APPARENTLY IT'S EASY, CONSUMER UNIT INSTALL. ELECTRICIAN UK
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- Опубликовано: 1 июл 2022
- I'm forever told online how easy it is to install a consumer unit, its easy if you know how!
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I've been in the automotive trade for around 40 year sand have forgotten the amount of times people have said that they have read on forums or the internet or from a mate down the pub that their specific job needing doing is easy,usually without them or their mate having a clue about what they are talking about. I used to argue the toss every time,now I just say,"yep,maybe so but its still that price if you want me to do it,if not get your mate to do it,it's easy!"
Great to see these videos though, being informative to help consumers know the difference between a reputable electrician and someone who cares about how it functions and works!
Cracking job you've made of that board,one of the neatest I've seen,it certainly makes a difference cutting down those neutrals as it's less cluttered at the back,great content
One of the best CU vids mate. Top quality and super neat. Hats off to you!
Thank you bro. Appreciate it
Good lil tip if you haven't got that mirror to check the busbar has gone into the holes correctly is to use the busbar itself to push the screws on the bottom of the breakers back
I’m a subscriber from the US and an electrical contractor myself. These are so vastly different from the American counterparts! I am a fan of your videos and I watch to learn how different but similar the installs are. Keep up the good work my friend!
Thanks man. Yeah the difference is crazy 😂
They are easy, try making a wiring loom for a kit car, ECU 63 pins, lights, wipers etc, just going by the pinouts of the plugs, no diagrams.
And then the customer wants an immobiliser fitted too.
Sorry but CU's are, done one, done them all.
I consider it a holiday from automotive diagnostics when I do single and 3 phase wiring job.
hello I am a qualified electrician in France I have 15 years of experience I wanted to come to England to work how much is the salary per day thank you in advance
@@RDavisElectrical hello I am a qualified electrician in France I have 15 years of experience I wanted to come to England to work how much is the salary per day thank you in advance
That is a nice New installation, shame you didn't do ours, we had to pay a proper Electrician firm to come in our New build, strip out the consumer unit check everything and rewire it properly because in their words looked like a Friday afternoon installation, other houses on the 6 house estate were just as bad, now the builder has had to pick up the bill for all 6 rewires, including plaster repairs and decorating, we are all safe now.
this might help mate, when tightening the busbar undo all the bottom terminals fully put the busbar in then push it away from you towards the back of the board then tighten one by one just until they slightly pull the busbar forward then onto the next then retorque up then use the mirror. nice vid once again mate
Has to be one of the best and most entertaining CU videos on here. Cheers Ryan 👌🏻
Thanks mate, appreciate that 👍🏻
Nice clean job as per usual from you mate...
If that cu was 50 mm taller it would be ok for fitting rcbo's other than that it looks like a decent bit of kit..... 👍
A good space to work in always helps when it comes to installing CCU's
Makes it so much simpler
Representing from UK Power Networks official owners of Southern Electric. It's nice to see electricians who remember us by name :)
Embarrassingly neater than mine. The heatshrink sleeving is cool too & so is the slicing tool for the Inner of the swa.
Also the mirror tool is cool too, i use an old vanity mirror that i borrowed from an elderly customer about 25 yrs ago ( approx 2" × 1") i must remember to let her have it back 1 day.
As for All tails, i always do it by hand , give em a good twist and wriggle then i get another full turn... repeat etc, as i have in my time seen rather a lot of tails fall out of meters & cut outs where the elec company rarely do the tight enough.
Great video, thanks. You mentioned you aren't a fan of cable ties so I wondered how you got the rcbo neutral leads so neat and tight up the top? Cheers
The Fusebox consumer units can be purchased with miniature RCBO's to give you loads of space at the top. Also they don't have the functional earth wire either. The Schneider is probably better quality but I went for the Fusebox one for my house as alot of the good youtube domestic sparks seem to swear by them. I'm an industrial electrical controls & software enginneer in a car factory so spent alot of time deciding on this one. Nice neat job 👍
😂 stop it
Fuse box boards are great for the money. An absolute shame the company has been bought out by Robus. I do hope Robus will not cut back on quality and pricing
And the fusebox compact rcbos are type a and double pole meaning car charges can be used 👍
pull the din rail off when you pull the armoured in far easier.
