Apparently its easy to install a consumer unit ??? Full run through - TIPS - TRICKS - BAD HABITS???
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- Опубликовано: 27 сен 2023
- Installing a BG Fortress consumer unit with time lapse and full installation start to finish.
This took slightly less than one hour and came out okay, giving myself a solid 7/10 lol.
Pros to the board are the included lid holder, rear cable entry plate and price point.
Cons the label sheet, weak DIN rail, lack of tails clamp, lid alignment and fiddly cage clamp on the RCBOs busbar connection.
Every brand gets a fair crack of the whip from me and this is just that.
Check out the fortress datasheet here www.bgelectrical.uk/uk/fortre...
I fitted three of these CUs last year sn none of them included the tool you showed for holding the lid open. I feel deprived, you are a very lucky man to have so many!
Great video Mark, clearest cable management tutorial on a CU I've seen.
Nice to see the pros and cons of the often derided BG board.
Thanks Andy. Was a fun one to make tbh.
Good video Mark. Don't worry about the petty keyboard worriors. Your videos are your videos. They are your expression and your opinion. If people don't like it they don't have to watch.
Don't stop what you are doing due to some narrow minded folk. You know your craft well enough to teach it.
Keep up the great work
🙌💪
Love your videos. You always explain thoroughly your thought process and reasons for doing something in a certain way. I’ve learned loads from you and appreciate the time you put in to your content. Keep up the great work.
Thanks for that! Glad it helps.
Brilliant piece of work!
Hey Mark, thanks for the video, it was very informative and I can see you put effort into the installation. I'm not an Electrician, but I am a Commissioning Engineer who works on industrial electro-mechanical equipment. My industry is extremely heavily regulated with regard to safety. Only qualified professionals are allowed to touch the equipment I work on, but all too often a professional makes a mistake and thankfully the additional safe-guards we have in place prevent a serious injury, or death....most of the time. Were we not to take what I call "best practice" safety steps, I know personally of two incidents within my own team where an innocent assumption could have resulted in millions of £/$/€ of equipment damage, or a 3-phase human fry up.
A couple of people have commented on the bus bar being left exposed in your installation. I know this is behind the cover with blanks installed on the cover. I know that only an Electrician should ever remove the cover, but I understand where others are coming from (though some could have worded it better). Not everyone, professional, or idiot alike does what they should all the time. So, I personally think it's a cheap and easy safety step to insulate the bus bar within the enclosure, even though I agree that it's insulated from the customer when the cover is on.
Every installation I have seen so far had the exposed section of bus bar covered with a plastic strip on the bottom, or where there is a gap between breakers, this exposed section is insulated, or an unused fuse is installed. As you say yourself, you will inevitably have a customer doing something they shouldn't do, so if you are not inclined to leave a magnetic wedge that keeps the fuse board door open for fear the customer will misuse it, would you consider it best practice to insulate the bus bar sections which are exposed if the cover is removed?
Again, thanks for the video. I'll be installing a shed consumer unit and the videos on here are full of useful tips from the professionals. I will of course be leaving the final inspection and connection to the Electrician, because I know it would be all too easy to make a simple and costly mistake when it comes time to energise the circuit.
Cheers Gary, full din rail blanks and proper labelling are always used. But I like to demo what comes in the kits etc.
A few brands have uninsulated or covered busbars BG are one in some of the range.
So it is what it is on that front.
This is actually a demo board at apprentice 121 simulating a small flat for learners to practice within. This video is a reference point as part of that to raise discussion points such as yours.
I have other boards on the channel with similar reviews and what comes out the box.
Cheers
Mark
Thanks for sharing your videos! It's really cool to see how others work, and like you've mentioned before, it's all about sharing and generating leads. Social media is amazing for learning, entertainment, and marketing. Videos give a voice to those who prefer not to write, allowing them to share their knowledge and skills with others. These kind of videos have helped me a lot.
Thanks mate. Totally agree video content is brilliant to share with each other
Tip for getting the db lids on easily... when fitting the din rail, mount it just tight enough so it moves with a little nudge, mount 4 or 5 mcbs onto middle of din rail, fit db lid on and just start the cover screws, the din rail will align with db cover, use a sharpy, and mark either side centre on din rail and db, pop lid back off, check your markings are still in alignment, and tighten down the din rail screws... when you come to fit the db cover when all is finished it will fit like a treat...
