Workshop wiring.

[ukracer]

Just wondering what switches I will need to replace the heath Robinson setup.I currently have.

I have this currently

I need a lighting circuit.
A socket circuit.
A direct supply (30amp I believe) to the welders and plasma.
And a direct supply to the compressor.

My sons mate will do the connecting but I can't expect anyone other than me to work in the **** tip I call a workshop, putting up cables etc etc.

What do I need to add to the box to make it useable

 

[MetalMonkey]

What do each of the circuits supply currently?
Are you rewiring, looking to change the consumer unit, or add just add in circuit breakers for the new circuits?
Is this board fed from the house fusebox, or separate feed from the main fuse?

Need to really have a bit more information on what it is you have, how it is connected up and what you want to achieve.

 

[ukracer]

Nothing is wired up currently.
The whole place has a 60 amp feed.
It then has more extension leads than they have in B & Q primarily to distribute power.
It's rare to use more than I item at a time.
Most of my tools are cordless.
That box was put up 10 years Go but never actually wired up.
THIS is what I need:

I need a lighting circuit.
A socket circuit.
A direct supply (30amp I believe) to the welders and plasma.
And a direct supply to the compressor.

So it's essentially a fresh start.
I can even buy a new distribution board if its really necessary, but funds are low now after a couple of items breaking in the house the last couple of days.

It might be cost effective to buy new than to buy stuff to fit that wylex if they are expensive.

 

[brightspark]

the breakers are cheap enough about 4 quid and still current . just get a 6 amp mcb for the lights and your in business

 

[Agroshield]

the breakers are cheap enough about 4 quid

Could you just talk him through which curve would be best for each of his circuits. I reckon C for compressor, but I am not sure about welder (I guess inverters do not have high inrush) nor plasma.

Just an observation: you'd be doing well to pull 6A from LED lighting. Strange how breakers have not really moved with technology.

 

[brightspark]

the breakers are b type apart from one just use them and see how it goes as he already has them . if the inrush is too much and trip change for a c type

 

[aesmith]

I have RCBOs in the outbuildings, a both more expensive but theoretically a fault on one circuit should never trip another.

 

[brightspark]

I have RCBOs in the outbuildings, a both more expensive but theoretically a fault on one circuit should never trip another.

how many times do everyone have a lot of faults on there wiring ive only ever had 2 in 40 years and that was plugging in a dodgy drill i bought second hand and just had to unplug and reset trip

 

[MetalMonkey]

Nothing is wired up currently.
The whole place has a 60 amp feed.
It then has more extension leads than they have in B & Q primarily to distribute power.
It's rare to use more than I item at a time.
Most of my tools are cordless.
That box was put up 10 years Go but never actually wired up.
THIS is what I need:

I need a lighting circuit.
A socket circuit.
A direct supply (30amp I believe) to the welders and plasma.
And a direct supply to the compressor.

So it's essentially a fresh start.
I can even buy a new distribution board if its really necessary, but funds are low now after a couple of items breaking in the house the last couple of days.

It might be cost effective to buy new than to buy stuff to fit that wylex if they are expensive.

Is the feed split in henley blocks from the meter or does it go to the house fusebox first and then on to the garage?

The box you have is obviously old, but it has RCD (assuming it works, really needs testing to check it is still operating within spec) and enough breakers for most of your circuits.
You also need to check the busbar arrangement as it looks like it could be a split load board, so how many ways are protected via the RCD?

Sounds like you could get away with just a radial circuit for sockets instead of a ring but you would need a 20A breaker, might save on some cable. Or go for a ring and use one of the B32 breakers you already have.
That will still leave you a B32 for your welder socket and a C32 for your compressor, or vice versa depending on the inrush.

So all you really need is a 6A for the lighting and a few blanks to fill in the holes.
However, it might be worth grabbing a couple of spares in case you want any extra sockets or lighting circuits in the future (think outside light, sockets etc).

