/ News & Press / Video / A look inside a British home electrical panel.
A look inside a British home electrical panel.
WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en
00:00:00.149 I'm planning on making a series of 00:00:02.09000:00:02.100 videos showing the electrical 00:00:03.71000:00:03.720 distribution and wiring in a house in 00:00:06.26000:00:06.270 the UK so I thought I'd start at the 00:00:08.45000:00:08.460 very beginning which is of course the 00:00:10.00900:00:10.019 meaning can be supplied to the 00:00:11.18000:00:11.190 distribution board and this is normally 00:00:13.70000:00:13.710 what a consumer would find in their 00:00:15.28900:00:15.299 house they'd find to me nicely to switch 00:00:16.93900:00:16.949 they define to our CDs this one in this 00:00:19.60900:00:19.619 one or GF is and each of those protects 00:00:22.22000:00:22.230 a cluster of circuit breakers that then 00:00:24.20000:00:24.210 feed the final circuit lest he bill it 00:00:26.68900:00:26.699 often this is a very modular system it's 00:00:32.03000:00:32.040 quite good actually some people may 00:00:34.67000:00:34.680 disagree with that let's break that 00:00:36.02000:00:36.030 image up I think it's still focused down 00:00:37.70000:00:37.710 onto here yes it is still focused so the 00:00:41.04900:00:41.059 arrange we've got in here is you bring 00:00:44.47900:00:44.489 the main incoming supply into an 00:00:46.01000:00:46.020 isolator and it's worth mentioning that 00:00:49.29900:00:49.309 the switch with the red toggle on it not 00:00:52.67000:00:52.680 always a red toggle and some of the 00:00:54.86000:00:54.870 really old installations that's just 00:00:56.66000:00:56.670 standard looks like a standard circuit 00:00:58.67000:00:58.680 breaker and when you see it marked 100 00:01:00.50000:01:00.510 amp it makes it look like it's a circuit 00:01:03.17000:01:03.180 breaker it's going to provide protection 00:01:04.10000:01:04.110 it's not and neither are these are CDs 00:01:07.73000:01:07.740 they are march 63 amp that is just the 00:01:10.78900:01:10.799 current rating they will not trip if the 00:01:13.58000:01:13.590 current exceeds that the only thing 00:01:14.78000:01:14.790 that's going to trip the our CDs is a 00:01:16.60900:01:16.619 fault a leakage to earth or ground so 00:01:19.52000:01:19.530 it's worth mentioning that that just in 00:01:21.95000:01:21.960 case people because there have been 00:01:23.45000:01:23.460 accidents where people have used these 00:01:24.95000:01:24.960 thinking they offer that protection and 00:01:26.81000:01:26.820 they don't you do get a version that is 00:01:28.58000:01:28.590 optimized for that called an RC bo let 00:01:31.24900:01:31.259 me show you an RC bo here is an RC bo 00:01:33.98000:01:33.990 looks like a standard circuit breaker 00:01:36.02000:01:36.030 has a little big deal for the neutral 00:01:37.39900:01:37.409 commuter and this one does offer both 00:01:40.46000:01:40.470 over current 40 amps in this instance 00:01:42.35000:01:42.360 with that be tripping characteristic and 00:01:44.60000:01:44.610 also a person offers the 30 milliamp 00:01:47.27000:01:47.280 trip current if there's a leakage to 00:01:49.55000:01:49.560 ground so when you are these I'll lift 00:01:54.62000:01:54.630 this little plastic guard off the bottom 00:01:56.33000:01:56.340 here you get the distribution board with 00:02:01.09000:02:01.100 various accessories it's got a bit of a 00:02:05.53900:02:05.549 which which is quite nice actually it's 00:02:07.45900:02:07.469 a bit of flexible grommet tip for going 00:02:09.32000:02:09.330 round to the Knockouts at the back where 