That’s a great tip. Thanks for sharing
Or mark the din rail before you strip down the db for fitting. In theory, it should align correctly, but we all know not all db's are equal...
Nicely explained video. 👍
The front cover setting used to be a lot worse on the large boards as the din rail only had end supports and so used to bend really easily. They added centre supports to fix this. As you say, it’s nearly there but still can be a fiddle.
Yes it was a lot worse before. I think tbh my struggle getting the busbar in set that in motion as I didn't quite have the mcbs and rcbos lined through.
Great tutorial, excellent and tidy installation!
Can you post a link to the Knipex flat cable stripper and more importantly, the "weir cropper" you mentioned?
A really tight opening indeed Mark
Thank you for sharing.
Nice tips in there Mark 👊👊👊
Cheers Dan. 🍻
Great video and super useful tips on making inside CU neat and tidy. Much appreciated. What is your view please on stranded vs solid core cable. I believe the cables you worked with in this video are solid core wire. Do you ever use stranded cables in domestic wiring please? Thank you.
In the UK we have stranded cables but they tend to be on final accessory connections such as lighting pendants, immersion elements, heating controls and more recently some EV ultra cables. Those get ferrule crimped on the end. The fixed wiring is generally solid or 7 strand.
Good job
Studying to be a Sparky. This is helpful and interesting. Cheers
Thanks and I hope the study goes well!
I am not an electrician but i have a question regarding the bus bar should the unused ways be insulated. I enjoyed the video of you doing a neat job.
It’s a sensible thing to do and we always fit din rail blanks which cover the busbar. As this is pre testing and final commission we are not at that stage yet. Thanks
Everyone says it’s easy, but I usually encounter a problem and it will take the whole day, 6am till late at night, I’ve only have one easy board change,
and what if you encounter a shared neutral on the lighting, if you can sort it out on the day, Takes a very long time to sort that out
Nice clean demo Mark, I must try your technique of laying down the Neutral fly leads to the bottom of the board and bring them up at the end, I usually try and tuck them under the tops of the ones to the right as I fit the RCBO's, as for the keyboard warriors you know what they can do with a pair of croppers
That's the method I usually go for tbh hide things behind the 1st few rcbos etc. But plenty of space at the bottom of these boards
Hi mark, you mentioned using the Wiha 8 in 1 pliers in another video. Could I ask where you get these from as I can’t find any online or on Wiha’s website.
You are professional of fittings and Dressing cable good explaining 👍
Thank you.
This video has given me quite a bit to think about regarding my attempts of fitting a board to the point where I think I can save half an hour on my next install. One thing I wasn't clear on is how you mark/ identify your cables at the beginning. Did you number them somehow? Thanks.
Hi Paul, yes number the sheeth to identify. With cables coming in the same entry point you can then transfer that cable ends if its busy in the board. Wasn't needed here as cable entry was separated etc. Thanks
Awesome job! I just have one question. When you are connecting the unit to the main line do you do it with power on it? I am about to install a new unit and I am slightly concern that I may miss something important. I am planning to pas one cable at the time so there is no real danger when toching one one of them or even the metallic box with one of them if the other is properly secured, isnt it?
Thanks again for such detailed video.
You need to stop what you are doing and speak to an electrician. Do not do what you suggested that’s for sure
Keep doing what you're doing. There's always going to be people critiquing but from what I have seen it's unjustified.
I use a plastic mirror insulated with sleeving to inspect, found it handy for busbar. Alternatively there's an orange variant available!
Thats a great tip with the mirror. Ive seen the boddingtons ones.
Really great, clear video. I'm considering a career change... from no qualification, to qualified electrician, how long would you say it takes, if you can study full time? Cheers
With the portfolio 2-3 years would be absolute quickest I would say is possible even full time. Plenty are on that path and some told 6 months. Getting the experience is the hard part beyond just the courses etc to complete the portfolio and NVQ.
Hey buddy - I'm not an electrician but just love your channel and your schtick! You do you my friend and don't get involved with the pedants. Phil
Thanks Phil!
What is the difference between the spd and the mcb
Question, please ecplain the function of the component arangement on either side of the isolator switch that was already nstalled on the rail prior to attaching the rail to the enclosure.
