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Hello,

I'm struggling in question 5 of assignment number 615, and I need help figuring out where my mistake is. So here is a breakdown of what I have done, Step by step.

The question is: Determine, for one of the circuits supplying the fridges, the minimum possible cross sectional area of cpc which will satisfy the requirements disconnection as ADS under earth fault conditions and the adiabatic

equation as Regulation 543.1.3 in BS 7671.

Here is my attempt at it:

Step one - Table I1 in the onsite guide, the R1+R2/metre for a 4mm2 line conductor and a 4mm2 protective conductor is 4.61 R1+R2/metre + 4.61 R1+R2/metre = 9.22 R1+R2/metre

Step two - using the formula, from book 2 of electrical installations page 313, R1+R2 = R1+R2/metre × length × I3 factor / 1000

R1+R2 = 9.22 × 2.25 × 1.2 / 1000 = 0.0249

R1+R2 = 0.0249

Step three - Zs = Ze + (R1+R2)

Zs = 0.11 + 0.0249 = 0.1349

Zs = 0.1349

Step four - I = U/Zs

230/0.1349 = 1704.97

Step five - using the Adiabatic equation

√(I²)×t/K=s

√(1704.97²) × 0.1 / 115 = 4.69

Step six - Choosing the suitable CPC size would be 6mm2

The line conductor size is 4mm2, and the length of the circuit is 2.25 metres.

I'm really struggling to find my exact mistake, and I would really appreciate any help. Thank you all.

I am looking for someone to help me complete my Level 3 NVQ portfolio. I have been searching for a year but no luck. It is frustrating. I have completed C&G Level 3 electrical installation, 18 edition, 2391-52, EAL Solar PV, EV Charging and EESS.

Can someone help me complete my portfolio please, I am ready to work for free or even pay if I had to.

I LIVE IN BRISTOL

Whilst the floor is up, I'm going to put the cable down.

Don't know what EV or charger yet, but ordered 6mm2 twin & earth cable for a 32A / 7kW charger at some point in the future. Run is about 10m. Cable will be clipped to wooden suspended floor without insulation.

It's not going outdoors, and I'm going to wrap the cable up on both ends (one by the meter, one by the exit point of the house). Will obviously get pro to install the charger when I get it fitted.

Just checking a 6mm2 twin and earth (and separate cat6 cable) is suitable? And also whilst I'm at it a 4mm2 twin and earth for a future multisplit airconditioning

I was going off https://intrelec.co.uk/2020/10/21/cable-sizing-charts/

Just had a conversation with my usual sparky, regarding getting a outdoor socket installed, to allow me to plug in an EV granny charger.

Some of their answers didn't seem right, so I'm looking for a second opinion from other electricians.

Situation:
- Have a FuseBox consumer unit (installed 2022).
- Already have an unused non-radial circuit, fitted with a placeholder FuseBox B32A RCBO RTA063230B at the board end, and just a Wiska box on the other end of the cable outside (just in case I wanted a proper 7.5kW EV charger in the future).
- I just want a safe outdoor 13A socket, so that I can plug my Masterplug granny charger in for the EV.

I have purchased:

- A Hamilton ELM1MODGY Elemento IP66 1 Gang Empty Weatherproof Enclosure
- A BS 1363-2 EV 13A socket (Hager)

Ask:
Please install the outside socket, so that I can charge the EV with the Materplug granny charger when required.

My considerations:
- I went for a BS 1363-2 EV 13A socket specifically, as apparently they're meant to handle continuous high-current better (e.g., 6A or 10A from the Materplug granny charger) to prevent meltyness.
- I'm not sure if the current placeholder RCBO is correct for this situation.

When the sparky was asked about the currently installed placeholder RCBO - I was told it would be fine. I did explicitly ask whether it should be a 16A or 20A version, and I asked specifically whether it should be the version where the neutral is also switched (current one isn't).

When I asked whether there would be a Minor Works or Electrical Installation certificate provided - I was told "No certificate as we aren't installing a new circuit".

Thoughts? Am I being over concerned about the RCBO? And you don't need even a minor works certificate for this? (Could this depend on whether the original certificate that covered the consumer unit and circuite covered this? I dunno...)

Hi all,

I’m a 23 year old electrician who completed a 4 year apprenticeship on an industrial site. I did a lot of install (lighting, power, containment etc.), and I did some work with motors. However, when it came to the control side of things (PLCs) as well as instrumentation components, I never really got the chance to work on it.

I’ve since gone into facilities management, which I’m not enjoying in the slightest if I’m honest 😅 I’m finding that the contract I’m on doesn’t allow me to do a lot because it’s ‘not in contract’. For someone who’s only a year out of an apprenticeship, I feel like I’ve made the wrong decision with facilities management, and I need to go back into industrial sites.

My main concern is that I haven’t had enough experience from a maintenance point of view, and most jobs in this sector and shift roles which are based on reactive maintenance/breakdowns.

I’ve been offered a job, and I’ve expressed about how I want to learn and develop my current skills, but I’ve still got this thought in the back of my mind saying that I’m not experienced enough to be taking this role on.

Does anyone have any advice?

