Domestic Circuits

Discussion in 'Electricians' Talk' started by Raqeeb Ahmed, Aug 6, 2020.

  1. Raqeeb Ahmed

    Raqeeb Ahmed New Member

    Hi guys

    Im rewiring my house at the moment. Aside from increased cost is there any reason why instead of wiring circuits upstairs downstairs etc in to individual rooms is bad? What i mean is if i wired all the rooms in my house to individual rcbo"s for lighting and sockets so all the rooms would be independent of the other.
     
  2. Coloumb

    Coloumb Screwfix Select

    If you're asking such a basic question it makes me wonder about how you have dealt with the complexities of completing a full re-wire.
     
  3. Raqeeb Ahmed

    Raqeeb Ahmed New Member

    Sorry i should be more specific im not an electrician im having my house rewired. The wall are back to brick ceilings are off and im going to find an electrician to do the work. Im just trying to find out if cost is the only issue.
     
  4. Raqeeb Ahmed

    Raqeeb Ahmed New Member

    Yes the builder doing the work has done so
     
    nigel willson likes this.
  5. Coloumb

    Coloumb Screwfix Select

    If you want to run separate circuits to each room there's nothing to stop you but yes, you will need a big cu. You could rcbo each circuit or use a split load, which is a little bit cheaper. Best thing to do would be to ask the spark who does the work.
     
  6. Raqeeb Ahmed

    Raqeeb Ahmed New Member

    The cost is not an issue. I dont mind paying more as long as it protects my family, my property and also is convenient. My old consumer was a wire fuse one and it was always a problem when the fuse blew. Im doing a lot of work to the property and want the best.
     
  7. Coloumb

    Coloumb Screwfix Select

    Well then knock your self out. Good luck.
     
  8. unphased

    unphased Screwfix Select

    Raqeeb SAFETY is not the reason you separate circuits. You could design ONE circuit that would serve everything in the house very easily. However, when there is a fault it is a matter of how much INCONVENIENCE that fault would create. Imagine being completely without power in your house for several hours until a fault can be eliminated. You are trying to be over zealous with your circuits. It is perfectly SAFE to have the tried and tested age old system of upstairs lights, downstairs lights, upstairs sockets, downstairs sockets and so on. It doesn't require further circuit division. If you wanted to take it to the 'nth' degree you could have one single socket per circuit. If you have a very large house then you could divide the circuits a little more but it would need to be huge to warrant that. Just allow the electrician to install the circuits he sees fit. You don't need to get involved.
     
  9. nigel willson

    nigel willson Screwfix Select

    Just don’t tell ur builder/ sparks that money’s no issue
     
  10. MGW

    MGW Screwfix Select

    We are suppose to design the installation not simply stick in wires, and part of the design process is to consider both quality and money.

    So the supply comes into the house an after the meter the first thing it goes to is the isolator, it can be built into the consumer unit, but being independent is better as you can isolate the consumer unit to work on it, or supply multi consumer units with one point of isolation.

    Next is the RCD it can be independent or combined with the MCB, there are many types, but for the home in the main we want 30 mA at 40 mS but also type AC, A, F, and B but the type F and B are rare or non existent with a RCBO so if what you have in the home needs a type F or B the you need at least one RCD feeding MCB even if most circuits use a RCBO, in the main F and B are for electric cars and solar panels.

    Two RCD's are not really enough, the idea is all wires carrying AC current will lose some power through inductance or capacitive leaking, we want that to be under 10 mA, the larger the circuit the more losses, but very hard to calculate, so more done by experience and general size of house.

    Also you don't want the loss of a supply to cause danger, either lights being on same RCD as sockets for any room, or if a RCD will not reset for house holder to need to run extension leads up or down stairs, common sense really, so better if splitting not to be up/down but side to side, so no temptation to run temp leads on the stairs. It also will likely mean better loop impedance figures.

    The radial has to be kept short due to volt drop, so likely 3 rings can cover same area as 5 radials, even with rings I have 14 RCBO's in my house.
     

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