You mean the SPD? Surge protection device?
Those Knipex feed through cable strippers, do you have to do anything special to maintain them. I have a pair that i rarely use as they just mangle the crap out of the cable, if i am lucky i get one clean strip then its back to mutilation again.
No mate. Mine just work same as always.
Nice install.how did you protect the meter leads please
What protection would you suggest they require.
@@electrician247 always happy to learn but either in trunking or in wall steel trunking
what's the 2 double live and neutral wires you put in together on the 3rd circuit of the RCBO?
Ring finals
Good job Mark. I have people on the net attacking me, because of dumb reasons, like wiring methods or NEC electric codes, and say I'm wrong about this and that, and just be insulting and rude, and they don't even know me, about my skills and trade knowledge, or education for that matter, but those are just entitled individuals that use Google for their knowledge and education, nothing wrong with that but if they didn't have their phone, they wouldn't be so head strong about every subject. They want you to be nice to them but they get all nasty with you if you don't agree with them.
Sounds familiar John. Tiring sometimes it has to be said. Take care!
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Did you forget to torque up the terminals ?? 🤨 a VDE dental mirror would aid you in the bus bar locating too 👍
No 🤣 it’s almost like we know how to do the job. I covered torque during the video. I always populate and terminate a board pre testing.
I’ve got the inspection mirrors never need them as it’s pretty hard to miss if you know what you are doing.
@@electrician247 ah but complacency can be the ruining of many a good electrical, for demonstrating good practice get the mirror out for these youngsters on the up , theres a good chap 🤣
@@jamiekent1970 feel free to share your own Jamie and I will happily point people at it. Personally I think those mirrors are a pointless gimmick having wasted money on them. It’s deffo not in the apprenticeship framework 🤣🤣🤣
Everything you have asked for is in my other content. Where is yours is the question
@@electrician247 ah you got me there Mark🤣🤣 beside you get too many arses holes criticising the content … happy videoing 👍😎
@@jamiekent1970 get your camera out because for every criticism there is countless more who will value and enjoy your stuff. Same as in the real world.
On the contactum boards they state you should not cut down the neutrals which is kind of ridiculous, have not read the instructions on other C.U’s
Those tails look to be less than 50mm in the fabric.
Possibly but also possibly not. Everyone can look like anything
@@electrician247 That statement makes no sense.
Use DC Lithium SOLAR for LED lights.
Are you not better to put labels under the cover and out of sight no labels on front cover all consumer units
Bending over the CPC's to get a nice clamp? Regs state that the terminal must be filled with 2/3 conductor. That's why you bend them over.
Do you want to quote that reg and I will share it. In a terminal bar with 1mm to fill 2/3 you would need more than doubling over 🤣🤣🤣
If you want to look at the actual fact of the matter different brands have different requirements. Most want conductors under 1.5mm doubled over in terminal bars with no reason to double into a cage clamp.
Hope that helps and your welcome anytime at the academy if you want any further help
Why leave some the buzz bar exposed how dangerous is that
Oh James did you not watch the video properly. DIN rail blanks were discussed and used. Next time I will spell it out for you more clearly 🤦♂️
Tie wrapped neutrals ? Regs!
Which regs are you going for on that? Let me know
T-shirt and gloves,what ever next
Some of us can handle safety and fashion.
I watch these installation videos but why are they on here as you cannot install these unless you are qualified.
Because believe it or not learners watch these videos and crazy enough so do electricians. Who knew. Its called the internet.
Its not a buzzzzzzzzz bar.
Say what you see.
@@electrician247 bus bar not buzzzzzzzz
From France it is a very dangerous installation...what you have done in 13:38 is completely forbidden!! Not acceptable because there is no protection or isolation ...a copper bar installed like that is not very serious from our standards.. it's possible to cut the copper bar to avoid such a weird installation.. NOT ACCEPTABLE AND NON SECURE..I DO NOT APPROVE
No need for caps it’s weird. The busbar is isolated via the main switch, it is insulated and carries blanking modules for future use. Cutting it is both unnecessary and counter intuitive. It represents no danger to skilled electrical workers or operators and is standard practice in UK systems. Indeed this is as per instructions and regulations. I take your point of view but don’t require your approval 💪