00:02:10.76000:02:10.770 you're bringing the cables and if you 00:02:12.29000:02:12.300 choose to 00:02:12.65000:02:12.660 bringing in the back it's good spear 00:02:14.89000:02:14.900 clipping covers should you decide not to 00:02:18.65000:02:18.660 use all the circuit breakers because it 00:02:20.18000:02:20.190 is a modular system you only use as many 00:02:22.07000:02:22.080 as you want to use so it's got these 00:02:23.36000:02:23.370 that will clip into the front cover if 00:02:25.13000:02:25.140 you have a gap between where a breaker 00:02:28.28000:02:28.290 could have been but isn't and you have a 00:02:30.95000:02:30.960 bus bar that is designed to be cut to 00:02:33.80000:02:33.810 size and inserted and it's designed to 00:02:35.87000:02:35.880 come along the breakers in this case 00:02:38.45000:02:38.460 because this is a split and lowered 00:02:40.10000:02:40.110 consumer unit and this RCD protecting 00:02:43.85000:02:43.860 this group of circuit breakers the bus 00:02:48.02000:02:48.030 bar would go in this Center circuit 00:02:50.06000:02:50.070 breakers and into the RCD and that would 00:02:53.36000:02:53.370 then bridge along from the live output 00:02:55.19000:02:55.200 from the RCD to this group speakers and 00:02:57.77000:02:57.780 likewise the same over here so the 00:03:01.64000:03:01.650 incoming supply comes in here goes 00:03:03.02000:03:03.030 through this isolator comes out the 00:03:05.09000:03:05.100 isolator and goes up to a common neutral 00:03:07.73000:03:07.740 bar now it's important to note that this 00:03:10.07000:03:10.080 can only be used then to feed either non 00:03:13.04000:03:13.050 RCD protected circuits or the our CDs 00:03:15.98000:03:15.990 themselves you'll notice there's 00:03:17.30000:03:17.310 actually three neutral bars on this 00:03:18.68000:03:18.690 traditionally in an old-fashioned 00:03:20.63000:03:20.640 distribution board without our CD 00:03:22.13000:03:22.140 protection it would just have been one 00:03:23.93000:03:23.940 neutral bar for everything but because 00:03:26.15000:03:26.160 these devices that are CDs monitor the 00:03:28.97000:03:28.980 current through the live and then the 00:03:31.04000:03:31.050 current back through the neutral you 00:03:32.44900:03:32.459 have to keep the neutral separate if you 00:03:34.43000:03:34.440 mix the neutrals up if you take a 00:03:35.99000:03:36.000 circuit from here and you put it into 00:03:38.00000:03:38.010 this breakers neutral then there's a 00:03:41.47900:03:41.489 risk that it's going to keep tripping it 00:03:43.43000:03:43.440 for stripping because it's basically 00:03:45.17000:03:45.180 going to interrupt it as a leakage 00:03:47.30000:03:47.310 current nice feature in this one it's 00:03:49.64000:03:49.650 got a little a spirit level built in the 00:03:52.37000:03:52.380 earth bar which is bonded onto the 00:03:54.41000:03:54.420 chassis of the consume unit is common to 00:03:57.32000:03:57.330 all the suckers so we've got the live 00:04:00.35000:04:00.360 and neutral come in and it's notable 00:04:02.63000:04:02.640 that these days this is what's called a 00:04:05.27000:04:05.280 17th edition amendment three consume 00:04:08.27000:04:08.280 unit it's made of metal the previous 00:04:11.21000:04:11.220 ones were made of plastic which 00:04:13.22000:04:13.230 originally in the bad old days they were 00:04:15.83000:04:15.840 all made of metal and then they switch 00:04:17.53900:04:17.549 to plastic because it was cheaper and 00:04:18.97900:04:18.989 easier to work with but there were a 00:04:21.14000:04:21.150 spate of fires particularly after the 00:04:22.76000:04:22.770 part P Fiasco was introduced