New CU, suit you Sir

No one said you were stupid.
That's easily remedied.


Fair enough, Ill do it anyway.
Only a truly stupid person would decide that being staggeringly ignorant of almost everything to do with replacing a CU made them qualified to do it.


I see the way this thread will go now
Go away then, because no matter how much you keep digging, and how much you keep whining and blustering, and how much you demonstrate that you know SFA, it is never going to go the way you want it to.
 
Well Thanks for all the helpful advice guys.. useful as it wasn't, I did it anyway, the local electrician has finished checking and given me the test papers (no install papers obviously) but all's good, well it is now if I hadn't of done it or looked into my houses wiring further then I would still have an overloaded light ring. Whoever built the extension originally and added 10 x 50W halogen down lights onto 1 of the lighting rings effectively doubling its load to 1415W on a 6A breaker. So I rectified that and now have 3 lighting rings about 575W each, also improved the voltage drop on the ring as well which was at 98% of the 3% allowed.
As you know I had no test gear, I was using a pessimistic value for Ze of 0.35ohms and calculated L/N + earth resistances to get R1 & R2. I rigged up a known resistance wire with a plug on the end for the sockets and sat at the distb board measuring with the multi-meter and subtracting the known wire, actually tallied quite well. When the electrician came to test his values were obviously more accurate, nether the less taking a pessimistic view gave a min fault current on the lights as 249A and 234A on the sockets.
I didn't know how the fluorescent lights in the shed affected the power factor so much, but after struggling through some reactive power theory my shed has a power factor of 0.85 haha.
In hindsight I can see why you guys mess your pants in the scrabble to jump on me about the two wire thing, ok sorry maybe its obvious to someone who does this day in day out that the two ends of ring go back to the MCB, my experience doesn't go as far as the CU, mostly just adding a spur or changing to a 2 way switch. I see now it obvious, maybe I was just writing and not thinking.

My position on the regulations is this... I do not want to discus them.. I will pay no attention to anyone wanting to quote me the book because I have the book, the only authority on the rules is the book, anything else is just pointless. My posts point was to start a discussion about the work, have I missed anything, anyone better ideas (and thanks to those suggesting the adaptor box for the SWA, I had thought of that but wasn't sure if it was accepted practice)
I never said.. (didn't get much of a chance to), but of course im going to get it tested, like I said in my first post, I'm competent to do the work I don't need to debate that with you all.
On the same subject, this is a forum for DIY, so you guys got to expect some amateurs, who maybe don't use the same terminology or picture the physical wiring in their head different to an experienced electrician.

I don't not like electricians, I can imagine your sour about me doing the work myself as obviously the moneys not going in your pocket. but really every time I've had work done by a contractor, I say.. I could of done better myself. :)
 
Let's see some pictures of this new CU then, now that it's not crammed full of wires.

And let's see if you could have done better than us.
 
Well Thanks for all the helpful advice guys.. useful as it wasn't, I did it anyway, the local electrician has finished checking and given me the test papers (no install papers obviously) but all's good, well it is now if I hadn't of done it or looked into my houses wiring further then I would still have an overloaded light ring. Whoever built the extension originally and added 10 x 50W halogen down lights onto 1 of the lighting rings effectively doubling its load to 1415W on a 6A breaker. So I rectified that and now have 3 lighting rings about 575W each, also improved the voltage drop on the ring as well which was at 98% of the 3% allowed.
As you know I had no test gear, I was using a pessimistic value for Ze of 0.35ohms and calculated L/N + earth resistances to get R1 & R2. I rigged up a known resistance wire with a plug on the end for the sockets and sat at the distb board measuring with the multi-meter and subtracting the known wire, actually tallied quite well. When the electrician came to test his values were obviously more accurate, nether the less taking a pessimistic view gave a min fault current on the lights as 249A and 234A on the sockets.
I didn't know how the fluorescent lights in the shed affected the power factor so much, but after struggling through some reactive power theory my shed has a power factor of 0.85 haha.
In hindsight I can see why you guys mess your pants in the scrabble to jump on me about the two wire thing, ok sorry maybe its obvious to someone who does this day in day out that the two ends of ring go back to the MCB, my experience doesn't go as far as the CU, mostly just adding a spur or changing to a 2 way switch. I see now it obvious, maybe I was just writing and not thinking.