When you are buying the breakers, especially if off ebay etc, be aware there is a recall notice out for some of those, they still crop up from time to time:

https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.o...10/electrium-miniature-circuit-breakers-mcbs/

 

[dobbslc]

Just check the busbar has spare ways on it and that it hasn't been cut off at the last MCB in that board.
DON'T stick your finger in to feel if it's there!

 

[ukracer]

Just check the busbar has spare ways on it and that it hasn't been cut off at the last MCB in that board.
DON'T stick your finger in to feel if it's there!

It's off the wall and not connected.

 

[ukracer]

Is the feed split in henley blocks from the meter or does it go to the house fusebox first and then on to the garage?

The box you have is obviously old, but it has RCD (assuming it works, really needs testing to check it is still operating within spec) and enough breakers for most of your circuits.
You also need to check the busbar arrangement as it looks like it could be a split load board, so how many ways are protected via the RCD?

Sounds like you could get away with just a radial circuit for sockets instead of a ring but you would need a 20A breaker, might save on some cable. Or go for a ring and use one of the B32 breakers you already have.
That will still leave you a B32 for your welder socket and a C32 for your compressor, or vice versa depending on the inrush.

So all you really need is a 6A for the lighting and a few blanks to fill in the holes.
However, it might be worth grabbing a couple of spares in case you want any extra sockets or lighting circuits in the future (think outside light, sockets etc).

When you are buying the breakers, especially if off ebay etc, be aware there is a recall notice out for some of those, they still crop up from time to time:

https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.o...10/electrium-miniature-circuit-breakers-mcbs/

It goes to the house fusebox first.

 

[aesmith]

how many times do everyone have a lot of faults on there wiring ive only ever had 2 in 40 years and that was plugging in a dodgy drill i bought second hand and just had to unplug and reset trip

Not very often it's true, but I think more likely in the outbuildings than in the house, and less likely to be noticed right away.

 

[Morrisman]

This is what I have in my little workshop. One ring main for 13amp sockets. One circuit for lights. And one for a 16amp welding socket. All in one neat little metal box.

Supply is via SWA cable from the house, where there was already an extra consumer unit for the power shower, and now the workshop.

The screwdriver is just to hold the lid open, while I balance precarious on my welding trolley taking the pic.

 

[MetalMonkey]

It goes to the house fusebox first.

This seems to suggest it will be fed from a breaker in the house fusebox - so you will need to check the value and type of this, and the cable, as this will limit the supply you can get in the workshop.

 

[aesmith]

And check it doesn't go through the house RCD either.

 

[Onoff]

No guarantees but a few years ago I made an impulse purchase of a some "fully loaded" all RCBO, Wylex consumer units. Screwfix were selling them dirt cheap to Electricfix members only. I think I paid £49.99 per complete board.

Until now I'd forgotten all about them.

I might add they are "insulated" enclosures as in plastic rather than metal. The RCBOs are the tall ones with the fly leads. Seem to recall they were selling them off cheap at the time due to the reg changes to metal CUs.

One might work for you. Another oddity is some of the RCBOs are Type C already.

I'll have a look tomorrow if I remember.

 

[Dave-sparks]

Just an observation: you'd be doing well to pull 6A from LED lighting. Strange how breakers have not really moved with technology.

In what way do you think circuit breakers should have changed?

 

[Onoff]

Found two of them, both the same. A weird spread of MCBs/RCBOs but hey ho:

https://flic.kr/p/2pd1ocf

https://flic.kr/p/2pcXWLv

https://flic.kr/p/2pcZSym

 

[Onoff]

Whip the front cover off of that cu you have there and show us a photo.

You could likely keep it and ditch the RCD in it at the mo. Then I maybe give you a C6 RCBO for the lights, a B32 RCBO for the sockets, B32 RCBO for the plasma & welder. You could have the C40 RCBO for the compressor.

You need to know how your existing set up is fed from the house cu.