because 00:04:25.04000:04:25.050 there's 00:04:25.80000:04:25.810 bit of a downfall of someone who's 00:04:27.57000:04:27.580 inexperienced tries putting one of these 00:04:29.46000:04:29.470 together and does a little thing that 00:04:31.89000:04:31.900 results in basically burned connections 00:04:34.26000:04:34.270 and in the case the plastic distribution 00:04:36.39000:04:36.400 boards they'd go completely in a farm so 00:04:38.64000:04:38.650 this is a metal one and likewise there 00:04:40.68000:04:40.690 you've got the tails that come into it 00:04:44.03000:04:44.040 which are generally double insulated 00:04:47.01000:04:47.020 although these look great there's two 00:04:49.02000:04:49.030 layers of insulation 00:04:49.95000:04:49.960 it's the got that I don't know if you 00:04:52.02000:04:52.030 can see that it's got the blue and brown 00:04:55.32000:04:55.330 inner core insulation but then degree 00:04:58.14000:04:58.150 over-the-top it's just there for extra 00:04:59.67000:04:59.680 safety because these are exposed outside 00:05:01.65000:05:01.660 the unit but these air could either come 00:05:04.74000:05:04.750 in through just grommets but preferably 00:05:08.28000:05:08.290 these diesel come in through a gland 00:05:09.65900:05:09.669 like this which has the two large course 00:05:11.96900:05:11.979 for the live neutral and then a hole for 00:05:14.19000:05:14.200 the earth connection well that's my 00:05:15.65900:05:15.669 stomach deciding to chime in here um it 00:05:18.93000:05:18.940 would be nice on this unit if the 00:05:21.12000:05:21.130 Knockouts had been the correct size for 00:05:22.74000:05:22.750 this glen but they're not that's been a 00:05:25.71000:05:25.720 no I don't have to use the double double 00:05:27.75000:05:27.760 air cutter technique touch they go 00:05:29.88000:05:29.890 through one hole and use it to support 00:05:31.46900:05:31.479 while that other one cuts so the output 00:05:33.81000:05:33.820 from the main isolator here after you've 00:05:35.43000:05:35.440 brought you're supplyin goes up to this 00:05:37.56000:05:37.570 common neutral bar that's going to feed 00:05:39.48000:05:39.490 all the our CDs and the live loops 00:05:44.58000:05:44.590 likewise through the our CDs I suppose 00:05:47.55000:05:47.560 really they could have had a separate 00:05:49.05000:05:49.060 live bar up there but that would have 00:05:50.67000:05:50.680 potentially result in quite a lot of 00:05:52.38000:05:52.390 exposed metal so that's probably good 00:05:54.42000:05:54.430 that they didn't so they've got a set a 00:05:56.40000:05:56.410 little tail here l'esprit made with 00:05:58.17000:05:58.180 their crimps that take the two cores in 00:06:01.05000:06:01.060 here and one there but it makes a bit 00:06:03.06000:06:03.070 less versatile for expanding that out to 00:06:05.57000:06:05.580 divide you into other circuits without 00:06:07.83000:06:07.840 actually having to twist wires or double 00:06:10.05000:06:10.060 up in one terminal which is always 00:06:11.27900:06:11.289 better now in each of these you've got 00:06:14.19000:06:14.200 the neutral coming from the common 00:06:16.44000:06:16.450 incoming neutral bar through the 00:06:19.02000:06:19.030 isolator and you get the live lipped 00:06:21.27000:06:21.280 across so goes through the breaker the 00:06:23.01000:06:23.020 live goes along the bus bar but the 00:06:25.26000:06:25.270 neutral goes up to its own bus bar up 00:06:27.84000:06:27.850 here so if you've got a circuit see for 00:06:29.37000:06:29.380 instance we've got the lighting circuit 00:06:31.26000:06:31.270 here which has rated six amps and that's 