Ask an Electrician anything...
Discussion
guitarcarfanatic said:
Looking tight in there George! I would take one of the earths out of the Wago, add it into a 3-way Wago, and then run two new earths off that (one back to the 5-way Wago and one to the switch faceplate).
But you might not get it all in!
Or actually, just run an earth to the faceplate, and then another back to that 5 way Wago. But you might not get it all in!
guitarcarfanatic said:
guitarcarfanatic said:
Looking tight in there George! I would take one of the earths out of the Wago, add it into a 3-way Wago, and then run two new earths off that (one back to the 5-way Wago and one to the switch faceplate).
But you might not get it all in!
Or actually, just run an earth to the faceplate, and then another back to that 5 way Wago. But you might not get it all in!
finlo said:
Not quite, if there is a spare way in the Wago add a lead to the faceplate from it, if not take an earth out of the Wago and put it in the faceplate along with another [earth from the faceplate] back to the Wago.
This is what I would do.The other option is, if the box is earthed with a link from the wago to the box, add a link from the box to the faceplate.
I wouldnt want to suggest adding a 3way wago in there because you aint got much space as it is!
I have been advised to have a consumer unit replaced due to it being under stairs and plastic (It's not old, fully rewired 10 years ago but rental property so highlighted on the EICR).
Both electricians quoted and would use a WAGO consumer unit relocation box. This is plastic and has just as many connections, if not more, than the actual consumer unit itself. It seems to defeat the purpose but when I challenge it with the electrician I am met with a blank stare as obviously I know nothing.
Thoughts?
Both electricians quoted and would use a WAGO consumer unit relocation box. This is plastic and has just as many connections, if not more, than the actual consumer unit itself. It seems to defeat the purpose but when I challenge it with the electrician I am met with a blank stare as obviously I know nothing.
Thoughts?
PurpleFox said:
I have been advised to have a consumer unit replaced due to it being under stairs and plastic (It's not old, fully rewired 10 years ago but rental property so highlighted on the EICR).
Both electricians quoted and would use a WAGO consumer unit relocation box. This is plastic and has just as many connections, if not more, than the actual consumer unit itself. It seems to defeat the purpose but when I challenge it with the electrician I am met with a blank stare as obviously I know nothing.
Thoughts?
What’s the problem with it being under the stairs? Both electricians quoted and would use a WAGO consumer unit relocation box. This is plastic and has just as many connections, if not more, than the actual consumer unit itself. It seems to defeat the purpose but when I challenge it with the electrician I am met with a blank stare as obviously I know nothing.
Thoughts?
Current regs aren’t retrospectively applied to previous installations. So the fact it’s plastic isn’t a major issue. Current consumer units are metal for fire protection.
As long as everything is safe and working and all protection devices are working then I wouldn’t upgrade a consumer unit just because it’s plastic.
PhilboSE said:
I neee to sort out some earth bonding to the gas main in a flat. The water main is bonded nearby. Can I bridge from this over to the gas, or does it need a dedicated feed back to the MET? Google opinions seem to differ.
The wire must be continuous with no break at the first point of bond - so say it goes water then to gas the wire must remain continuous through the bond to the water pipe. no separation is allowed. so at the water it would be bared but not cut to allow it to earth the pipe and then onto the gas as one continuous wire.
From what you are saying your going to add a wire to link it to the other point, this isnt how it should be done. so you would need to run another cable from the MET through to the new point.
As you said its not as clear as it should be.
ruggedscotty said:
The wire must be continuous with no break at the first point of bond - so say it goes water then to gas the wire must remain continuous through the bond to the water pipe. no separation is allowed.
so at the water it would be bared but not cut to allow it to earth the pipe and then onto the gas as one continuous wire.
From what you are saying your going to add a wire to link it to the other point, this isnt how it should be done. so you would need to run another cable from the MET through to the new point.
As you said its not as clear as it should be.
Cheers, that confirms what I thought I understood.so at the water it would be bared but not cut to allow it to earth the pipe and then onto the gas as one continuous wire.
From what you are saying your going to add a wire to link it to the other point, this isnt how it should be done. so you would need to run another cable from the MET through to the new point.
As you said its not as clear as it should be.
It’s easier to run a new wire to bond both without a break, than it is to run a new dedicated earth bond to the gas (only space for 1 earth bond wire for the first leg to the water, getting 2 side by side would be tricky).
Tailender Investor said:
PurpleFox said:
I have been advised to have a consumer unit replaced due to it being under stairs and plastic (It's not old, fully rewired 10 years ago but rental property so highlighted on the EICR).
Both electricians quoted and would use a WAGO consumer unit relocation box. This is plastic and has just as many connections, if not more, than the actual consumer unit itself. It seems to defeat the purpose but when I challenge it with the electrician I am met with a blank stare as obviously I know nothing.
Thoughts?
What’s the problem with it being under the stairs? Both electricians quoted and would use a WAGO consumer unit relocation box. This is plastic and has just as many connections, if not more, than the actual consumer unit itself. It seems to defeat the purpose but when I challenge it with the electrician I am met with a blank stare as obviously I know nothing.
Thoughts?
Current regs aren’t retrospectively applied to previous installations. So the fact it’s plastic isn’t a major issue. Current consumer units are metal for fire protection.
As long as everything is safe and working and all protection devices are working then I wouldn’t upgrade a consumer unit just because it’s plastic.
Thus it is still under the stairs, below the escape route, but it is metal and supposedly less likely to catch fire and burn the stairs. However, my issue is, the Wago extender box is plastic which is surely a similar risk to the original CU and thus making the whole exercise pointless.
The CU being plastic is rated as a C3, optional to replace but the fire risk assessment rates it as high risk and recommends replacement. So from an electrical safety point of view it's fine / acceptable. But from a fire safety point of view, its high risk.
