# Consumer Units For Workshop



## Lonsdale73 (16 Jul 2021)

Would this one be adequate?

I plan to have a 1.5kw dust extractor, servicing either a 1kw lathe, 550w bandsaw or 1400w router; the latter will also have a 1300w shopvac working in conjunction with the main DE. Lighting will come from two - possibly more - 48w 600mmx600mm LED panels and I almost always have a radio or something playing in the background and maybe something charging (iPod, batteries, etc)


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## porker (16 Jul 2021)

That unit is for two circuits. One would be your lighting and the other power. Note though that this doesn't have any RCD device in case of an earth fault. A lot depends on what is feeding your workshop - size of cable / proximity from house etc. 
Personally I would want the RCD in close proximity if you get a trip. Most of the tools you mention are quite low load but you might want to consider future provision like a 16A socket and also different class of breaker (eg. type C) for high inrush tools like large saws.
Sorry not a simple answer because there are other factors to consider


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## Lonsdale73 (16 Jul 2021)

porker said:


> That unit is for two circuits. One would be your lighting and the other power. Note though that this doesn't have any RCD device in case of an earth fault. A lot depends on what is feeding your workshop - size of cable / proximity from house etc.
> Personally I would want the RCD in close proximity if you get a trip. Most of the tools you mention are quite low load but you might want to consider future provision like a 16A socket and also different class of breaker (eg. type C) for high inrush tools like large saws.
> Sorry not a simple answer because there are other factors to consider



Thanks for that but I regret you will be sorry as now I have more questions!

I looked at this one which has the option of an RCD and asked the seller what the difference was between the two variants. Must admit I didn't quite understand his reply but read again after reading yours I'm guessing the red switch is simply that, manually operated and won't trip out if there's a fault? He has pointed out it is not 'amendment 3' compliant therefore not suitable for domestic unit. However, the listing does state "*Ideal For Use In Sheds, Garages, Workshops, & Out Buildings*" so would the RCD version be suitable for my needs?

Or can you recommend one that might be? I'm hoping between my battery-powered track saw and a new, properly set up bandsaw that I'll get away without a tablesaw and if I don't it's likely to be something like DW745 or one of the Axminster Craft models.


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## Spectric (16 Jul 2021)

Hi

Because you are having to ask about what dizzy board to use without providing all the relevant info then I would suggest that you get an electrician to undertake the job, may cost more but it will be safe and correct, plus any paperwork will be dealt with. The other factors that must be taken into account are the details of the cable length and Csa, discrimination and more importantly the means of earthing in the building that will be supplying this new board, I will say that you cannot just hook into the existing supply to the household sockets.


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## Lonsdale73 (16 Jul 2021)

Spectric said:


> Hi
> 
> Because you are having to ask about what dizzy board to use without providing all the relevant info then I would suggest that you get an electrician to undertake the job, may cost more but it will be safe and correct, plus any paperwork will be dealt with. The other factors that must be taken into account are the details of the cable length and Csa, discrimination and more importantly the means of earthing in the building that will be supplying this new board, I will say that you cannot just hook into the existing supply to the household sockets.



Hands up, I haven't a clue as to what the relevant info even is (thought I was being clever by looking up the wattage of the devices likely to be installed!) and therefore I have every intention of having a qualified electrician install everything as I want it done right and to last; without killing me in the process would be a bonus. 

The property I'm moving to is so far away that I've only had the opportunity to view it once. The garage runs parallel to the house, maybe three feet apart. I know there is power in there - a light at least, not certain about any sockets as yet. I had it in my head that an overhead cable ran from kitchen to garage (which would place entry towards the rear of he garage) however, photos appear to show a heavy duty cable running up the garage wall near to the up'n'door.


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## Spectric (16 Jul 2021)

Hi Probably a newish build where the builder has given you the basic's in the garage, ie a light and one or two sockets. You need to think further ahead because what you are thinking of today may well change if you get more involved with woodworking, I think it does for many of us and having a decent supply that could run machinery you either have not yet thought of needing or will just buy because it took your fancy is well worthwhile. All the best with your move, is it northwards or going down south.


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## undergroundhunter (17 Jul 2021)

Hi, 
Really it needs an electrician to look at, discuss your needs and they will quote/design for what is appropriate. Depending on the demand there may be need for a bigger supply cable but again an electrician will do the cable calculations. It also depends on where the feed cable comes from. As has been said I would have one or two spare spaces in the board for future use if you need it. 

