Nicely done and nicely explained. I'm wondering if you are seeing more people use RCBO's these days, instead of MCB's and RCD's? I decided to use them on my last job, because there was limited space. Obviously they cost a bit, but you also get that added overload protection. As the Regs have changed and more RCD's are used, the RCBO option starts to become a bit more feasible.
It is much easier to put the cables into the box and screw it on the wall if you take the DIN-rail with mounted MCBs out first, just 2 screws, then put it back when the cables are tidy. And I prefer the small 4-way neutral connectors that fit in the RCD N-terminal, makes pairing up the neutrals so much easier.
Amazing! Just amazing! Gonna be a while before I attempt this one, but nice to know its just a logical order you follow. Thanks for the DE-Walt drill bit reccomendation - im been looking for a good spade bit. By the way, I also bought the blue 220v tester you recommended from your usb video - bloody awsome!! Few questions though... 1 - How did you turn off the power coming into the house so you could start disconnection of the old power box? 2. How do you test for a faulty breaker? I mean at 11 seconds after your video started when no wires are connected up. How do you know if you have a faulty breaker/fuse? I just wired up my sleep out and i'm only using 2 fuses + a main (Light, Power + main) and there is an intermittent problem with power going off in sleepout but not tripping the power box in there. Nor does it trip the main power box inside the house where the feed is coming from. So when I disconnected the three fuse box in the sleepout and connected the power and light directly to the feed wire bypassing the entire new power box everything works perfectly fine Over a week without any power dropped out or cut-outs. And even the fuse inside the main house trips exactly when it supposed to when I plug-in a few heavy draw items ie heater, toaster, microwave etc. Again nothing was tripping when I ran everything thru the sleepout power box ...no tripping at all from any of the sleepout or main house fuses, just no power outlets or lights working. Power was still coming into sleep out though from main feed. This is why I think it must be either a faulty fuse, or my wiring lol. Thanks Dave - much appreciated.
Loved the video. would like to see how a sub panel distribution board is different than a mains board. i.e which parts are not needed for a shed or workshop at home.
Awesome work Dave, how much would it cost in NZ to install a 32A breaker and a new power plug (conduit) external 6mm cable (7 meters) away from the board?
Hi Dave, have a home built in the 80's. Planing to upgrade the switch board. My power sockets are on 1.5 mm sq cables. Would using 16 Amps MCB's be right or should I drop them to 10 Amps? Thanks mate for putting up the Video. Cheers.
from perth here sparky 2 , mate what a legend mate job well done , I'm not that good to make vedeos like you do i just wish i could have the guts to talk on camera mate. anyways well done mate keep up with great videos mate👍
great work! My wish is would to see a bit more of your throughout the installation. Maybe a bit boring but none the less interesting for the interested! By the way hope and wish you well to you and your family. Brother cheers to share your work, knowledge and time.
Hi, let's just assume that a protection or breakers, so 2 options: the user is 2 and a half meters tall or do you have to have a ladder next to the general board or main box?.. I'm applying for some jobs in NZ and studying AS/NZS 3000:2007 - Standards New Zealand and I can't find security in the installation, is this really accepted like this in NZ? In Chile I carry out projects under decree law 8 (DS-8-2019) and to register with the EWRB and validate my titles in NZ, under the supervision of a certified Electrician with full registration, is that so? I know that each country has its specific laws, but I have worked for more than 25 years and at Codelco Chile in mining and there are universal and international concepts IECC, IEC, etc. by which we are also governed in Chile
Dave im running my shed off a extension lead for now which runs off the main board but when i hook the MEN up it trips the RCD and RCD in the main cabin where the mains comes from it does not have a MEN link also would that be why ? Both have separate main earths....Cheers Brett
Jesus christ she a hairy beast. And here I am stressing over my polytech neat wiring but in the real world this is what we would really be dealing with.
How come you did the new board so high? Doesn’t main switch have to be below 2m? Also, did you get this inspected - as you worked on mains, MEC and MEN? Serious questions as I’m in a similar position and no one can give me a clean cut answer…
This work is classified as maintaining an existing 63A switchboard, by replacing switchgear, and does not require an inspection. If you were extending cables to move the switchboard lower or to a different location, or increasing the capacity of the switchboard (ie. upgrading from single to 3 phase) then this would have to be inspected as you are altering the mains cables. Main switch in any new installation must be below 2m in height, however a main switch already in service (ie. before the regulation existed in New Zealand, already met the current regulations at the time of install) would not require relocation when replacing for maintenance or replacing if damaged. Cheers.
