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On another thread @Steptoe commented on my electrical setup: I have had a look around and my RCBOs are to BSEN 61009-1, and I think that it is OK if not quite latest best practice. GIven that the setup meets regs circa 2014 I think I am reasonably happy. A few questions if I may: What is a TT system and a TN system? What are the differences and how can I tell which one I have in place? This is my consumer unit. Ferdinand

Morning, I'm hoping for some advice from this forum, as elsewhere tends to have much less balanced opinions than here. I am undertaking a garage conversion, for which I have submitted a Building Notice (more on this in a moment). Around 1 year prior to submitting the notice and starting work on the conversion, I paid an electrician to upgrade my consumer unit (including running new tails). Now I naively assumed that this work would be self-certified and notified to BC. I received an EIC from the electrician and assumed all above board. (Yes, I didn't know I needed a compliance certificate at the time). Fast forward to my Building Notice and I insisted to BC that I want to do my own installation of circuits within conversion and kitchen as part of my rennovations. They tried to dissuade me, but I said I was happy to pay the (two!) fees for their electricians to test and certify my work. I have now paid these fees. However, looking further into it I've realised that my consumer unit upgrade has likely NOT been notified to BC. In fact, I cannot find the electrician I used on the Competent Person Register or by searching with NAPIT/NICEIC directly. This suggests its unlikely he can self-notify. My suspicion is he either thought, or took advantage of the fact I mentioned I would be doing the garage conversion. To make matters worse I am wholly not convinced by the routing of the tails internally, given my IWI plans. AND he only installed a 10-way board when I asked for 14-way. Fobbed me off when I questioned it. Generally very unhappy about the whole affair.😠 So, I am now in a situation where any BC inspection of my electrical work in the garage/kitchen would likely flag the rather new looking consumer unit in the room. I am worried that I'm now in a very diificult situation. My options seem to be: 1) do the first fix new circuits & get BC round for inspection. Hope they don't notice/don't care about the CU. If they do, I explain my situation and pray for sympathy (unlikely). 2) accept bringing the CU into the scope of BC inspection. This I cannot fathom, as the CU is and has been energised for well over a year. Surely if it were to be in their scope i'd have to de-energise until such time as first and second fixx + testing had been completed by their electricians? This options feels least favourable, unless anyone can advise how this would work in practice? 3) enquire with local electricians holding the NAPIT third-party certification and see what they'd be willing to inspect & test. This being on the basis that IF they certified and notifed my work to BC, I would avoid difficult conversation with BC. Issue with this is they 1) might not agree to certify my work and 2) might not agree to certify the previous electricians work. Is there any other options i'm missing, or have any advice? Thanks in advance

Just to preempt any concerns, all the works below will be carried out by a qualified electrician. In the process of buying a house and just trying to get a head start on planning electrics. As I am trying to eliminate untidy mess is putting a Henly block inside a consumer unit allowed? I only need a 3 way (1 in and 2 out) for 25mm 100A and seems a waste to have yet another thing on the fire resistant board when there is a load of space inside the consumer unit. If not allowed does such a thing as a 3 way din rail connector of this size exist and would this be allowed? Thinking of something like this with 1 x in and 2 x out Or this but for 25mm cables

Sid - from British Gas- came to see me today. And a very nice man he was. Didn't charge a penny. This is what he left me..... and now a bit like @nod on this thread I need to decide on which CU to buy. Or CUs ? - There's the question This installation is in our piggery, some 5 meters from our house. The piggery act as our rubbish store, laundry room and will have the socket which powers the digester, some soffit lights, some lights of its own, a small under sink water heater, and a few sockets. In essence our piggery is the same as most people's garage (but no pig - or car for that matter) Never one to keep it simple if I can possibly make it complex, I'm thinking that the piggery should (must?) have its own CU perhaps? With a separate one inside the utility room in the house. The house is five meters away, and we've already laid the electricity duct between the house and the piggery. Simple question. One CU or two? More? And, if you are feeling kind, please explain why. Thanks

I have a studio[flat] and garage run off the house supply. Solar panels on roof of garage, so solar feeds via its control unit into the studio sub-board. Electrician put in MCB to supply/protect mega ducted underground cable to studio sub-board. There is a lot of potential load here with water heater, mini induction hob, ring main, lights, etc. I have been recommended to have RCBOs in the studio/garage circuits to protect and isolate them individually; tho not for the circuit feeding the solar. I am concerned at the lack of discrimination between MCB in house and RCBOs in studio. What is the preferred option for this sort of circuit?

Just making the panel into which the consumer unit will be fitted along with a 60A switch fused unit and a distribution block. Wondered if I can make this panel out of OSB / plywood or if it needs to be specifically flameproof. Reading the regs it looks like it is just the consumer unit that has to be metal but the 'and similar switchgear' catch all is a worry. Essentially it is a box in one of the internal walls that will house the CU accept the in coming cable and take the outgoing cables away. The switch fused unit is for the in-line water heater. Any insights?

So the time has come to chase the local sparkies and get cracking with wiring out the little house. Hoping to get a few suggestions on what to spec so that I am reasonably well prepared and can shop around for appropriate kit. Always like going into things with eyes open The house is 43m2 total net floor area, divided into a living/kitchen space, a bedroom, a small vestibule/hallway, and a shower room. There is a 25mm service void throughout, which is not insulated. DHW will be by UVC with E7. Direct electric space heating. My thinking so far on the circuits I will need: - 32A ring main covering the living room and bedroom - 5A lighting ring covering all rooms - 16A supply to the sewage treatment system (supplier recommended this due to the starting current on the pump) - 40A (?) for the hob and oven - 32A for other kitchen appliances and sockets (dishwasher, fridge, cooker hood) - 16A (?) for the UVC immersion - 5A (?) for MVHR (it draws something like 60w max so I imagine I want the smallest possible- or can I just spur it off something else?) - heating I'm not sure about, see questions below Questions: - there is a washing machine in the hall, should that go on the main ring or on the kitchen circuit? - with the UVC on E7, does it need two separate supplies for two elements- or does it not work like that? Come to think of it, does an E7 setup need a second CU? That's certainly how it works on my 'Total Control' system in the current house. - I'm yet to make a final decision on heating, but it will be three separate zones. The baseline plan is a panel heater in the bedroom, another in the kitchen, and a towel rail in the shower room. However I am costing up electric UFH mats instead. Either way, looking at a total load of maybe 3 to 4 kw. And of course I'd be looking to use E7 here as well. Thanks, and sorry for the noob questions!

Chatting to the sparky about getting the layout of the circuits sorted and we've decided as previously it will be all RCBO. For an extra £30, is it worth splitting all of the circuits as below..? Bear in mind this is an all electric house which may in the future have solar installed (non-MCS) but only on a south westerly facing roof. Its a 3 bed house, all LED or low energy lighting. Induction hob in the kitchen and electric towel rails in 2 bathrooms along with upstairs electric tile warming (all centrally controlled) and ASHP for DHW and ground floor UFH. Immersion is for boost/legionella cycle.