00:06:33.30000:06:33.310 part of the reason they have these split 00:06:35.01000:06:35.020 load consume units they've got is to 00:06:37.17000:06:37.180 divide the circuits half and half 00:06:38.92000:06:38.930 if one of these breakers trips it 00:06:41.74000:06:41.750 doesn't kill the whole house it doesn't 00:06:43.68900:06:43.699 just that plunge everywhere and split 00:06:45.49000:06:45.500 pitchblack does happen here because I 00:06:47.74000:06:47.750 have I'm on a tt system which does still 00:06:50.52900:06:50.539 have one common breaker for everything 00:06:52.90000:06:52.910 and that does very occasionally happen 00:06:55.33000:06:55.340 in particular if there's an electrical 00:06:56.35000:06:56.360 anomaly outside lightning strikes and 00:06:58.84000:06:58.850 the hail of man are very common for 00:07:00.04000:07:00.050 tripping off rural em are CDs and 00:07:04.42000:07:04.430 tripping the board's own but you'd have 00:07:07.57000:07:07.580 a you're a lighting circuit would come 00:07:10.30000:07:10.310 out there six amps output and it again 00:07:13.65900:07:13.669 it's worth mentioning the do kind of 00:07:17.98000:07:17.990 imply that from the breaker it should go 00:07:21.07000:07:21.080 over the highest current loads leading 00:07:22.68900:07:22.699 to the lowest current load so we got a 00:07:24.10000:07:24.110 14 ampere which could do it could do a 00:07:26.11000:07:26.120 shower it could do a cooker then we get 00:07:28.30000:07:28.310 to 32 s which could do loads like ovens 00:07:31.15000:07:31.160 or ring mean circuits and then we get a 00:07:33.79000:07:33.800 sixteen which could do a radial spur 00:07:35.62000:07:35.630 difference and heating and then we get 00:07:38.02000:07:38.030 the six which is typically used for 00:07:40.57000:07:40.580 lighting and the bus power will go along 00:07:42.85000:07:42.860 it was but this is a thick bus bar I 00:07:45.81000:07:45.820 don't think that's really that critical 00:07:48.15900:07:48.169 what order they're in but you know I 00:07:49.81000:07:49.820 suppose it does make sense that the 00:07:53.27900:07:53.289 minimum current is ultimately enter the 00:07:55.71900:07:55.729 bus bar that by the time it gets down to 00:07:57.52000:07:57.530 the lighting loads it's just one of 00:07:58.60000:07:58.610 those flippant little things I don't 00:08:00.37000:08:00.380 think it's that critical but you'd 00:08:03.15900:08:03.169 connect into your lighting circuit and 00:08:04.60000:08:04.610 then you'd have to make sure that 00:08:06.10000:08:06.110 because this is all for this RC D you'd 00:08:08.68000:08:08.690 then have to come out that matching bus 00:08:10.45000:08:10.460 bar for the neutral for the lighting 00:08:13.02900:08:13.039 circuits neutral on that things worthy 00:08:16.08900:08:16.099 of mention of this is very worthy of 00:08:18.12900:08:18.139 mentioned where's a suitable screw 00:08:19.39000:08:19.400 driver to like this out if you wanted 00:08:24.24000:08:24.250 another arrangement if you wanted a more 00:08:26.50000:08:26.510 critical circuit like if these tripped 00:08:28.36000:08:28.370 out at it cut their something out that 00:08:30.27900:08:30.289 you'd really wanted independent what you 00:08:32.14000:08:32.150 could do you could replace one of these 00:08:34.18000:08:34.190 circuit breakers 00:08:37.14900:08:37.159 with its own either non RCD protected or 00:08:40.93000:08:40.940 you could put in our CD protected one 00:08:43.32900:08:43.339 and this just goes in like a ordinary 00:08:46.21000:08:46.220 breaker but by lipping it's a bringing 00:08:50.98000:08:50.990 it's neutral from with this cable from 00:08:53.43900:08:53.449 