Electrical work.

Brandon Russell · 3 Jan 2020 at 17:30

Hello everyone,
I have just bought a small consumer unit from Screwfix this will be to power a few sockets and lights in a shed I am building.

I am no electrician, just done little bits like wiring a socket. I know my little experience from just watching people online and while at a site. I am just trying to figure this out so I understand I have a member who is a qualified electrician coming over at some point in time to check everything is ok before all power cables get fully installed.
But I don't really know what is what and where is where as I have just been going off YouTube videos if I'm completely honest.
So any help at all would be highly appreciated and any facts for future reference etc... As I have a feeling I got everything wrong.

But the main question is how to wire the power cables into the consumer unit as the cable is Brown, Grey and Black and I have been using Blue, Brown and copper (earth) for my sockets so that part confused me and where do they go into this consumer unit to supply power?

Here are a couple photos if it helps, very messy and bad quality so good luck if you can understand where they all lead to haha.

Thanks,
Brandon Russell

RJC · 3 Jan 2020 at 17:39

I would suggest getting your family member (assuming they are qualified) to terminate the cables.

You are missing grommets on the sockets and the consumer unit.

Also it sounds like your house consumer unit has is 3 phase using new colours.

Brandon Russell · 3 Jan 2020 at 17:50

RJC said:
I would suggest getting your family member (assuming they are qualified) to terminate the cables.

You are missing grommets on the sockets and the consumer unit.

Also it sounds like your house consumer unit has is 3 phase using new colours.

Yes he definitely is qualified, does it for a living.

He will be visiting next month as they do not live in the same country as me but he will be most likely taking it all apart and redoing it anyway.
But I do not gain anything from this, I want knowledge and experience.

And Grommets! That's what they are called you legend. Assuming the grommet is the protection around the hole where the wire enters the socket and consumer unit?

mattyy · 3 Jan 2020 at 17:50

Agree with the above. That work should not be shown!

To answer your question the cores are just a different colour than due to three phase. All you need to do is sleeve the cores the colour you require. (Brown,blue,green yellow) make sure the cores are sleeved and connected to the same terminals the other end.

Also sort out the open grommets, dodgy connections, lack of glands, sleeving the earth etc before it’s too late.

Brandon Russell · 3 Jan 2020 at 17:52

Let me just say please do not worry I am not powering this. just connecting it this is 100% not the final result I am going to buy all the new materials for the job to be done professionally and properly.

RJC · 3 Jan 2020 at 17:54

Can you post some images of your main consumer unit showing the cables and colours.

Brandon Russell · 3 Jan 2020 at 18:05

RJC said:
Can you post some images of your main consumer unit showing the cables and colours.

Ok, I think I am going to have to attempt to neaten the wires and take another photo because I can't even label the wires as it is just too messy.
Thank you

Adam_151 · 3 Jan 2020 at 19:28

First of all, note all the points above, re-lack of cable glands, grommets, earth sleeving, etc.

Next, a question, how is the wall going to be finished, you have a metal knockout box fixed to the studwork, but have second fixed the socket before the wall has been boarded, and then have fixed the fuseboard in the middle somewhere (presumably fixed to the classing on the other side, hopefully the screws don't stick out into the garden!), I'm guessing the wall was going to be plasterboarded, but now, for whatever reason it is not?

Mark M · 3 Jan 2020 at 20:01

Oh man that’s horrible. Please don’t connect that to the mains.

peige · 3 Jan 2020 at 20:18

That looks like an awful job, to be honest I don't want to advise you as I don't think you should be doing it at all.

Brandon Russell · 3 Jan 2020 at 22:43

Oh dear do you just go on this forum to write and not read?
I have never done this before I am 19 years old and am trying to get expierence and learn, everybody has to start from somewhere. I have never done this before first time.
This is not the finished result at all just all testing and playing around.
Thank you very much next time people next time please read the posts and don’t answer if you are not going to help.

Brandon Russell · 3 Jan 2020 at 22:55

Adam_151 said:
First of all, note all the points above, re-lack of cable glands, grommets, earth sleeving, etc.

Next, a question, how is the wall going to be finished, you have a metal knockout box fixed to the studwork, but have second fixed the socket before the wall has been boarded, and then have fixed the fuseboard in the middle somewhere (presumably fixed to the classing on the other side, hopefully the screws don't stick out into the garden!), I'm guessing the wall was going to be plasterboarded, but now, for whatever reason it is not?

I was aware of the earth sleeving but just didn’t have them and as it is just a dummy project I did not bother with that part.

But the grommets I will have to try and pick some up soon. Do they have to be air tight or can there be gaps when the wires are through it if you understand what I mean by that.