I hope you remembered to earth the SWA cable armoured shield.
Not a fan of them boards with rcbos. Not much room above like you’ve said. With a 25mm earth you could’ve made it easier for yourself putting in the far left terminal perhaps. Good job as always
Cracking bit of information and guidance on how to do DB. Looks like Schneider haven’t considered the height of the board compared to them RCBO’s.
Thanks bro. Yeah could’ve done with miniatures tbh
Good vid mate - good idea with the mirror checking the bottom busbar connections👍
Thanks mate 👍🏻
Irish sparky, we can't fit consumer units under stairs fite hazard, our regs don't allow us . Min height new fuseboard new project 1400 mm to bottom but we use double stack boards , 2150mm to top highest mcb/rcbo
Sparky from US, so interesting to see the different equipment and standards. Keep up the good work.
Yeah I love the difference. Thanks
Hi, nice work there, wanted to know, what gasket did you use on the cable inlet on the back of the CU?
Love the Schneider boards, but find the RCBOs don’t leave much space at the top. Would love if Schneider will bring out some compact ones! Neat job guys 😊
nice tools! expensive but useful, i loved that milwaukee
well done good video good neat job i think maybe next time wire in the SPD some people struggle with this the first time they come across it
10 out of 10
It is easy! Use the plastic ones and get customer to install 90 min rated enclosure
I have done hundreds of swa glands and at the end of my apprenticeship I could do one in 3 mins blindfolded!
You can take off multiple wires at a time when scored (I always use a junior hacksaw to get a deeper score to make this easier and faster). Plus, when you wind out the galvo wires always do them in the direction of the wind as they lay in the cable as this will prevent the ragged dispersion you got when you went the wrong way. A few tips to make this easier I hope. Liked the video. Nice work. When you come back will you seal the entry with intumescent foam into the cavity?
Hi Mate, can you supply a link for the armoured tools you used also the light. Brilliant video 👍
Good video!!! I was always wondering why the recruitment agencies always advertise commercial and domestic electrician, now I understand why after seeing this gentleman terminating the SWA gland! Overall very good video!
Left handed grips 🤣🤣
I’m just coming to the end of my electrical apprenticeship and about to do my AM2S exam is there any chance you could do a video on testing? Love your videos and tiktoks always watching 💪🏼
did you pass your am2 in the end mate?
I would run a earth lead off the SWA locknut too. You could argue it’s earthed through the metal consumer unit box but belt and braces? I like the lock nuts with the teeth that cut into the paint when tightened. They also have a bolt for attaching a earth lead 👍🏻
I said in the video mate that I wasn’t finished, i took a fly lead off the banjo
Hey! The most important bit I needed to know you left it out. How do you measure where to cut the SWA back to for a perfect fit with the gland/board
Skills of being a electrician mate
Lol. If you're a newbie call up the manufacturer of the brass gland / storm gland. Their technical dept will let you know.
If you've been in the game for years, you should be able to work it out by eye.
If it’s an inside gland it’s not so important as the outer sheath covers the armour hanging out from the gland (hopefully just a bit) it more important to get it right on a outside gland. If the armour is too short it a pain to get the sealing locknut on. If it’s too long then the armour protrudes past the gland compromising the seal. It’s just practice really. Try 15mm to 20mm depending on gland type and SWA size.
New to your channel. You’ve done a great job on that consumer unit & thanks for the great tip with the mirror checking the busbar connections. I’ve been using my phone camera with the light & struggling to do so before. All the best 👍🏻
Put the Earth in the left hole (you had enough slack) have routed it along the bottom and up the side of the DIN rail and sorts one issue, perhaps buy single phase cable next time (you do people use the WRONG cable all the time?) and possibly start using piranha earth nuts to tidy things up....