My position on the regulations is this... I do not want to discus them.. I will pay no attention to anyone wanting to quote me the book because I have the book, the only authority on the rules is the book, anything else is just pointless. My posts point was to start a discussion about the work, have I missed anything, anyone better ideas (and thanks to those suggesting the adaptor box for the SWA, I had thought of that but wasn't sure if it was accepted practice)
I never said.. (didn't get much of a chance to), but of course im going to get it tested, like I said in my first post, I'm competent to do the work I don't need to debate that with you all.
On the same subject, this is a forum for DIY, so you guys got to expect some amateurs, who maybe don't use the same terminology or picture the physical wiring in their head different to an experienced electrician.

I don't not like electricians, I can imagine your sour about me doing the work myself as obviously the moneys not going in your pocket. but really every time I've had work done by a contractor, I say.. I could of done better myself. :)

Blah blah blah you obviously think yourself above everyone else. You dont want to pay to have a proper job done(probably why you have employed muppets in the past). Hope you have no plans on selling your house anytime soon or heaven forbid there is an accident caused by your work. As a side note a presume a big shot mechanical engineer like yourself used a torque screwdriver to tighten the screws in the db to the manufacturers required values.
 
Well Thanks for all the helpful advice guys.. useful as it wasn't, I did it anyway, the local electrician has finished checking and given me the test papers (no install papers obviously) but all's good, well it is now if I hadn't of done it or looked into my houses wiring further then I would still have an overloaded light ring. Whoever built the extension originally and added 10 x 50W halogen down lights onto 1 of the lighting rings effectively doubling its load to 1415W on a 6A breaker. So I rectified that and now have 3 lighting rings about 575W each, also improved the voltage drop on the ring as well which was at 98% of the 3% allowed.

You could have solved the lighting load by changing the 50W halogens for 7W LEDs.

Lighting is not on rings, they are radials. Did not you spark point this out?
 
Haha, no a torque driver was not used, I've screwed enough screws to know what's enough, suffice to say they are correct and no the Mcb frames are distorted so they don't operate correctly. Rings, radials comes down to terminology, as far as I'm concerned schematically it looks like a ring.
I did replace with 35w bulbs but also I had to provide for in the future the kitchen is going to have 10 down lights also.
I'm certainly not above all else, I came to a diy forum looking for diy discussion. You all decided to flame me before correcting my admittiadly poor terminology and discussing my install. If you'd been a bit politer maybe you'd have realised I'm not such a dimwited cowboy and am Infact given some starters able to figure stuff out myself. This is why I don't use forums.
If I posted a photo do you think I'd get any respect.. Doubt it so nah, I'm done. Good day all
 
If you've done a good job, a photo might change some people's minds.

If you're confident with your work, I see no reason not to post a photo
 
Well Thanks for all the helpful advice guys.. useful as it wasn't, I did it anyway, the local electrician has finished checking and given me the test papers (no install papers obviously) but all's good, well it is now if I hadn't of done it or looked into my houses wiring further then I would still have an overloaded light ring. Whoever built the extension originally and added 10 x 50W halogen down lights onto 1 of the lighting rings effectively doubling its load to 1415W on a 6A breaker. So I rectified that and now have 3 lighting rings about 575W each, also improved the voltage drop on the ring as well which was at 98% of the 3% allowed.
As you know I had no test gear, I was using a pessimistic value for Ze of 0.35ohms and calculated L/N + earth resistances to get R1 & R2. I rigged up a known resistance wire with a plug on the end for the sockets and sat at the distb board measuring with the multi-meter and subtracting the known wire, actually tallied quite well. When the electrician came to test his values were obviously more accurate, nether the less taking a pessimistic view gave a min fault current on the lights as 249A and 234A on the sockets.
I didn't know how the fluorescent lights in the shed affected the power factor so much, but after struggling through some reactive power theory my shed has a power factor of 0.85 haha.
In hindsight I can see why you guys mess your pants in the scrabble to jump on me about the two wire thing, ok sorry maybe its obvious to someone who does this day in day out that the two ends of ring go back to the MCB, my experience doesn't go as far as the CU, mostly just adding a spur or changing to a 2 way switch. I see now it obvious, maybe I was just writing and not thinking.

