16 Amp circuit

[Tennentslager]

Getting some studwork walls in our new office that I've yer to sign the lease for.

Happy withe joiners quote but he asked along his electrician as we will also have a few sockets and light switches.

Each exiting wall has around 5 double sockets 2,3m apart and have a 16 Amp circuit breaker the mini type. 

Electrician not happy to add three double sockets for the work kitchen area, kettle, fridge, microwave ( be nice to put a slimline dishwasher in too) and wants to rip out and replace the board too for North of £6k.

It's an office for maybe 15 people and use will be laptops and a few pics.

It's got gas central heating so no electric heater.

I know I'll need a second opinion but is this a bad install by the Romanian guys who did the refurbishment for the landlord.

It's got a completion certificate but I have not yet seen it...bit worried about this now

[Alan Ambrose]

Sounds a bit odd. Hard to tell whether you have a good new electrician vs. a very sloppy old one or just new electrician looking for business.

 

Maybe post up a picture of the board here and also chase the certificate? £6K would normally pay for quite a lot of electrical work.

 

I would think that sound basic building electrics should be provided by the landlord, no? Even if you wanted to add a few circuits after.

Edited October 27, 2023 by Alan Ambrose

[ProDave]

If it is a 3 phase board I can easily see it costing that much, but equally it would have to be a very rough 3 phase board to warrant ripping it out and replacing.

 

So it's a 16A circuit for the kitchen at present, I agree that is too small for microwave and kettle, regardless of what diversity says, they WILL be used at the same time.  So that's north of 20A.

 

You need to find if it's just a radial circuit at the moment and of so what size cable.  It could be feasible to convert it to a ring.

 

It is pretty normal for tenants to be responsible for electrics in commercial.  One unit I know which the owner bought for his own use has a REALLY old rewireable 3 phase fuse box well past it's best, but it is still there as no tenant has paid for an upgrade.

[TonyT]

Electrician needs to take a chill pill, worrying about 3 double sockets… in an environment that will likely see no overloading.

 

chasing work.

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