But great video, Schneider lost it IMHO when they dropped the Isobar stuff, full size RCBOs with functional earths are just SO last week, I wouldn't use and un-branded (FuseBOX) CU as I simply would get away with is, but you now have a good choice of miniature, type A, no-earth-wire RCBOs out there and Schneider need to catch up!
Nice one board look the business now it’s all wired up ,I know the wire was a little long but Better thanks being to short. Cheers
Great video 👍🏻 weird question, what music you tend to listen to when youre doing your consumer units?
your videos very important for my future because I am going to sturdy something about wiring works. God bless you dude..!!
What a good video, great quality and good aesthetics in your work, I have learned much more about how you work in the UK. Greetings from Arica (Chile)
(sorry for my bad english, I'm using google translator)
Thank you. I really appreciate it. Your English is good 👍🏻
Nice job! (another sparky using grips the wrong way around lol)😉
Good job , I’d would of filed the paint of the consumer unit before fitting the SWA to get a good earth connection on armour
Job well done 👍🏻
Hi mate. Nice one. Just starting a side hustle doing minor works. What make is your crimping tool. Looking for one that will last and do up to 16mm for when I get more qualified and fit the big stuff =) cheers.
Comes from back in the day, wiring looms and harnesses electronics old school.
Looks a nice board to fit, massive let down on the fly leads tho, big up I enjoyed that 👏
Cheers mate. Yeah the leads are a bit of a downer 😩😂
really nice work. do you leave the busbar like that, or trim it down?
Looks good nice install. Not so sure about the plasterboard fixings though
Non combustible backing board, you do specific fire proof boards, standard board though, not sure, I would say apart from the paper, the plaster is not combustible,
I also hate the plaster board fixings. Had too many problems with them ripping holes in the board when you try to undoo them.
Far from easy to resolve behind a cu.
LOve the mirror ! very neat trick .
Do Schneider do a miniature/compact RCBO? They make it a lot easier on Wylex and Fusebox boards that I've used.
Not that I’ve seen unfortunately
Hello mate. Just came across your channel. Instant subscriber. Really enjoyed watching the video and learning. Currently working my way through the NVQ and planning on getting qualified in 2024. How do you like the Knipex crimping tool? Is it really worth the premium price? Thanks
Neat board, will the banjo be done later?
Looks like a new build, how have you got around the Rcbo switch heights? Definitely aren’t between 1350-1450
Probs not a new build then
Mr Davis loving your work and videos! one quick question could you tell the the name and model number of the tool you're using to strip the twin and earth cables please? thanks in advance.
thanks man, appreciate the support. Knipex auto cable stripper 12 64 180
@@RDavisElectrical thanks really really appreciated.
personally would have used toggle fixings instead of plasterboard fixings, need to get myself a ferrule crimper. good job
Did you get one?
How do you keep your consumer units so neat!🤩
Enjoyed the video as im still learning. Just a question....Did you cut down the excess on the busbar afterwards?
Thanks mate, no i don’t
@@RDavisElectrical Thanks for your reply. Is there a reason for not cutting it down? As I noticed that it's exposed.
I would have drilled and bolted the earth ring / banjo before fitting the switch gear to avoid any accidental damage but otherwise good vlog
I ran out of brass bolts otherwise of would of 😩😂. Cheers 👍🏻
Might be a silly question so I apologise before hand, but how do you know what to mark up the cables as if nothing is fitted in yet?
My brother is a sparkie and done a bit of work on my house and he shows me all the bits because I have a genuine interest in electronics. Honestly, I would not want to install one of these. Thankfully, the law does not permit my stupid ass from doing it! I’ll stick to doing bulbs and switches!
yeah its a bit more complicated then most think 😂
Well done, don’t think I’ve commented before on your vids so I’m giving you the privilege of a supersparks comment.
Thanks man. Appreciate it
Nice job, however did I see no grommet strip around the entry in the back? Looked like it had some sharp points
You need to look closer
@@RDavisElectrical i believe he is referring to the tin within the wall
Nice dude. Main Earth would be good over the other side of the bar out of the way of any circuit protection.