the main neutral and also looking at one 00:08:55.80900:08:55.819 of the mean live feeds to this you then 00:08:58.42000:08:58.430 have a complete independent circuit of 00:09:00.00900:09:00.019 all others and technically speaking you 00:09:01.80900:09:01.819 can fill your whole distribution board 00:09:03.55000:09:03.560 with our CBO's 00:09:04.90000:09:04.910 which gives independent our secret 00:09:07.87000:09:07.880 protection and overcurrent protection on 00:09:09.81900:09:09.829 every single circuit it's worth 00:09:11.88900:09:11.899 mentioning as somebody pointed out 00:09:13.15000:09:13.160 recently though these draw one more 00:09:15.04000:09:15.050 teach so if I filled this consume unit 00:09:17.49900:09:17.509 with that or its supposing even I got 00:09:19.87000:09:19.880 rid of these two main ones and used them 00:09:22.05900:09:22.069 as two positions so you could use 1 2 3 00:09:24.04000:09:24.050 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 you could 00:09:28.80900:09:28.819 have 14 ways of indepen protection but 00:09:31.48000:09:31.490 that would mean that the dispersion 00:09:33.43000:09:33.440 board would get quite warm because these 00:09:35.59000:09:35.600 do dissipate one water power each and it 00:09:37.96000:09:37.970 may not so much that the small amount of 00:09:40.62900:09:40.639 power but it all adds up it also means 00:09:43.48000:09:43.490 that these circuit breakers that draw 00:09:44.71000:09:44.720 one watt cost a 1 pound a year to run 00:09:46.84000:09:46.850 just in Crescent current so if you've 00:09:48.87900:09:48.889 got a lot of them it adds up and it's 00:09:50.76900:09:50.779 not significant but you know it's still 00:09:52.96000:09:52.970 you know an ongoing cost of power 00:09:55.92900:09:55.939 consumption which you wouldn't expect in 00:09:57.81900:09:57.829 a consuming it I don't know what these 00:09:59.71000:09:59.720 ones I don't know who know if these are 00:10:00.93900:10:00.949 there much of a standby current I do 00:10:03.00900:10:03.019 know her act of the circuit isn't the 00:10:05.94900:10:05.959 other thing was going to mention about 00:10:06.87900:10:06.889 these is and it's the bucket beer of 00:10:09.16000:10:09.170 mine you know it's partly the reason 00:10:11.05000:10:11.060 that there were so many consumed unit 00:10:13.09000:10:13.100 fires is that when you put the bus power 00:10:16.48000:10:16.490 in you have this little rising clamp 00:10:20.94900:10:20.959 terminal and if I put that in there and 00:10:24.00900:10:24.019 tight now basically speaking let's just 00:10:25.96000:10:25.970 use the wrong screw driver here it 00:10:27.87900:10:27.889 clamps onto the bus bar makes a sound 00:10:29.88900:10:29.899 connection but if I listen that no and I 00:10:33.81900:10:33.829 wish to take that sucker brick road next 00:10:35.35000:10:35.360 I put it in the actual bus bar go down 00:10:38.13900:10:38.149 the back of that terminal where it's not 00:10:41.43900:10:41.449 making electrical connection at all and 00:10:43.03000:10:43.040 when you tightened it up it would feel 00:10:45.37000:10:45.380 like you tightened on the bus barn 00:10:47.13900:10:47.149 because everything else is on the seams 00:10:49.15000:10:49.160 of din-rail here 00:10:50.93000:10:50.940 and they're all clamped on to the busbar 00:10:53.03000:10:53.040 as well it would feel like it was snug 00:10:55.43000:10:55.440 it would hold up quite tight but it 00:10:57.38000:10:57.390 wouldn't be making a proper lateral 00:10:58.73000:10:58.740 connection that can burn there I wonder 00:11:00.86000:11:00.870 how many consumer units are in the UK 00:11:03.35000:11:03.360 