My position on the regulations is this... I do not want to discus them.. I will pay no attention to anyone wanting to quote me the book because I have the book, the only authority on the rules is the book, anything else is just pointless. My posts point was to start a discussion about the work, have I missed anything, anyone better ideas (and thanks to those suggesting the adaptor box for the SWA, I had thought of that but wasn't sure if it was accepted practice)
I never said.. (didn't get much of a chance to), but of course im going to get it tested, like I said in my first post, I'm competent to do the work I don't need to debate that with you all.
On the same subject, this is a forum for DIY, so you guys got to expect some amateurs, who maybe don't use the same terminology or picture the physical wiring in their head different to an experienced electrician.

I don't not like electricians, I can imagine your sour about me doing the work myself as obviously the moneys not going in your pocket. but really every time I've had work done by a contractor, I say.. I could of done better myself. :)
What a load of ********.
 
Funny way of showing appreciation for all the advice he's been given.
 
Put your money where your mouth is, Mr Arrogant and post a picture of your work.
 
Well Thanks for all the helpful advice guys.. useful as it wasn't, I did it anyway, the local electrician has finished checking and given me the test papers (no install papers obviously) but all's good, well it is now if I hadn't of done it or looked into my houses wiring further then I would still have an overloaded light ring. Whoever built the extension originally and added 10 x 50W halogen down lights onto 1 of the lighting rings effectively doubling its load to 1415W on a 6A breaker. So I rectified that and now have 3 lighting rings about 575W each, also improved the voltage drop on the ring as well which was at 98% of the 3% allowed.
As you know I had no test gear, I was using a pessimistic value for Ze of 0.35ohms and calculated L/N + earth resistances to get R1 & R2. I rigged up a known resistance wire with a plug on the end for the sockets and sat at the distb board measuring with the multi-meter and subtracting the known wire, actually tallied quite well. When the electrician came to test his values were obviously more accurate, nether the less taking a pessimistic view gave a min fault current on the lights as 249A and 234A on the sockets.
I didn't know how the fluorescent lights in the shed affected the power factor so much, but after struggling through some reactive power theory my shed has a power factor of 0.85 haha.
In hindsight I can see why you guys mess your pants in the scrabble to jump on me about the two wire thing, ok sorry maybe its obvious to someone who does this day in day out that the two ends of ring go back to the MCB, my experience doesn't go as far as the CU, mostly just adding a spur or changing to a 2 way switch. I see now it obvious, maybe I was just writing and not thinking.

My position on the regulations is this... I do not want to discus them.. I will pay no attention to anyone wanting to quote me the book because I have the book, the only authority on the rules is the book, anything else is just pointless. My posts point was to start a discussion about the work, have I missed anything, anyone better ideas (and thanks to those suggesting the adaptor box for the SWA, I had thought of that but wasn't sure if it was accepted practice)
I never said.. (didn't get much of a chance to), but of course im going to get it tested, like I said in my first post, I'm competent to do the work I don't need to debate that with you all.
On the same subject, this is a forum for DIY, so you guys got to expect some amateurs, who maybe don't use the same terminology or picture the physical wiring in their head different to an experienced electrician.

I don't not like electricians, I can imagine your sour about me doing the work myself as obviously the moneys not going in your pocket. but really every time I've had work done by a contractor, I say.. I could of done better myself. :)

Well first of all, well done for having a go anyway. You seem to have some idea at least of what you are doing - though we would be genuinely interested to see pictures of your work.

This forum will always try to give you the best advice - we have to follow all kinds of regs, and will never (knowingly) encourage you to go against the book.

If this forum ever discourages you from doing something, it is NEVER because we want the work/money for ourselves. It is out of genuine concern and interest in your projects.

But you've done it now. You reckoned you could do a better job - this is your moment of truth - pics please!!
 
He was so confident but still insisted on getting one of those lying, dirty, useless Electrician's to check his work.
 
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