Agree
Nice and tidy job …
Good Job Dav. I'm from Srilanka.
If a customer does not have his kitchen built, can you do a first and 2nd fix?
I mean, add sockets without plastering and leave boxes loose off wall for eye level oven and integrated fridge for customers to bolt to kitchen.
he would have the appliances so you know the loads
Or, do you have to return to see oven bolted in secure etc to allow sign off of certificate?
Just trying to avoid two visits cost if that's possible?
mudah bagi pakar nya bro,buat orang awam mungkin susah,,,salam dari indonesia
So true. Thank you 👍🏻
Good vid. But it’s a busbar. If it buzzes you have issues.
if i can see well you forgot to connect the neutral cable from the bottom side of the main breaker back to the neutral bar! please correct me if I'm wrong. with respect Manos!
Did that grommet strip come with the board?
You live the busbar just there with free prongs hanging out beside the RCDs?
The decorator did a grand job of masking the armoured cable
It’s in a cupboard 🙄
@@RDavisElectrical
Cupboard?
It's under the fecking stairs 🙄
And why are you asking people to like your video and subscribe before even watching it?
@@800Viffer the under the stairs part is now a cupboard.
You don’t watch RUclips much then???
@@ryandavis8064
NOW a cupboard?
You are obviously assuming that I have watched any more of your videos. It is not a cupboard in THAT video.
I watch plenty of you tube but on the basis of your arsey responses it won't include any of your stuff in future.
Bout de cloche
Really enjoyed this video.
Thanks man
Really nice install but a grommet strip on the jagged punch out on the back would have been good to see 👀
It is the grommet strip that makes the knockout look jagged - it's a black strip on a black background which makes it difficult to discern.
Very beautiful work. Very clear and completely different from Germany. Here most of the subdistributions are three-phase.
I would have found one thing even better:
If the consumer unit has to be replaced in a few years, it can be a problem that all the cables are cut to size. Perhaps in this case it would have been better to leave a few handbreadths of cable as a loop tucked into the drywall instead of cutting off all the cables.
Good job 👍
Suggestion, mark each terminal shroud as you torque it.
Industrial sparks here 🙌🏻😂
Industrial sparks here 🙌🏻😂
Top job!
What cable strippers are you using mate?
I'm English but moved to Germany and did my qwals as an electrician here, watching out of curiosity how it is back home and there a quite a lot of differences from the stuff done here despite similar SOPs. Can't say I've even seen an armoured cable here and was curious there is no better way of terminating the armoured splices. Also that the consumer unit has 1 row as standard. Any patient english electrician around to discuss it ? Plus I never see a mains switch in consumer units in the UK, is that just down to costs ?
There is mains switch in all consumer units on the UK but domestically they usually adjacent to the circuits breakers
I know that metal cu enclosures were introduced to limit fire risk but even so, would it not be better to site the cu somewhere other than under the staircase? Apart from that comment, nice job! 👍
Yes it is preferred.
No, tea drinkers have an uncontrollable urge to put consumer units in the most wack-ass and inconvenient places possible.
@@mathiastwp I love a cup of tea me.
Great stuff brob good work plus I'm r davis 😂😂😂😂❤❤❤
I'd put the earthning on the left side, so there'd be more space to do the job.
Hey man, you said you aren't a fan of cable ties in consumer units and I'm just curious why? Great video though
I feel like taking the armoured to the furthest left on the earth bar would of been more beneficial. Consumer unit, mini rcbos without functional earth fly leads would be nice. Definitely not my favourite for domestic installs, much rather FuseBox or Contactum these days. Neat job, did you bother with EV points in the end or not?
Yeah I realised that after I cut it 😂.
Additional board can be added next to meter cupboard easily enough if they want EV 👍🏻
@@RDavisElectrical Always the way! It's good that you can add one next to it, UKPN gets grumpy if we put boards in the meter cupboard and the new builds around here aren't allowed surface consumer units outside the housing (Housing Owners Association setups). You can have a selection of Zappi/Anderson A2 and a couple other EV points currently though.