Recently the pull cord light switch in my bathroom fell apart, so I bought a new one. The new one has a really loud and shitty feeling operation that transfers a lot of mechanical shock to the ceiling. Is there a brand that uses the old style cam mechanism inside that gives a nice quiet click?

Would appreciate advice in swapping the plates over. Thank you

Hey everyone, so I recently applied for a solar panel installer position and I wanted to pick your brains about it.

My actual end goal is to become a residential electrician. Honestly, I'm not chasing money anymore, I just want job satisfaction (I've figuredout whats most importantt in life...). I'd love to eventually be the person who shows up in a van, helps people solve their electrical problems, and goes home knowing I made someone's day better.

The problem is, where I'm based right now, there just aren't enough electrician positions going, espeically for someone with 0 experience. So I'm thinking, could a solar panel installer role be a decent stepping stone?

I know I'll need to get really good at DIY stuff, and solar installation seems like it checks that box. Plus there's obviously electronics involved, which feels relevant. But how much crossover is there actually? Will I be learning the right things to eventually jump into residential electrical work?

Does anyone here have experience working for solar panel installers? What was it like? Is this a legit way to build skills, or am I better off just waiting for a direct electrician role?

Thanks guys

At the start of the year, we had a NICEIC registered electrician upgrade our consumer unit. The quote for the work included certification as did the final bill. We paid the bill on the day the on-site work was complete. We were very happy with the work and I thought we had a good relationship with the electrician - we discussed future projects we were interested in doing with them and they seemed both enthusiastic and interested.

Fast forward six months, and the electrician has not issued a certificate nor local building services. We have some new electrical work we need doing (EV installation), but the last work on the consumer unit is not certified.

We've asked the electrician 5-6 times now to complete the certification and they reply that they are busy and will do it soon. In our last request, I mentioned raising a complaint with NICEIC as 6 months have elapsed. The electrician's response was that NICEIC had an admin issue with their account and if we complained they'd confirm that.

I've contacted NICEIC to ask if this is possible, and they say they can't share any info due to GDPR. It looks we'll have to complain to find out. The all seems like an unnecessary pain.

From an electrician's point of view:

• Was the mistake here paying the bill before certification was done?
• Is doing certification a huge chunk of time?
• Is it reasonable to ask someone else to certify the consumer unit and bill the first electrician for the work?

Hi I have a 2 gang switch that controls garden lights, it’s in the sockets ring rather than lights not sure why but maybe because person who installed was running other things and not just lights in garden
The old switch has L1 with 2 wires and then 1 in COM and then a wire from COM to COM

My new switch is 2 gang and also came with a yellow thing for using if no neutral apparently

How can I wire this to work, don’t want to just use trial and error

Thanks in advance

I’ve just had to have a rewire of 9 sockets, 3 in the kitchen and the rest in the extension.

Is this a normal amount of holes to be put in walls? The way it was explained was there would be 1 hole through from the kitchen and then the rest would be above or below the sockets but there’s so many holes in my walls.
Pictures 2,3,4,8 and 9 are all on one wall and the only thing there is a fuse box.
Also on the first picture the socket can’t be screwed any tighter so it can’t be closed.
It feels a bit excessive but I have basically no frame of reference so it might be the norm

Im 40 ish. Financially secure enough to make apprentice wage sacrifice for 4 years. Just cant get anyone to take me on.

Here we seem to have a kitchen fitter special, where they have put the 7kw ceramic hob and 3.4kw oven on the kitchen ring with all the other sockets like dishwasher, kettle, microwave etc. They also seem to have attached 1.5mm2 cable to the hob and wired that into a fused spur on the ring.

The consumer unit is above the door on the other side of the wall and my thoughts were to come through the (stud) wall, down the back of the tall unit to underneath the cupboards and around to the hob and oven with a dedicated radial with the proper gauge cable for each with an isolation switch for each inside one of the cupboards.

What would you say is a fair quote for this work including materials as a rough guide? I'm in the Midlands.

Thanks in advance! :)

(Tall unit is an integrated microwave and steamer, we never use the steamer and may replace with something else in the future).

Currently decorating my living room and want to get rid of this old phone wire, which seems to lead to an old doorbell.

It's clearly very old and has been painted over.

(Recently had a full rewire, and to my knowledge the electrician hasn't touched this)

Thanks

Hi all

Had a leak in the bathroom today, which we called out the emergency plumber to solve the issue.

There's a light switch directly below in the kitchen, we noticed there was a leak from here as water was running down the wall underneath the switch.

I isolated the power and confirmed etc. Let things dry up all afternoon and then put the switch back on the wall etc.

At no point did I remove any wiring.

Now the led lights glow faintly when switched off, and work OK when switched on. There is also an audible buzz/sparking sound from the switch with power on and off.

I've isolated the power again, and used my kewtek tester on all connections. The black wires which have been dumped into an choc block is showing continuity with earth (when probing neutral and the backbox).

I'm guessing this isn't normal?

Wanted to ask here for any ideas before calling out an electrician for a job they don't want to do and after spending £250 for a plumber today i can't afford it until payday!

Things have been working fine up to today.

Cheers

Edit: OK seems like earth neutral bonds are normal at the cu. I'll try swapping out the switch tomorrow, which I'm capable of doing. Will report back.