Those screwdrivers you referto are called "Terminal Block Screwdrivers #1 and #2 and when you've used them you'll never do what you are doing here,I've introduced about 30 sparkies to them and every oneis a huge convert as well as myself, made by WIHA,nothing comes near them
In Australia & NZ we use the multiple earth neutral system, which is the MEN link you're enquiring about. In short it brings the neutral and earth's to the same potential (voltage) .
Great video mate ,Where i am in western australia we continue to see big fines to electrical contractors/workers leaving the MEN out,Some of these contractors contest the ruling/prosecution from energy safety,They have clearly not tested the installation before energisation,To the consumer out there check these businesses on line with the authorities for prosecution's as they cause many electrical incidents
In both NZ and Auz we use the MEN (Multiple Earthed Neutral) system where Earth and Neutral are connected at all main switchboards and supplying transformers. Fault currents always travel back through the Earth to the Neutral supply, and having the Neutral connected directly to the Earth bar creates an excellent low resistant path back to the Neutral supply. If you know ohms law - low resistance = high current (at 240v), the low resistance path direct to the Neutral conductor creates a very high fault current ensuring it would be high enough to trip the circuit breaker at the switchboard. With no MEN link the fault current would tavel through the Earth to the nearest MEN link (potentially a neighbours house) and back through the network neutral to your switchboard where the higher resistance from the longer path taken (ohms law - high resistance = low current) in the circuit may not create a high enough current to trip circuit breakers, so a potentially lethal voltage may be present at the faulty appliance. Hope that wasnt too indepth to understand, cheers
I have a granny flat in my backyard and in the power supply sub-board there is no Earth going to Neutral is this due to the fact that it's in my main house switchboard ??
@@hurleymatthew44 with a sub board (DB) as long as both earth and neutral conductors are supplied directly from an MEN switchboard and are of sufficient size there is no need for extra MEN link
If only all sparky’s would do a tidy job like this. It’s no wonder people are tempted to DIY - who wants to pay big $ for a switchboard that looks like a rats nest?
zero chance id use a saw on asbestos , it creates a massive amount of micro particles, at the least youd have to spray the blade as you cut . one guy i had to clean up after created a huge volume of extremely fine asbestos and he wore NO mask, it took me hours to decontaminate the area, you can buy hepa filters for your vacuums so the vacuum doesnt spew fine particles into the air.
I wish more people made content like this, this kind of stuff is honestly far more useful to an apprentice than going to tech/nightschool.
For real
I like that you're also showing the possible problems that you could come across in installing a new switchboard for the old one.
Nicely done and nicely explained. I'm wondering if you are seeing more people use RCBO's these days, instead of MCB's and RCD's? I decided to use them on my last job, because there was limited space. Obviously they cost a bit, but you also get that added overload protection. As the Regs have changed and more RCD's are used, the RCBO option starts to become a bit more feasible.
It is much easier to put the cables into the box and screw it on the wall if you take the DIN-rail with mounted MCBs out first, just 2 screws, then put it back when the cables are tidy.
And I prefer the small 4-way neutral connectors that fit in the RCD N-terminal, makes pairing up the neutrals so much easier.
Amazing! Just amazing! Gonna be a while before I attempt this one, but nice to know its just a logical order you follow. Thanks for the DE-Walt drill bit reccomendation - im been looking for a good spade bit. By the way, I also bought the blue 220v tester you recommended from your usb video - bloody awsome!!
Few questions though...
1 - How did you turn off the power coming into the house so you could start disconnection of the old power box?
2. How do you test for a faulty breaker? I mean at 11 seconds after your video started when no wires are connected up. How do you know if you have a faulty breaker/fuse? I just wired up my sleep out and i'm only using 2 fuses + a main (Light, Power + main) and there is an intermittent problem with power going off in sleepout but not tripping the power box in there. Nor does it trip the main power box inside the house where the feed is coming from.
So when I disconnected the three fuse box in the sleepout and connected the power and light directly to the feed wire bypassing the entire new power box everything works perfectly fine Over a week without any power dropped out or cut-outs. And even the fuse inside the main house trips exactly when it supposed to when I plug-in a few heavy draw items ie heater, toaster, microwave etc.
