Removal of Fuse Box in Shed

Ali195 · 21 Jul 2015 at 16:17

We're taking down a shed this weekend but an existing fuse box is inside.

I can't workout how the cable unconnects from the fuse box. Anyone got some hints on this one, as it's holding up the take down

andicole0 · 21 Jul 2015 at 16:19

The safe thing to say here is that if you don't know about household electrics don't touch.

Andi.

Hades · 21 Jul 2015 at 16:22

Surely you want to disconnect it at the house side first?

Ali195 · 21 Jul 2015 at 16:30

Switched off the fuse box in the house (master) and confirmed no further power via pen type voltage tester.

HardwareGeek · 21 Jul 2015 at 16:52

You want to disconnect the house end first - actually unwire the cable at the house end and make safe into a connector block, you can do this inside the house consumer unit - otherwise if someone turns that circuit on you have a live cable on/under your lawn etc

Also your shouldn't rely on those pen type volt sticks for any more than a rough idea - should use a proper 2 pole volt tester ideally

To unwire the cable at the shed end you unscrew the cover screws top and bottom - pull front cover off - then unwire the live. neutral and earth (if present, maybe using armour only), then take 2 spanners and undo the nut from the gland inside the box and pull cable free

Ali195 · 21 Jul 2015 at 20:39

HardwareGeek said:
You want to disconnect the house end first - actually unwire the cable at the house end and make safe into a connector block, you can do this inside the house consumer unit - otherwise if someone turns that circuit on you have a live cable on/under your lawn etc

Also your shouldn't rely on those pen type volt sticks for any more than a rough idea - should use a proper 2 pole volt tester ideally

To unwire the cable at the shed end you unscrew the cover screws top and bottom - pull front cover off - then unwire the live. neutral and earth (if present, maybe using armour only), then take 2 spanners and undo the nut from the gland inside the box and pull cable free

Thanks a lot, that was a big help in understanding how it hooks up. The consumer unit hasn't been checked since 2002 and so far the electrics in the house have been interesting to say the least. Best i get an electrician out to do this one, don't want to kill myself.

LiGhTfasT · 21 Jul 2015 at 23:25

I'm no electrician but I'd do it myself, make sure the consumer unit is off and then remove the cable that goes to the garage MCB most likely the big black on the top right and leave it outside the unit.

Have a read of http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/how-to/consumer-units/split-load-consumer-unit to get an idea.

bitslice · 22 Jul 2015 at 01:20

I would have expected the armoured cable to terminate into another box with a gland on it, mainly because the cable armour could also be terminated to earth at the consumer unit end.

I'm not sure want the standard installation is supposed to be.

Ali195 · 22 Jul 2015 at 06:40

Oh yes it's the black cable along the top. The previous owner ran it up into the bathroom(specifically underneath the bath itself but whatever because it's thick shielded stuff), then outside the house back down the wall, along the garden. Quite the journey, I guess he didn't fancy ripping up the kitchen floor tiles.

lude1962 · 22 Jul 2015 at 08:44

20 amp supply for the freezer, cor must have been a whopper

LeeUK · 22 Jul 2015 at 11:15

Don't think the CU has been inspected since 1999 but does it really matter, mine hasn't since the 80s.