New DB (additional)

[TheReturnOfHightower]

Hi all,

Apologies it's been a while since I was last here, hope you are all well.

One of my summer jobs is to move a computer room, and it's going to require an additional 3 circuits to power the computers. The board nearest this room has an old 3-phase memshield 1 board that is at capacity.

The way I see it is I have 2 options - install a whole new board for all circuits from this location, or install an additional board alongside this older board. I don't want to do the first option for a couple of reasons - first, it's more work (and I'm stowed off), and second, the school is putting in for funding for a site-wide rewire (so spending money without warrant outside of that funding pledge would be unwise).

So, what's the best way to go about this? The MEM1 board is fed in armour. Is it best to pull the armour back and split it in an adaptable (or some such like) before taking a feed back to the old board and then new board (so like a Y formation). Or would it be better to take the new board's feed from the MEM1 incoming terminals? I can see the pros and cons of both methods, but thought I'd weigh in on things before acting.

Thanks,

 

[telectrix]

coming off the old board incoming terminals might be dicey getting 2 cables into a hole made for one. my preference would be to terminate the existing incoming cable into an isolator (1 point of isolation for the whole install), then tails into henleys, then split tails to old board and new board. if incoming is SWA, an adaptable box to gland off would be my preference.

 

[TheReturnOfHightower]

Never come across a 4-pole Henley

The installation does have a single point of isolation, albeit not at the location but in the main switchgear cupboard.

I guess another option might be to remove a circuit from the MEM1 board, and use that space to create a single-phase distro circuit to a new box, and the new circuit can be installed in that box alongside the 3 new circuits. I'd rather keep it 3-phase for balancing but time and cost is of the essence.

 

[westward10]

I doubt it is balanced anyway. I would go for your latter option, ditch one circuit and reroute to the new board.

 

[James]

If I was going to do this,
assuming the boards are going to be sited next to each other.
I would take the incoming supply to the original board, remove it and use it to supply the new board.
then make a new circuit from the new board to feed the old board.
if you make the new board big enough, the circuits from the old one can be moved to the new one when the funding is available.

 

[westward10]

Is the new board single phase.

 

[TheReturnOfHightower]

I haven't got anything yet, but that would be the cheapest / easiest way @westward10

 

[TheReturnOfHightower]

If I was going to do this,
assuming the boards are going to be sited next to each other.
I would take the incoming supply to the original board, remove it and use it to supply the new board.
then make a new circuit from the new board to feed the old board.
if you make the new board big enough, the circuits from the old one can be moved to the new one when the funding is available.

I like the idea, but it still means buying a big 3 phase board (when this will be funded when the rewire is approved)

 

[westward10]

If the new board is single phase wouldn't surprise me if you could find a redundant way in the old board anyway to utilise for a new supply.

 

[TheReturnOfHightower]

I'd like that very much, but I think from memory the max MCB existing is a 32a type c. That would probably be more than enough actually to feed about 20 computers.