Again nothing was tripping when I ran everything thru the sleepout power box ...no tripping at all from any of the sleepout or main house fuses, just no power outlets or lights working. Power was still coming into sleep out though from main feed.
This is why I think it must be either a faulty fuse, or my wiring lol.
Thanks Dave - much appreciated.
You can't turn off incoming cable from the street
Loved the video. would like to see how a sub panel distribution board is different than a mains board. i.e which parts are not needed for a shed or workshop at home.
I'm a first year apprentice really helpful content. Cheers mate.
Dave i m so greatfull that im following your videos your videos cleared all my doubts... thanks so much.. for such an amazing content 👏
Awesome work Dave, how much would it cost in NZ to install a 32A breaker and a new power plug (conduit) external 6mm cable (7 meters) away from the board?
Hi Dave, have a home built in the 80's. Planing to upgrade the switch board. My power sockets are on 1.5 mm sq cables. Would using 16 Amps MCB's be right or should I drop them to 10 Amps? Thanks mate for putting up the Video. Cheers.
In the states all cables except the earth have to enter thru clamp glands or raceway connecters. We can't have rings and rcds are singles never shared
Get yourself a multi tool sparkydave 👍👍
from perth here sparky 2 , mate what a legend mate job well done , I'm not that good to make vedeos like you do i just wish i could have the guts to talk on camera mate. anyways well done mate keep up with great videos mate👍
Shaving foam on aesbestos! that's brilliant
Hi Dave, Good video. What did you do to de-energise the main incoming feed?
That's what I'd like to know about it. The juiciest detail left to our imaginations.
great work! My wish is would to see a bit more of your throughout the installation. Maybe a bit boring but none the less interesting for the interested! By the way hope and wish you well to you and your family. Brother cheers to share your work, knowledge and time.
thank you so much Dave. So useful for me.
legend my man could not wait any longer for this!! so interesting
COULD NOT FIND THE VIDEO OF THE Main Earth testing. PLEASE PROVIDE THE LINK. THANKS.
Awesome vids man, love the good work. Planning to become a sparky sometime soon.
Cheers, keep up the good work.
the old pull test is now ingrained in me
Dave when are you going to a tutorial on the power sub-board for the garage. Rats Kaitaia
Can you show which are the live wires from the street and how they are attached?
Thank you Dave, awesome work! Looking forward for more videos! Cheers
Hi, let's just assume that a protection or breakers, so 2 options: the user is 2 and a half meters tall or do you have to have a ladder next to the general board or main box?.. I'm applying for some jobs in NZ and studying AS/NZS 3000:2007 - Standards New Zealand and I can't find security in the installation, is this really accepted like this in NZ? In Chile I carry out projects under decree law 8 (DS-8-2019) and to register with the EWRB and validate my titles in NZ, under the supervision of a certified Electrician with full registration, is that so? I know that each country has its specific laws, but I have worked for more than 25 years and at Codelco Chile in mining and there are universal and international concepts IECC, IEC, etc. by which we are also governed in Chile
How did u isolate mains coming in brother???
Thanks for Making this content. TH-cam University!
Why the last rcd loops backs to the main switch?
When you were cutting out with your saber go to fit in the new switchboard, did you cut through the asbestos board?
Ata Okur you Don’t do that !!!
How is your main neutral bar connected to the separate RCD neutral bars?
Bloody nice work
Dave im running my shed off a extension lead for now which runs off the main board but when i hook
the MEN up it trips the RCD and RCD in the main cabin where the mains comes from it does not have a MEN link also
would that be why ? Both have separate main earths....Cheers Brett
Great job. Thanks for the info
Question: How do you disconnect the mains coming in, have been told the electricity company needs to do it?
Ah, seen in part 2, main switch, in Australia they don't have that.
Nice video, pita having to rijig all the cables from above in the loft back down again 😖😀
What are the two blue cables? Are they data cables for Alarm?
I'll gave de walt spade bits a try. Everytime I buy a new bit, a builder seems to have preemptively left a hidden nail to christen it with.
Jesus christ she a hairy beast. And here I am stressing over my polytech neat wiring but in the real world this is what we would really be dealing with.