Matt


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## clogs (17 Jul 2021)

always get a bigger cable, a decent twin circuit fuse board and a 16amp supply, adds value to the property, well makes it easier to sell,and a seperate EARTH ROD next to the workshop....
sorry have a hate complex on long earth leads going back to the board......

just the other day......!!!!!!!!
my incoming mains fuse is outside in a concrete cupboard..power supplied from overhead cables.....somehow the door got opened and the vermin had eaten thru the earth lead and the nuetral to a seperate supply (workshop)


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## Lonsdale73 (17 Jul 2021)

Northward bound. Not had confirmation as to when the property was built but it's certainly not a new build.

Although I will be starting from scratch, it's not my first workshop. I've spent the past eight or nine years creating one here and last few weeks dismantling it all again. Along the way, I've bought the 'wrong' thing plenty of times (no guarantees I'm done doing that!) and the original reason for having one at all has gone so now it's purely for the pleasure of making sawdust. I got into woodturning over the past year and that's going to be it's main purpose, hence big dust extractor, lathe and bandsaw. And my router table, the one thing I haven't sold from my existing workshop. Should I find I really can't live without a tablesaw, best one I've ever owned was a Dewalt site saw so I'll probably go down that route again. Hoping to have some space to actually work in, crammed too much into my last one.


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## MikeJhn (17 Jul 2021)

If you are a lone worker the power requirements inside the workshop could be quite low, only one machine and the extract on at any one time, lights and possibly a work light, notwithstanding that, it would be better to get an electrician to install it all, in a decent size dual RCD or preferably a full RCBO board in case of future needs, the boards that say "*Ideal For Use In Sheds, Garages, Workshops, & Out Buildings*" are generally only for lights and a couple of sockets and would soon have to be replaced as your ambitions progress, talk it through with an Electrician.


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## Lonsdale73 (17 Jul 2021)

MikeJhn said:


> If you are a lone worker the power requirements inside the workshop could be quite low, only one machine and the extract on at any one time, lights and possibly a work light, notwithstanding that, it would be better to get an electrician to install it all, in a decent size dual RCD or preferably a full RCBO board in case of future needs, the boards that say "*Ideal For Use In Sheds, Garages, Workshops, & Out Buildings*" are generally only for lights and a couple of sockets and would soon have to be replaced as your ambitions progress, talk it through with an Electrician.



Something like this?


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## MikeJhn (17 Jul 2021)

That will do the job, but personally I would be looking at a FuseBox full RCBO board without surge protection.


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## guineafowl21 (17 Jul 2021)

Always leave room for expansion - tell your electrician that you’ll be using a lot of motors with large turn-on surges, and may require a C-type MCB.

Ring mains have their detractors, but if properly installed, they are very practical and unlikely to nuisance trip.

So a four-way CU with 6A for lights, 32A ring, 16A (possibly C type) for a blue socket, and a spare, should serve you well.

Consider RCD protection for everything, not just for shock protection but also fire. RCBOs will ensure that you won’t be plunged into darkness if a machine trips.


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## RichardG (17 Jul 2021)

guineafowl21 said:


> Always leave room for expansion - tell your electrician that you’ll be using a lot of motors with large turn-on surges, and may require a C-type MCB.
> 
> Ring mains have their detractors, but if properly installed, they are very practical and unlikely to nuisance trip.
> 
> ...



Totally agree plus I believe the consumer must be all metal construction to meet current regs so don’t go and buy a bargain abs unit, any decent electrician will refuse to fit it.


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## Lonsdale73 (17 Jul 2021)

Sat down to read all your 'safety first' and a cupboard door fell on my head!


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## MikeJhn (18 Jul 2021)

RichardG said:


> Totally agree plus I believe the consumer must be all metal construction to meet current regs so don’t go and buy a bargain abs unit, any decent electrician will refuse to fit it.


Not a requirement to be fire proof, but non combustable;

421.1.201 Within domestic (household) premises, consumer units and similar switchgear assemblies shall comply with BS EN 61439-3 and shall:

(i) have their enclosure manufactured from non-combustible material, or

(ii) be enclosed in a cabinet or enclosure constructed of non-combustible material and complying with Regulation 132.12.

