Changing Consumer Unit

OggyMac · Feb 21, 2016

I am currently planning on changing the Consumer Unit in the Boiler Room of my home. The board is 17 years old, fitted with old cartridge fuse holders. I am planning on upgrading to a new amendment 3 (bs7671 - 2015) standard. The problem I am having is that I have no experience of working Live, the incoming tails from the meter box have no means of isolation. They are connected into Black connector blocks just before the Consumer Unit and then doubled together in both connectors and are connected on til 2 80A RCD's. If I can get the tails safely isolated, I know how to do all the rest.
Can anybody here advise me on what my safest option would be to give me peace of mind?

telectrix · Feb 21, 2016

safest option is to get a qualified electrician.

Midwest · Feb 21, 2016

OP looking at your profile and previous thread, I don't think this is within your scope. Best do as telectric said

OggyMac · Feb 21, 2016

I will try get a local electrician to seek help from, or ask the DNO to come out and fit an isolator to allow for future changes

Leesparkykent · Feb 21, 2016

OggyMac said:
I will try get a local electrician to seek help from, or ask the DNO to come out and fit an isolator to allow for future changes

Hi OggyMac, are you registered with a competent persons scheme?

Darkwood · Feb 21, 2016

Hi OggyMac, welcome to the forum, looking at your profile and previous post it seems that you have been involved in other area's of the electrical industry and no doubt you are know that field very well, as domestic isn't your field, you may be better working along side a seasoned spark for a few yrs until you pick things up.

If you want to get a spark in and ask him to make the final connection and check your work that might be the best option as you will have done your first board change and had it checked with obvious pointers from the spark on any issues he finds (if any).

OggyMac · Feb 21, 2016

darkwood said:
Hi OggyMac, welcome to the forum, looking at your profile and previous post it seems that you have been involved in other area's of the electrical industry and no doubt you are know that field very well, as domestic isn't your field, you may be better working along side a seasoned spark for a few yrs until you pick things up.

If you want to get a spark in and ask him to make the final connection and check your work that might be the best option as you will have done your first board change and had it checked with obvious pointers from the spark on any issues he finds (if any).

I think that would be my best bet, I do agree with you on the experience front, I previously worked for a company wiring the Ulster Hospital in Belfast a few years ago but because it was a new build/renovation to an existing building I never had to work live, I like doing dist. board terminations as i had the patience to do it right. I will stick to your advice anyway, thanks!

OggyMac · Feb 21, 2016

Im not registered with that scheme, is it a uk based scheme or how does it work?

Octopus · Feb 21, 2016

OggyMac said:
Im not registered with that scheme, is it a uk based scheme or how does it work?

Where are you based?

OggyMac · Feb 21, 2016

Im in the north of Ireland, whats this got tp do with it?

Darkwood · Feb 21, 2016

Sometimes we have forum members close enough to help you out that's all.

Octopus · Feb 21, 2016

OggyMac said:
Im in the north of Ireland, whats this got tp do with it?

If you are in the UK the dreaded Part P may apply!

OggyMac · Feb 21, 2016

Murdoch said:
If you are in the UK the dreaded Part P may apply!

I sound ridiculous here but Part P? I know its part of the regs but i never looked into what it covers!

OggyMac · Feb 21, 2016

darkwood said:
Sometimes we have forum members close enough to help you out that's all.

I forgot about members who may be local to me on this, thanks for pointing that out.

Risteard · Feb 21, 2016

Murdoch said:
If you are in the UK the dreaded Part P may apply!

There is no Part P in Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, or anywhere else in the north of Ireland (or Scotland)!

Octopus · Feb 21, 2016

OggyMac said:
I sound ridiculous here but Part P? I know its part of the regs but i never looked into what it covers!

As a spark, you need to have a general understanding of all the UK building regs...............this one in particular

OggyMac · Feb 21, 2016

Risteard said:
There is no Part P in Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, or anywhere else in the north of Ireland (or Scotland)!