How do you take the power out if you took the main switch board out?
Love your Videos Dave!
Nice job, did I see aluminium ladder lol
How come you did the new board so high? Doesn’t main switch have to be below 2m? Also, did you get this inspected - as you worked on mains, MEC and MEN? Serious questions as I’m in a similar position and no one can give me a clean cut answer…
This work is classified as maintaining an existing 63A switchboard, by replacing switchgear, and does not require an inspection. If you were extending cables to move the switchboard lower or to a different location, or increasing the capacity of the switchboard (ie. upgrading from single to 3 phase) then this would have to be inspected as you are altering the mains cables. Main switch in any new installation must be below 2m in height, however a main switch already in service (ie. before the regulation existed in New Zealand, already met the current regulations at the time of install) would not require relocation when replacing for maintenance or replacing if damaged. Cheers.
@@sparkydave cheers mate!
Nice work.
Those screwdrivers you referto are called "Terminal Block Screwdrivers #1 and #2 and when you've used them you'll never do what you are doing here,I've introduced about 30 sparkies to them and every oneis a huge convert as well as myself, made by WIHA,nothing comes near them
excellent job brother!!
What’s ring fed?
Looks like a 10mm incoming shouldn’t the MEN link be the same size as the incoming or is the incoming 6mm ??
But great video mate! Good to have a Aus/nzs sparky doing videos 👌🏻
What size is the mains?
Do you call in to shut power down of main grid,off the road power coming into the main?
You pull the house fuse
Awesome, Sparkydave.
So better.
Thanks
17:05 little confused, why link the neutral bar to the earth bar??
In Australia & NZ we use the multiple earth neutral system, which is the MEN link you're enquiring about. In short it brings the neutral and earth's to the same potential (voltage) .
great stuff
Great video mate ,Where i am in western australia we continue to see big fines to electrical contractors/workers leaving the MEN out,Some of these contractors contest the ruling/prosecution from energy safety,They have clearly not tested the installation before energisation,To the consumer out there check these businesses on line with the authorities for prosecution's as they cause many electrical incidents
Nice!
Awesome so appreciated!!!
Alrigtyo cheers Dave
Cool vid love your work
Just wonder why you need a 6mm earth
From neutral to Earth
In both NZ and Auz we use the MEN (Multiple Earthed Neutral) system where Earth and Neutral are connected at all main switchboards and supplying transformers. Fault currents always travel back through the Earth to the Neutral supply, and having the Neutral connected directly to the Earth bar creates an excellent low resistant path back to the Neutral supply.
If you know ohms law - low resistance = high current (at 240v), the low resistance path direct to the Neutral conductor creates a very high fault current ensuring it would be high enough to trip the circuit breaker at the switchboard.
With no MEN link the fault current would tavel through the Earth to the nearest MEN link (potentially a neighbours house) and back through the network neutral to your switchboard where the higher resistance from the longer path taken (ohms law - high resistance = low current) in the circuit may not create a high enough current to trip circuit breakers, so a potentially lethal voltage may be present at the faulty appliance.
Hope that wasnt too indepth to understand, cheers
@@sparkydave so I'm having a new sub bord in my shed dose just one earth wire have to go to
Neutral ??
I have a granny flat in my backyard and in the power supply sub-board there is no Earth going to Neutral is this due to the fact that it's in my main house switchboard ??
@@hurleymatthew44 with a sub board (DB) as long as both earth and neutral conductors are supplied directly from an MEN switchboard and are of sufficient size there is no need for extra MEN link
@@sparkydave ok thanks mate
If my meter says 100A how many amps the main btreaker is needed for my house. Can i use 100A breaker? I need much power.
100A
Depends on how big your mains cable is.
If only all sparky’s would do a tidy job like this. It’s no wonder people are tempted to DIY - who wants to pay big $ for a switchboard that looks like a rats nest?
Costumers pay for their S/B to work, not to look pretty behind close doors, where the unlicensed people shouldn't be sniffing around in anyway.
zero chance id use a saw on asbestos , it creates a massive amount of micro particles, at the least youd have to spray the blade as you cut .
one guy i had to clean up after created a huge volume of extremely fine asbestos and he wore NO mask, it took me hours to decontaminate the area, you can buy hepa filters for your vacuums so the vacuum doesnt spew fine particles into the air.