NOTE 1: Ferrous metal, e.g. steel, is deemed to be an example of a non-combustible material.

NOTE 2: The implementation date for this regulation is the 1st January 2016, but does not preclude compliance with the regulation prior to that date.

Also when discussing this with an Electrician do give detailed information i.e. you will at most be using only two motors with high in-rush currents at a time.


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## peterw3035 (18 Jul 2021)

Sorry to highjack, the electrics are a little way off on my workshop project but will be sorted by a qualified/experienced sparky. I don't see that I have a need for a 16A supply at present but what sort of machines may need this if I upgrade in future?


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## Spectric (18 Jul 2021)

The obvious is a planer thicknesser, I have a Record PT107 which required a 16 amp supply, some people have table saws that seem to need a 16 amp supply but my 315mm 3Hp table saw is on a std 13amp socket. It is easier to have one and not use it rather than have to get one fitted later, also as I have said on other post forget the historic ring main, and also use box trunking and singles rather than T&E, gives a better more flexable installation.
As for the dizzy board, it should be made of non combustable material and also all cable entry and exit points sealed so as to contain any thermal event. Again using conduit and trunking helps meet the requirement.


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## MikeJhn (19 Jul 2021)

Entry and exit points on a consumer unit should be by proper glands to maintain the IP rating of the board, use single sockets as they have a better amp rating than dual sockets, 16amp sockets specified by lots of manufacturers for all sorts of reasons, not needed until you draw over fourteen amps, or the in rush current of an induction motor overloads the MCB rating it is on, better to use A rated RCBO's on all workshop circuits IMO.


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## Spectric (19 Jul 2021)

For most domestic applications in the Uk we use type B which trip at 3 to 5 times rated, ie 20A device will trip between 60 and 100 amps. Type A are very sensitive and trip at just 3 to 5 times rated and used only when certain electronic equipment is being fed and are not widely available.


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## MikeJhn (20 Jul 2021)

Spectric said:


> For most domestic applications in the Uk we use type B which trip at 3 to 5 times rated, ie 20A device will trip between 60 and 100 amps. Type A are very sensitive and trip at just 3 to 5 times rated and used only when certain electronic equipment is being fed and are not widely available.


I think you will find you are confusing type A MCB's with type A RCBO's. or RCD's type AC RCD's will certainly trip too early for most uses in a workshop, but then if using MCB's with induction motors usually type D MCB's would be better, but I am a great advocate of RCBO's


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## Spectric (20 Jul 2021)

MikeJhn said:


> but I am a great advocate of RCBO's


That is all I would fit when changing boards, just such a better option not having common RCD's to knock out half the board, now people can worry less about their freezers. I think the confusion comes about because they tend to list them from the overload perspective and not the residual curve, so most suppliers will just list them as say a " Hager ADA316G Small RCBO B Type 16 Amp 30mA 6kA " or EZ9DRB32 - Schneider EZ9D16832 Easy9 32A RCD 1 Pole + Neutral 6kA 30mA type B RCBO with Overcurrent Protection and I did like Schneider. It is only when you look at the spec that it mentions " Earth-leakage protection class: Type A " If they had been more sensible with RCBO's they might have used B-A or C-A to make it obvious.

With Industrial you can get problems because you get situations where an operator needs access to the RCB but is not allowed access to the overload device so RCBO's no use.


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## MikeJhn (21 Jul 2021)

That's the problem with 1 Pole + Neutral it's only the Phase that is operative the Neutral is just dragged along with the Phase on a fault condition.

My favourites are the dual pole Hager RCBO's: Electrical Wholesaler - Search through thousands of electrical products and no fly lead. but they do take up two module space's in the consumer unit, my workshop is in France so have to use dual module everything which I find much more convenient, but does make a three or four row domestic board with all radials and individual specified circuits.

Typical domestic three phase board with RCD and MCB protection, can't find the pic of my RCBO board.


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## Spectric (21 Jul 2021)

As I have said in other post, industrial is so much easier than getting involved with domestic and having all phases and a proper TN-S supply makes design easy. So I have heard Germany uses three phase in many domestic settings for hot water and so is France the same.


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## MikeJhn (23 Jul 2021)

You can get three phase domestic hot water tanks, all mains pressure as well, most rural properties in France are three phase supply, with only 20amps/phase makes it easy to size cable LOL, also makes installing an induction hob easy, mine use's two phase's.


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