Electrics Help ---- Before I electricute myself

[Pinkfish]

Project Pinkfish will be starting this week, but firstly need to ask a question regarding how to set up the electrics.

This is my Electricity Consumer Unit and from the picture below you can see that there is a spare Circuit Breaker (2nd one in from the left after the main switch.)

I would like to use this to run the electrics for project pinkfish which is located in a large walkin cupboard nextdoor to where the Board is. Is this possible?

What I mean is can I turn the red "Main Switch" off, open the unit and run wire from the spare circuit breaker to the room.

I will be looking to run 1 lighting socket, and about 8 2 gang sockets.

I will be running 2 ocean runner 3500 pumps, 3 maxijets 1200, 15x 39w lights 2x 300w heaters and a few other items, fans, temp control unit (not a chiller) ect.

What amp should I go for in the circuit breaker and also what type of cable would I use? 1mm, 2mm ???





Cheers in advance

Mike

[lr85ninety]

the spare mcb is in the non rcd side so no you shouldnt really use that one. To determine how many amps you need add up all your wattages and divide by 240 that will give you your current then add a little say 2 or 3 amps then you can select the correct mcb. 1.5mm cable is good for 16a although thats pushing it a bit 2.5mm cable will take 26a again thats its max in my opinion (im a qualified electrician) use the spare way with a 20a mcb wired to your cupboard in 2.5mm flat twin and earth cable to a seperate 25 or 20a rcd then wire out to your sockets your appliences pumps and lights etc will be protected by the plug top fuse and supply rcd making you nice and safe!. hope that helps

[Pinkfish]

So just let me see if I got this .... im kinda slow with electrical stuff
Will this do for a RCB Breaker
WYLEX 80A 30mA TRIP RCD IP54 - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WYLEX80A-30mA-...QQcmdZViewItem


Also can I just flick the red switch on the left in the above picture and open up the Consumer Board to connect it all ?

Mike

[Tom2006]

Not sure if your aware but you no cannot legally do any electrical work in your house without an authorised electricians certificate to prove who has done the work. If something ever happens your liable.

[Tangman]

Hi Mike as Tom says you are not qualified to do any electrical work in your house, if you do it and it causes a fire later on you will not be covered by insurance. Any thing to do with Gas or Electric has to be done by a person who has a certificate to work on said items. HTH Twiggy

[MuddyTench]

Found this, it may help clarify the situation regarding what you can and cannot do electrically in your own home according to the new regs:

www.competentperson.co.uk/files/consumerbooklet.pdf

Personally to be on the safe side I would always get a qualified electrician in to do a job if I wasn't 110% sure of what I was doing, JMO :)

HTH

[johnl69]

So just let me see if I got this .... im kinda slow with electrical stuff

Mike

Id have to agree with everyone else on this one i your not confident on what your doing the call in a professional,

With the amount of breakers you already have in your consumer unit you may be better of having a seperate consumer unit fitted just for your tank, Have a word with Trik he does this stuff for a living and often works down your way maybe he could sort something out for you.:D

[moorish]

if you have had no electrical experence then get some advice from an electrician.i have had experience with so called electricians,some i have seen knocking nails through cables and running wires across walls with no covering so its alright saying get a qualified electrician but for every good one there is a bad one so be careful.derek