PurpleFox said:
Tailender Investor said:
PurpleFox said:
I have been advised to have a consumer unit replaced due to it being under stairs and plastic (It's not old, fully rewired 10 years ago but rental property so highlighted on the EICR).
Both electricians quoted and would use a WAGO consumer unit relocation box. This is plastic and has just as many connections, if not more, than the actual consumer unit itself. It seems to defeat the purpose but when I challenge it with the electrician I am met with a blank stare as obviously I know nothing.
Thoughts?
What’s the problem with it being under the stairs? Both electricians quoted and would use a WAGO consumer unit relocation box. This is plastic and has just as many connections, if not more, than the actual consumer unit itself. It seems to defeat the purpose but when I challenge it with the electrician I am met with a blank stare as obviously I know nothing.
Thoughts?
Current regs aren’t retrospectively applied to previous installations. So the fact it’s plastic isn’t a major issue. Current consumer units are metal for fire protection.
As long as everything is safe and working and all protection devices are working then I wouldn’t upgrade a consumer unit just because it’s plastic.
Thus it is still under the stairs, below the escape route, but it is metal and supposedly less likely to catch fire and burn the stairs. However, my issue is, the Wago extender box is plastic which is surely a similar risk to the original CU and thus making the whole exercise pointless.
The CU being plastic is rated as a C3, optional to replace but the fire risk assessment rates it as high risk and recommends replacement. So from an electrical safety point of view it's fine / acceptable. But from a fire safety point of view, its high risk.
We are selling a property and one of the previous viewers or surveyors has broken the hinge pins on the CU cover, so the flap just falls off. Is there any way to get a new panel for an old plastic MK Sentry? We know the whole thing should be replaced with a new metal one, but don't want to pay out loads when selling.
Regbuser said:
PurpleFox said:
Tailender Investor said:
PurpleFox said:
I have been advised to have a consumer unit replaced due to it being under stairs and plastic (It's not old, fully rewired 10 years ago but rental property so highlighted on the EICR).
Both electricians quoted and would use a WAGO consumer unit relocation box. This is plastic and has just as many connections, if not more, than the actual consumer unit itself. It seems to defeat the purpose but when I challenge it with the electrician I am met with a blank stare as obviously I know nothing.
Thoughts?
What’s the problem with it being under the stairs? Both electricians quoted and would use a WAGO consumer unit relocation box. This is plastic and has just as many connections, if not more, than the actual consumer unit itself. It seems to defeat the purpose but when I challenge it with the electrician I am met with a blank stare as obviously I know nothing.
Thoughts?
Current regs aren’t retrospectively applied to previous installations. So the fact it’s plastic isn’t a major issue. Current consumer units are metal for fire protection.
As long as everything is safe and working and all protection devices are working then I wouldn’t upgrade a consumer unit just because it’s plastic.
Thus it is still under the stairs, below the escape route, but it is metal and supposedly less likely to catch fire and burn the stairs. However, my issue is, the Wago extender box is plastic which is surely a similar risk to the original CU and thus making the whole exercise pointless.
The CU being plastic is rated as a C3, optional to replace but the fire risk assessment rates it as high risk and recommends replacement. So from an electrical safety point of view it's fine / acceptable. But from a fire safety point of view, its high risk.
PurpleFox said:
Regbuser said:
PurpleFox said:
Tailender Investor said:
PurpleFox said:
I have been advised to have a consumer unit replaced due to it being under stairs and plastic (It's not old, fully rewired 10 years ago but rental property so highlighted on the EICR).
Both electricians quoted and would use a WAGO consumer unit relocation box. This is plastic and has just as many connections, if not more, than the actual consumer unit itself. It seems to defeat the purpose but when I challenge it with the electrician I am met with a blank stare as obviously I know nothing.
Thoughts?
What’s the problem with it being under the stairs? Both electricians quoted and would use a WAGO consumer unit relocation box. This is plastic and has just as many connections, if not more, than the actual consumer unit itself. It seems to defeat the purpose but when I challenge it with the electrician I am met with a blank stare as obviously I know nothing.
Thoughts?
Current regs aren’t retrospectively applied to previous installations. So the fact it’s plastic isn’t a major issue. Current consumer units are metal for fire protection.
As long as everything is safe and working and all protection devices are working then I wouldn’t upgrade a consumer unit just because it’s plastic.
Thus it is still under the stairs, below the escape route, but it is metal and supposedly less likely to catch fire and burn the stairs. However, my issue is, the Wago extender box is plastic which is surely a similar risk to the original CU and thus making the whole exercise pointless.
The CU being plastic is rated as a C3, optional to replace but the fire risk assessment rates it as high risk and recommends replacement. So from an electrical safety point of view it's fine / acceptable. But from a fire safety point of view, its high risk.
The junction box will contain static electrical connections, so presents less of a fire risk than the CU, which houses circuit breaking / energy interruption devices.
But yes, the extender being of plastic construction is not ideal. You could always have in placed within a separate metal enclosure, with appropriately sealed cable ways.
Yeah, the risk of plastic CU is not really the connections, but the MCBs etc which have history of catching fire.
If all the connections are through the rear of the box, mounted to a non-combustable wall, then I would seriously consider some sort of retrofit metal enclosure over the top of the whole CU installation.
I'm not spark, but I understand that should remove it as a recommendation from the EICR, as well as reducing the overall fire risk, for minimum cost or disturbance.
If all the connections are through the rear of the box, mounted to a non-combustable wall, then I would seriously consider some sort of retrofit metal enclosure over the top of the whole CU installation.
I'm not spark, but I understand that should remove it as a recommendation from the EICR, as well as reducing the overall fire risk, for minimum cost or disturbance.
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