sharing the load across the different phases?

I don't think the time clocks would take long, but just bending a 35mm core must be physically demanding.

It would take me days, I'm afraid.

[ARW]

It's only single phase (2 core plus the SWA as an earth supply).

I might have a better photo of the old "3 phase convertor kit".

Methodical it is.

The cables for the final circuits are "nicely" split either side of a joist in the ceiling. FFS why install it there?

Every cable was marked up with a sharpie pen and with insulation tape.

The two loads (both sides of the joist) are then split into two lots of cables and taped up again to allow the old DB to be removed.

A quarter of the way into the job photo is here.

It took me 5 hours to get that far (along with isolation of the DB and getting a working task light in the room).

Back there in the morning to finish off.

[Tim Lamb]

I that adequate for earthing on 35mm?

I hope you did not leave that to the apprentice:-)

[GB]

So, the big red switch saying "415V" was just there to put me off. :)

[Robin]

Put off? You? I find that hard to believe when took the job on without even asking if you had to let the apprentice help :)

[Steve Walker]

Just wait 'til you look inside an old marshalling cabinet for a control system that is due to be replaced - around 800 single cores in (all black) from the field equipment, around 30 multi-core cables out to the SCADA system, absolutely nothing labelled and no drawings remaining in existence!

Or the entire set of (German) control cabinets for a thermal oxidiser - three 800mm x 800mm x 2100mm cabinets full of relays, terminals and (again black) single core cabling. No core idents and the cabinet needing re-wiring after an internal fire.

SteveW

[Andrew]

Does the safeguarding student org also protect your tools from the light-fingered little barstewards ? (mechanical tools that is)

How long will it take to repair the plaster that you bashed off along the top edge of the CU ?>

If it has harmonised wiring, why is the CU being changed anyway ?. In what way is it 'unsafe', or is this a just a 'scratch my back' job ? (Last nights meridian tv news broadcast an item about suspicious overpayments made by West Sussex and Kent CC to suppliers, totalling several million over recent years. When given the evidence, both CC's then went into dispute mode with the consultant who identified the duplicate payments. Looks like they have some questions to answer).

[ARW]

Schools have safeguarding. We don't:-)

Decorators job not my problem. Although there is not any bashed of plaster on the photos.

Too many doubled up circuits plus new circuits to add.

[ARW]

Although the switch is rated at 415V as this is a 3 phase DB with a 3 phase to single phase conversion kit (ie a bit of wire between the phases at the bottom of the main switch) you still have to write down on an EICR or installation certificate the rating of the main switch.

What the DB should have had is a notice that there had been a conversion.

Still, it took me the best part of 14 hours to swap it (inc the timers).

[ARW]

Thats a months work.

[GB]

Can we see the finished work, before the cover went on, please? :)

[ARW]

Certainly can when I go back.