And also with the cable glands I’m gonna guess that is for the consumer unit cable entry right? Or only for the main power cable?

I am indeed plastering but the sockets are no longer on there I just wanted to try and wire them up to see if I still knew how to do it.
And be honest with the consumer unit positioning I just put it anywhere is there a specific spot it should be.

Sorry also I found it hard to screw the socket onto the back box is this normal with all the wires cramped in the box just asking as it seems very wrong?

RandomMonkeH · 3 Jan 2020 at 23:18

I'm not really sure what you hope to gain by doing this as a "dummy" project. If you want to practice/learn, then start off by doing it correctly from the get go?

If you really want to learn, as in, for a future career - consider doing an apprenticeship - at your age you are in an excellent position to take advantage of that.

If you just want to learn enough to get by and get the project done, then you need to be aware that your qualified family member will not legally be able to sign off your work anyway - assuming qualified means 18th edition.
You would be better getting them to show you how to do it so you are under their supervision.

Your consumer unit feed looks like SWA, which is why you have brown, grey and black - you need to sleeve them appropriately as brown, blue and green/yellow. It also needs a gland. And securing
The T+E is atrocious, no earth sleeving, and can't be stripped back further than the enclosure - terminate it so there is no exposed conductor
There are no grommets on your metal box.

Basically it is a mess, I appreciate you don't know what you are doing - but doing it anyway isn't going to magically fix that.

lemonkettaz · 3 Jan 2020 at 23:25

Why don’t you get your qualified elec pal to come and show you what to do. Because you clearly have no idea

you are creating a potential dangerous installation.

ash_scotland88 · 3 Jan 2020 at 23:27

I don't want to read all the comments but please get a professional to do it.

Beer_MonsterUK · 3 Jan 2020 at 23:36

Sigh, I feel I wasted 4 good years doing an electrical apprenticeship 30 years ago. I should have just made a thread on a computer forum............I don't even know where to begin. Just stop now OP, seriously.

Brandon Russell · 3 Jan 2020 at 23:56

RandomMonkeH said:
I'm not really sure what you hope to gain by doing this as a "dummy" project. If you want to practice/learn, then start off by doing it correctly from the get go?

If you really want to learn, as in, for a future career - consider doing an apprenticeship - at your age you are in an excellent position to take advantage of that.

If you just want to learn enough to get by and get the project done, then you need to be aware that your qualified family member will not legally be able to sign off your work anyway - assuming qualified means 18th edition.
You would be better getting them to show you how to do it so you are under their supervision.

Your consumer unit feed looks like SWA, which is why you have brown, grey and black - you need to sleeve them appropriately as brown, blue and green/yellow. It also needs a gland. And securing
The T+E is atrocious, no earth sleeving, and can't be stripped back further than the enclosure - terminate it so there is no exposed conductor
There are no grommets on your metal box.

Basically it is a mess, I appreciate you don't know what you are doing - but doing it anyway isn't going to magically fix that.

No I am a window fitter haha I enjoy what I do but yeah what you said just want to learn a little to go by.
He is not signing my work off, definitely not. But he is taking it all apart and just gonna do it again the right way, but it’s a month away.

I’m not gonna test it at all as I know it is very dangerous as I do not know what I’m doing.

Ok so from what I heard it is very bad, I did say so myself. I’m just gonna try again taking in everything thanks for the help pal

Brandon Russell · 3 Jan 2020 at 23:58

Beer_MonsterUK said:
Sigh, I feel I wasted 4 good years doing an electrical apprenticeship 30 years ago. I should have just made a thread on a computer forum............I don't even know where to begin. Just stop now OP, seriously.

Yes you did waste quite abit of time brother should’ve done it my way.

darael · 4 Jan 2020 at 00:43

Brandon Russell said:
Yes he definitely is qualified, does it for a living.
He will be visiting next month as they do not live in the same country as me but he will be most likely taking it all apart and redoing it anyway.
But I do not gain anything from this, I want knowledge and experience.

Are they familiar with the UK rules and regulations of electrical safety? If not, I would encourage them to qualify themselves as such.

HSE - Electricity

This whole thing might seem light hearted to you. But it isn't and shouldn't be treat as such.

Beer_MonsterUK · 4 Jan 2020 at 08:25

Brandon Russell said:
He is not signing my work off, definitely not.

I’m not gonna test it at all as I know it is very dangerous as I do not know what I’m doing.

Ok so from what I heard it is very bad, I did say so myself. I’m just gonna try again taking in everything thanks for the help pal

Wow. So, you're not going to get your "project" tested, verified or certified. There goes your parents house insurance when it goes up in flames or leaves you on the floor shaking like a crapping dog.