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I am fitting a new dual CU that comes with 10MCBs. For those that are unused is it acceptable to just leave them installed but switched off and identified as unused. Or should they be removed and replaced with blanks?
Discuss Consumer Unused Spare ways in the UK Electrical Forum area at ElectriciansForums.net
i keep them installed, as the customers usually like the idea that they have got spare breakers.
and for my sins i keep them switched on, customers usualy only need to access the board to re-set a trip, if spare breakers are down aswell can confuse the clueless.
im sure that iff they are installed correctly then theres no issues, may be wrong
i leave them in, simply because it's all too easy for those stupid clip in blanks to fall out and compromise the IP rating, leaving a hole just right for a child's fingers to poke in and touch the live busbar.
i totally agree, but most CUs come with the clip in ones or none at all. as malc. says, if the customer has paid for a fully loaded board then he gets a fully loaded board.Tel the only place for clip in blanks is the bin they should be banned I fit din mounted always they cant fall out.
J
Surely if your fitting a new board adjacent to it will be a circuit identification chart as required by the regulation 514.9.1 in the big green book ? So users of the installation are aware of points of utilization etc
ATB J
Surely if your fitting a new board adjacent to it will be a circuit identification chart as required by the regulation 514.9.1 in the big green book ? So users of the installation are aware of points of utilization etc
ATB J
i leave them in, simply because it's all too easy for those stupid clip in blanks to fall out and compromise the IP rating, leaving a hole just right for a child's fingers to poke in and touch the live busbar.
Lucky to find a new CU labelled round here let alone a circuit charge
Surely if your fitting a new board adjacent to it will be a circuit identification chart as required by the regulation 514.9.1 in the big green book ? So users of the installation are aware of points of utilization etc
ATB J
Yes of course. Not really sure what this has got to do with the thread though.
Sorry hadn't realised you were policing the forum.
My comment was in reference to how the thread develops and the need for labelling and charts, as the OP mentioned 'Identifying' unused circuits.
Next time I want to post something I will run it by you first ..:32:
J
You could always just buy the MCB's you need!
we prefer to remove unused MCB's and fit blanks....that way it's obvious to even the uninitiated which ways are in use. One of my pet hates is those who scrawl 'SPARE' across an unused way,making it impossible to write on the label in the future if the way is used. If a blank is installed it's obvious it has no function....if you leave an unused MCB in there it's not....hence the inevitable 'SPARE' scrawled by some.:-------:
I take them out and put decent blanks in, i only fit Hager boards so I can always get hold of good blanks. Personally I think It's rough to leave unused MCB's in. If your concerned about the customer having paid for them then give them to the customer instead of leaving them in the board.
Because It's lazy, maybe rough wasn't the right word but I would say it is very poor practice. The breaker is serving no purpose and the average homeowner is an idiot. It may not be labelled but Joe average probably think's it is doing something
I'm so glad you pointed that out to me after all these years .......................
I ALWAYS remove and only for one reason... To stop silly DIYers taking a new circuit into a spare breaker.
Here's an example.
My consumer unit cupboard is rather dark... I know, I'll wire a light in there. That working on a fuseboard looks really easy after watching that spark. It's only a few wires it'll be fine.
Yep, until those few pieces of a 1.5mm scrap cable, ancient light and switch found in the garage end up in a 32A breaker.... One day... BOOM!!!!, neee naaaaa neeeee naaaaaa. Oh hello fireman Sam, not sure what that electrician did when he was here but my fuse board is on fire now, Plleeeeeeeeaaaaase Help????
Because It's lazy, maybe rough wasn't the right word but I would say it is very poor practice. The breaker is serving no purpose and the average homeowner is an idiot. It may not be labelled but Joe average probably think's it is doing something
sorry but i disagree, lazy? which is easyer/quicker connecting a breaker or slaping in a blank, "Very bad practice"? why?
IMHO it would only amount to 'Bad practice' if a copy of circuit details were not left adjacent to board highlighting the fact that (X) breaker was a unused way, this was my whole point of my post regarding regs for circuit identification ( Which someone got arsy with me for ), it's important that an unskilled person knows what to switch of or reset
J
ok i understand the regs, but even without the all important chart, the customer will re-set the breaker that had tripped(would be identified anyway), and if anyone working on the board in the future couldnt identify a spare circuit then, well they souldnt even be there.IMHO it would only amount to 'Bad practice' if a copy of circuit details were not left adjacent to board highlighting the fact that (X) breaker was a unused way, this was my whole point of my post regarding regs for circuit identification ( Which someone got arsy with me for ), it's important that an unskilled person knows what to switch of or reset
J
I take them out and put decent blanks in, i only fit Hager boards so I can always get hold of good blanks. Personally I think It's rough to leave unused MCB's in. If your concerned about the customer having paid for them then give them to the customer instead of leaving them in the board.
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