Adding circuits to a full DB

[cliffed]

what's your take on adding circuits to a full DB.
Warehouse unit,3p DB,full to capacity,new 3p circuit to be added,client refuses to upgrade DB.
Would you reconfigure a couple of circuits to allow for this new circuit.

 

[Pete999]

No I wouldn't. not unless there was a single 13Amps socket that you could spur from an existing 32Amp RFC.

 

[GMES]

No, tell him to get his hand in his pocket.

 

[westward10]

It is possible you may be able to ditch some if they serve no purpose but otherwise they need to shell out.

 

[ChrisElectrical88]

New board next to it fed from the existong would be his cheapest option

 

[A032701]

see if any two lighting circuits can be put into one breaker. sometimes the lighting circuits are split for convenience e.g upstairs and downstairs and it isn't always unsafe to put them into the same breaker. otherwise just tell him you want to do the job properly and if they arent prepared to pay for it then run away

 

[cliffed]

see if any two lighting circuits can be put into one breaker. sometimes the lighting circuits are split for convenience e.g upstairs and downstairs and it isn't always unsafe to put them into the same breaker. otherwise just tell him you want to do the job properly and if they arent prepared to pay for it then run away

Agree,thanks

 

[cliffed]

New board next to it fed from the existong would be his cheapest option

Yea that’s the best option,will need to switch off & reconnect tails etc.
He’s not gonna be happy,work will either be @ night or weekend.

 

[Blissof89]

When he expresses his disgust with shutting down his site for works perhaps remind him that doing it properly this time round and installing a DB with many spare ways will prevent this problem from happening again in the future.

Edit:

Another option could be to consolidate a few 1P circuits into their own DB fed from the exsisting 3P DB. You could move 4 lighting circuits over to a 1P DB and have enough ways for a 3P MCB and 32A SP MCB to feed the new DB.

 

[westward10]

Yea that’s the best option,will need to switch off & reconnect tails etc.
He’s not gonna be happy,work will either be @ night or weekend.

You are going to lash a new board off the live side of the existing one??

 

[cliffed]

You are going to lash a new board off the live side of the existing one??

No..connector blocks to supply new Db

 

[littlespark]

If you’re doubling up a couple of lighting circuits here and there, and maybe a single point spur onto a ring.... you’re going to have to reconfigure a lot of other circuits to get 3 together for a 3 phase circuit.

No bodge job, @cliffed Tell him it needs to be done right. Got to keep those phases balanced and all that.

 

[cliffed]

When he expresses his disgust with shutting down his site for works perhaps remind him that doing it properly this time round and installing a DB with many spare ways will prevent this problem from happening again in the future.

Edit:

Another option could be to consolidate a few 1P circuits into their own DB fed from the exsisting 3P DB. You could move 4 lighting circuits over to a 1P DB and have enough ways for a 3P MCB and 32A SP MCB to feed the new DB.

Agree,hopefully go for the new Db

 

[cliffed]

If you’re doubling up a couple of lighting circuits here and there, and maybe a single point spur onto a ring.... you’re going to have to reconfigure a lot of other circuits to get 3 together for a 3 phase circuit.

No bodge job, @cliffed Tell him it needs to be done right. Got to keep those phases balanced and all that.

Yea,he’s gonna have to go with the flow.

 

[ChrisElectrical88]

Sub board off the existing board for me, not a henley block. Then move a few circuits over to the new board to make way for the submain breaker.

 

[cliffed]

Sub board off the existing board for me, not a henley block. Then move a few circuits over to the new board to make way for the submain breaker.

Sounds fine

 

[davesparks]

Sub board off the existing board for me, not a henley block. Then move a few circuits over to the new board to make way for the submain breaker.

But you won't get discrimination unless you can get fuse holders to fit the existing board to supply the new board.

 

[buzzlightyear]

see if any two lighting circuits can be put into one breaker

what is that a snakes and ladders ,one circuit only for that .

 

[GMES]

Davesparks just beat me to it, not a good idea to feed one board from another via an mcb.
It only needs a decent fault on the new board and it could easily trip the whole board.

 

[MJPD29]

If I was hard pushed I might be able to find room for a single pole mcb, but not triple pole I'm afraid It would have to be a sub board or new board