Swap type B breaker for type C

[richie00boy]

I have a Volex consumer unit in my house (about 15 years old). The garage is fed from a 16A breaker and the compressor trips it at startup. I was thinking to change the breaker for a type C. Are breaker brands interchangeable?

I have seen a type C 16A breaker on the CPC website, was a bit cheap though so may look for another brand.

Or what about the feasibility of installing a RCBO? I bought a Volex 16A one and it has a type C curve but it looks a bit big (tall) to fit in the consumer unit.

 

[piman]

Hello Richie,

it's worth trying, they are taller than an mcb but should not be a problem to install.

Alec

 

[rtbcomp]

^^ except that you need to feed the neutral through it as well.

 

[richie00boy]

Is is difficult to pick up the neutral in my existing consumer unit - are they meant to go in a different type of consumer unit?

 

[rtbcomp]

I would guess so, an MCB has two connections, an RCBO must have four, L&N in&out

 

[Robotstar5]

The RCBO should fit the busbar in a normal CU, the neutral will be a "pigtail" wire that goes to the neutral bar.

Example

 

[brightspark]

u will find most wylex and some hager breakers and rcbo will fit just take one out and see if they match up underneath on the live conection ,rcbo will fit in and will have a blue neutral fly lead fitted which conects to the neutral bar and a small white earth led which obviously goes to the earth bar the output live and neutral is at the top of rcbo and your cable conects there

 

[richie00boy]

OK will have a go with the RCBO then. I prefer that method as the added RCD protection will be useful for garage/garden power.

 

[Kayos]

Slightly off topic but I was in a house the other day and every mcb was a C type, I've seen them on stair lifts and comedy huge shower pumps but not every one in a normal house, is it a case of "never mind, they will do" ? Or can there be a reason for it? Was a council house that was rewired about 2 years ago

 

[richie00boy]

A 2 year old rewire probably used RCBOs, which are C curve on the current trip but in effect provide better protection due to the RCD so overall is safer. That's my interpretation from my own research anyway.

 

[shedfull]

How big is the compressor ?

How big is the cable to the garage ?

What is in the garage, distribution wise ?

It might be the load from the compressor is bigger than the 16A breaker can supply even if you can fit a C type (which needs a lower loop impedance to meet the regs rcbo ok though) , will the compressor start and run on a different socket in the house, try an extension lead out to the garage.

Didn't see your other post on this

I'd pull a 4mm cable to the garage, up the breaker, and fit a c/u in the garage

 

[richie00boy]

I'm trying to get away with installing new cable as I don't know where it runs through the house, and where it exits the house it goes under the patio to the garage.