Hi mate cracking job on the install , considering there isn’t much room inside them Schneider boards I personally favour fuse box and Hager which have more room and I hate those flying leads for the earths
Looking for some advice, I have 3 appliances each allegedly consuming 3050 at maximum capacity, but the wires and my main feed to the consumer unit is getting so hot. I deliberately upgraded my consumer unit so it could handle these appliances. I installed the outlet (Specifically for these appliances) using Prysmian 10mm2 twin and earth, wired to a 50-amp breaker, then installed ANOTHER Prysmian 10mm2 twin and earth, wired to a another 50-amp breaker so there are now 2, one for two lower end of the consumer unit and the other for the higher end. Furthermore, I also have two BG 80A 30mA 2 Residual current device (RCD) installed on the consumer unit and the main feed that powers the consumer unit has a fuse of 100amps.
These appliances are in a container where I linked each outlet to one another so they can draw power from the first one (again, each has its own 50-amp breaker at the opposing side of the consumer unit, one for the upper side and one for the lower side), not sure if that is causing resistance as I even have the powercables with 13amp fuses to power those appliances, but since there is a 50amp breaker for each outlet, I’m still confused.
It's the wrong rcbos 10 KA not 6 KA they are for the big 3phase boards where you need the length of the cables your dist board is very neat
Exellent job sir
Fireborard? Fire putty to seal the holes? Don’t know if you have to but we normally do
All that will be done after I’ve tested it 👍🏻
@@RDavisElectrical ah ok, makes sense
I'm from UK and a certified electrician. Also many other skills. But I have to let this lose my friend those self drilling plugs you are useing are best of drilled straight into dry wall ( plaster board ) you don't need a pilot holl they more stronger if you use a pz2 and drill them straight into the wall. Ps the plastic ones are shite lol go for the metal ones they also have a better head and thread 😉
Can you send some link for them striping cable tools ? Thanks
I like the install but wouldn't use those schneider DBs, too clunky with the functional earth lead and the neutral being excessively long.
Personally I would of used a 25mm split con instead of the SWA. A lot easier to fit, lighter, more flexible, can just use a stuffing gland. When its visible, run a bit of 25mm conduit to give it a little protection.
Non the less, great install.
What sort of cable is that?
@@carlmarquardt994 There's two types of single phase concentric cable, Straight Concentric(CNE) and Split Concentric (SNE).
Single phase Concentric cable is used for sub mains and also for the supply feeding your house. The DNO taps off the main three phase cable in the street(newer installs are a form of waveform cable) and brings a concentric cable upto the cutout.
Both have a Line core in the middle, this can be copper or aluminium, with a single layer of insulation on top.
CNE then has bare copper strands on top, like the steel armour of swa but it serves as the netural and earth. (CNE-Combined Netural and Earth), then a final layer of insulation.
SNE has only a few bare copper strands around serving as the earth and has the rest insulated and marked blue for the netural.
(SNE Separate Netural and Earth).
I would recommend having a look online to see exactly.
Concentric cable is easier to work with, extremely flexible, cheaper and has a smaller diameter overall that SWAs of the same size.
personally I wouldn't as it does not offer any mechanical protection. On another note nice neat DB but I did not notice any fire barrier
Really enjoyed your video first time viewer really neat and tidy job
Thanks mate, appreciate it
Just wondering about the height off the ground seems a bit low , PS I'm not a sparks 👍🇮🇪☘️👋
if the earth is too thick for 1 terminal I split it and connect using two terminals. And why you didn't use 1st terminal on the left to get that 25mm of the way.
great video are them wire strippers knipex have you a product code cheers
Cheers mate. 12 74 180
What wire strippers is that your using on the t+e, they look mint
Mint is a plant. Do you like plants?
how come the cables arent marked with the correct colour from the start? like blue and PE?
Yes dude! You actually show the real shit! Exactly the scenarios you fall into.
Excellent content
The terminal bar can be reversed so the big cable comes in at the left
No banjo from the gland?