Thanks for clearing that up for me, Im just going to stick to a local spark for now just to do the tail terminations and I can bang out the rest of the work easily

OggyMac · Feb 21, 2016

Murdoch said:
As a spark, you need to have a general understanding of all the UK building regs...............this one in particular

I must seek further advice on the building regs because when i was doing my training, any exams i done never covered all the building regs!!

Octopus · Feb 21, 2016

OggyMac said:
I must seek further advice on the building regs because when i was doing my training, any exams i done never covered all the building regs!!

The is a publication entiltled something like "The Electricians Guide to the Building Regulations" - well worth buying a copy as it does provide the salient points to sparks in relatively easy to read form!

Leesparkykent · Feb 21, 2016

Murdoch said:
The is a publication entiltled something like "The Electricians Guide to the Building Regulations" - well worth buying a copy as it does provide the salient points to sparks in relatively easy to read form!

I don't think it would help the OP Murdoch as he's from Northern Ireland which have a different set of building regs. http://www.buildingcontrol-ni.com/regulations/technical-booklets A quick look through technical document R page 46 and I think they have different requirements on heights of accessories for example.

Octopus · Feb 21, 2016

Leesparkykent said:
I don't think it would help the OP Murdoch as he's from Northern Ireland which have a different set of building regs. Technical Booklets 2012 ? Building Control NI A quick look through technical document R page 46 and I think they have different requirements on heights of accessories for example.

How stupid can the UK get. Surely 1 set of regs would be best.... no wonder the incomers get confused then don't give a txss!

Martin Kerr · Feb 21, 2016

Generally if your registered in Ireland, it's normally NICEIC or ECA in Northern Ireland or RECI in Southern Ireland
The black connectors your are referring to are , and this is where the spark would generally disconnect the tails when they are carrying out a consumer unit change, but its work that need to be carried out with a bit of care when you are working live

OggyMac · Feb 21, 2016

Martin Kerr said:
Generally if your registered in Ireland, it's normally NICEIC or ECA in Northern Ireland or RECI in Southern Ireland
The black connectors your are referring to are , and this is where the spark would generally disconnect the tails when they are carrying out a consumer unit change, but its work that need to be carried out with a bit of care when you are working live

Thats the correct thing Martin, I am going to buy a REC 2 100amp Isolating switch tomorrow, call NIE and get them to isolate the house supply to enable me to do the switch over or let them do it for me, save a lot of hastle in the future if these amendments keep changing !! Or does NIE provide REC 2 switch upon request?

Risteard · Feb 21, 2016

Martin Kerr said:
Generally if your registered in Ireland, it's normally NICEIC or ECA in Northern Ireland or RECI in Southern Ireland

In fact since the 1st January it has only been legally possible to register with RECI in the south.

Martin Kerr · Feb 21, 2016

I haven't been involved in domestic as a rule but
Generally a competent spark would disconnect the tails from the Isco's , and carry out the consumer unit change without involving the NIE , as the demarcation line from the NIE is normally the tails going into the meter

Martin Kerr · Feb 21, 2016

Can you elaborate on that statement?

Risteard · Feb 21, 2016

Martin Kerr said:
Can you elaborate on that statement?

Which statement?

Martin Kerr · Feb 21, 2016

Not sure what you meant about only registering with RECI and the 1st of January, in regards to a northern contractor

Risteard · Feb 21, 2016

Martin Kerr said:
Not sure what you meant about only registering with RECI and the 1st of January, in regards to a northern contractor

I didn't mention northern contractors. I was saying that since the 1st January RECI has been the only Electrical Safety Supervisory Body (SSB) in the south, and therefore it has only been possible to be registered with RECI in the south. The other SSB was registering anyone and everyone and therefore the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) put out to tender that there would only be one SSB.

RECI won the tender and the other SSB only came third. (An outside company came second.) Therefore RECI is the only show in town in the south now.

In the north it is still NICEIC Approved Contractor and ECA. (I think there may be something like one NAPIT member in the north.)

Geordie Spark · Feb 21, 2016

telectrix said:
safest option is to get a qualified electrician.

Aye, but where the Hell does he find one of those these days?? :

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Currently reading: Changing Consumer Unit

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Geordie Spark

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