that have that exact situation that the 00:11:06.53000:11:06.540 clamp is not on the busbar and they 00:11:09.89000:11:09.900 could already be burning up inside maybe 00:11:12.32000:11:12.330 that is what caused some of those fires 00:11:15.94000:11:15.950 sorry five days is not enough to 00:11:18.95000:11:18.960 completely train someone to be an 00:11:20.60000:11:20.610 electrician and give them approval it's 00:11:24.14000:11:24.150 just one of these things in UK that 00:11:25.85000:11:25.860 money has won over common sense what 00:11:30.98000:11:30.990 else is worth mentioning because these 00:11:32.69000:11:32.700 are now supposedly fire-rated you're 00:11:35.42000:11:35.430 supposed to wear the cable screen the 00:11:37.07000:11:37.080 back you're supposed to use a filler 00:11:38.48000:11:38.490 some people are squirting silicon in 00:11:40.61000:11:40.620 there and that's the vinegary acid 00:11:43.13000:11:43.140 liberating silicon then is smack the lid 00:11:44.90000:11:44.910 in the distribution board and it's full 00:11:46.67000:11:46.680 of acid vapor and that must be having 00:11:49.01000:11:49.020 effect on the electrical contacts 00:11:51.17000:11:51.180 because it's knowing that silicon 00:11:53.21000:11:53.220 trapped inside enclosures like this if 00:11:57.29000:11:57.300 it can't vent if it can't get rid of 00:11:58.82000:11:58.830 it's the acid curing that uses to cure 00:12:01.19000:12:01.200 then that acid vapor does cause 00:12:04.31000:12:04.320 corrosion of metal components wonder if 00:12:05.84000:12:05.850 that's an issue don't know and what else 00:12:10.07000:12:10.080 is worth mentioning about this I mean it 00:12:11.39000:12:11.400 is really very straightforward you've 00:12:13.28000:12:13.290 got your main ice theater you've got 00:12:14.54000:12:14.550 each section has its own individual RCD 00:12:17.90000:12:17.910 GFI which means that all the wiring is 00:12:19.91000:12:19.920 protected as well as the final load does 00:12:22.01000:12:22.020 cause occasional false tripping when you 00:12:25.37000:12:25.380 know or if one item go down particularly 00:12:27.50000:12:27.510 safe wrench you've got cooker on and the 00:12:29.48000:12:29.490 heating element and one of the elements 00:12:31.52000:12:31.530 feels it can't rip out the whole lot if 00:12:33.82900:12:33.839 that happens the procedure for a finding 00:12:36.95000:12:36.960 which is the faulty socket if it's 00:12:38.48000:12:38.490 tripping out continually is turn all the 00:12:40.61000:12:40.620 breakers on that sucker off turn the RCD 00:12:45.20000:12:45.210 on and then set each breaker and wait 00:12:48.38000:12:48.390 for a while and see if it trips and as 00:12:51.32000:12:51.330 soon as you turn it on and that trips 00:12:54.11000:12:54.120 then just leave that circuit off turn 00:12:56.32900:12:56.339 the other ones on and then you can then 00:12:58.01000:12:58.020 at least get rest the power on then 00:12:59.87000:12:59.880 analyse find what is likely to have been 00:13:02.78000:13:02.790 causing that problem 00:13:05.54000:13:05.550 that's more or less it it's actually 00:13:08.00900:13:08.019 quite easy to are they're quite nice to 00:13:09.74900:13:09.759 work on the rugged they're very compact 00:13:12.26900:13:12.279 you can also if you want other functions 00:13:15.30000:13:15.310 because it's using a dinner is that 00:13:17.28000:13:17.290 Ashland International normal you can 00:13:20.18900:13:20.199 also put things like time switches or 00:13:21.66000:13:21.670 transformers inside of though to be 00:13:23.12900:13:23.139 honest I prefer having a multitude of 00:13:25.47000:13:25.480 extra circuits and keep that separate 00:13:28.00900:13:28.019 just because the more circuits the 00:13:30.11900:13:30.129 merrier and I don't like going up to 00:13:33.17900:13:33.189 installations and finding that as people 00:13:35.87900:13:35.889 have added circuits on one after other 00:13:37.94900:13:37.959 they've just gradually filled more and 00:13:40.11000:13:40.120 more wires into a small number of 00:13:41.75900:13:41.769 circuit breakers that's not a good thing 00:13:43.07900:13:43.089 I prefer it to be generously rated so if 00:13:46.41000:13:46.420 I was putting a distribution board in it 00:13:47.79000:13:47.800 anywhere I would always specify the 00:13:50.16000:13:50.170 biggest I could fit in the space a 00:13:51.60000:13:51.610 little bit more money doesn't matter and 00:13:53.87900:13:53.889 I'd also leave circuit breakers and 00:13:55.55900:13:55.569 speer circuit breakers other things were 00:13:57.86900:13:57.879 they've note you used to get a tripping 00:14:01.94900:14:01.959 characteristic circuit breakers but most 00:14:04.35000:14:04.360 of the consumer ones are B that's the 00:14:07.65000:14:07.660 tripping curve is it basically is the 00:14:10.29000:14:10.300 maximum inrush current it can handle you 00:14:13.07900:14:13.089 used to get ones as I say that were 00:14:15.99000:14:16.000 rated for e which had almost instant 00:14:18.99000:14:19.000 trip they didn't tolerate any in rush at 00:14:20.99900:14:21.009 all B tolerate small transformer loads 00:14:23.85000:14:23.860 you get a C version which handles more 00:14:26.49000:14:26.500 inductive or in Russia tight loads and 00:14:28.74000:14:28.750 for industrial applications I think you 00:14:31.01900:14:31.029 can still get the D ones I'm not sure if 00:14:33.15000:14:33.160 they're still available because they're 00:14:34.31900:14:34.329 just indestructible they're not which 00:14:37.43900:14:37.449 isn't a good thing but they are for 00:14:39.72000:14:39.730 really massive inrush current surge 00:14:42.17900:14:42.189 devices like welders but typically the 00:14:45.84000:14:45.850 domestic residents and you ki will have 00:14:47.57900:14:47.589 all be type breakers it's very rare that 00:14:49.71000:14:49.720 they'll change those and if you do 00:14:51.32900:14:51.339 change one to the next type up see for 00:14:54.60000:14:54.610 instance you'd actually have to 00:14:56.22000:14:56.230 theoretically do a test to ascertain 00:14:59.12900:14:59.139 whether the loop impedance was enough to 00:15:01.88900:15:01.899 trip that instantly magnetically in the 00:15:04.98000:15:04.990 event of a fault 00:15:05.73000:15:05.740 these are vickers have two tripping 00:15:08.12900:15:08.139 mechanisms they have thermal for slow 00:15:10.29000:15:10.300 lingering overloads and for 00:15:12.50900:15:12.519 instantaneous fault currents high 00:15:14.30900:15:14.319 currents they've got magnetic so the 00:15:16.25900:15:16.269 magnetical trip hoe in 00:15:17.43900:15:17.449 but in the case of the 16 amp circuit 00:15:19.26900:15:19.279 breaker you could run that at 16 amps 00:15:21.84900:15:21.859 continuously you could probably run at 00:15:23.53000:15:23.540 18 or 19 amps continuously it depend on 00:15:27.06900:15:27.079 the ambient temperature it's not going 00:15:30.42900:15:30.439 to trip until a certain margin has been 00:15:33.00900:15:33.019 exceeded and that the speed at which it 00:15:35.22900:15:35.239 trips it's got a natural curve a chart 00:15:38.16900:15:38.179 associated with it will depend on the 00:15:40.41900:15:40.429 level of overload so for instance if it 00:15:42.51900:15:42.529 was overloaded at C 32 amps twice its 00:15:45.09900:15:45.109 rating that's going to trip a lot faster 00:15:47.31900:15:47.329 than if it was just maybe 20 amps but 00:15:50.34900:15:50.359 yeah the neat modular not overly 00:15:53.01900:15:53.029 expensive these cost less than 100 00:15:54.90900:15:54.919 pounds typically you're for a one this 00:15:58.15000:15:58.160 size you're typically looking somewhere 00:15:59.61900:15:59.629 in the region of 70 or 80 pounds for one 00:16:01.44900:16:01.459 of these complete consumer units with 00:16:03.63900:16:03.649 everything included here but you supply 00:16:06.63900:16:06.649 the tails yourself and the other 00:16:10.28900:16:10.299 fitments anything else worth mentioning 00:16:12.42900:16:12.439 I don't think there is it comes this 00:16:16.09000:16:16.100 little plastic guard which sometimes are 00:16:17.91900:16:17.929 missing and that covers the live bus 00:16:20.59000:16:20.600 parent connections at the bottom and 00:16:23.42900:16:23.439 that's more or less it it's worth 00:16:25.96000:16:25.970 mentioning just because you've turned 00:16:27.46000:16:27.470 you're consuming it off at the isolator 00:16:29.25900:16:29.269 it doesn't mean it's completely dead 00:16:31.15000:16:31.160 always test just in case has been wired 00:16:33.54900:16:33.559 in a weird way and be aware that the 00:16:35.52900:16:35.539 incoming cables are still live so in the 00:16:37.80900:16:37.819 case of this one this terminal here and 00:16:39.93900:16:39.949 any exposed metal down here will 00:16:42.78900:16:42.799 actually be live and if you're a faff 00:16:44.55900:16:44.569 around with wires and they go into that 00:16:46.15000:16:46.160 it could cause a short circuit with the 00:16:48.46000:16:48.470 only thing in line for protection being 00:16:51.15900:16:51.169 the electricity supply companies fuse 00:16:53.43900:16:53.449 the utility company and typically in 00:16:56.07900:16:56.089 this place I'm guessing I'm guessing 00:16:59.47000:16:59.480 this property has a 60 amp fuse because 00:17:01.44900:17:01.459 just of the nature of the electrical 00:17:03.15900:17:03.169 supply and that doesn't say much 60 amps 00:17:06.22000:17:06.230 but at 240 volts equates to a lot of 00:17:09.03900:17:09.049 current it's about 16 kilowatts or so is 00:17:11.62000:17:11.630 that right 00:17:12.27900:17:12.289 just give me a give me a second 60 amps 00:17:14.91900:17:14.929 let's just say 60 amps times 240 because 00:17:19.53900:17:19.549 there's still 240 yeah 14 14 and a half 00:17:23.52900:17:23.539 kilowatts so actually tons of power you 00:17:27.25000:17:27.260 know for things like showers cookers 00:17:29.75000:17:29.760 and other high electrical loads like 00:17:33.11000:17:33.120 ovens all to be run more or less 00:17:35.06000:17:35.070 concurrently and yeah they're quite 00:17:37.55000:17:37.560 smart they've not really evolved a huge 00:17:39.62000:17:39.630 amount 00:17:40.10000:17:40.110 other than divided into the two sections 00:17:42.32000:17:42.330 BAM it's a fairly robust soil designed 00:17:45.80000:17:45.810 in a way I'm kind of glad they've gone 00:17:47.21000:17:47.220 back to the metal cases because I didn't 00:17:50.00000:17:50.010 actually like the plastic ones I thought 00:17:51.38000:17:51.390 they just felt flimsy and it didn't seem 00:17:53.15000:17:53.160 a sensible idea to have plastic 00:17:55.64000:17:55.650 enclosures for electrical equipment 00:17:57.23000:17:57.240 particularly when it's handling in the 00:17:59.15000:17:59.160 region of 60 to 100 amps but there we go 00:18:01.85000:18:01.860 the classic British consumer unit
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