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Any electricians on the forum

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BigAl (Alan):
Replace the switched fused spur to a 20amp DP switch...the fitted 13amp switched fused spur is a little undersized for the 3.4k/watt heater. This circuit should also be connected to a 20amp mcb within the off-peak/night rate consumer unit.
The other 24 hour heater circuit can be connected to the ring-main via a 13 amp switched spur...or better still a dedicated 16amp mcb circuit from the 24 hour consumer unit.
Do you have assess to an insulation tester & earth fault loop impedance tester?

Oddjob:
Yes Al, I have access to those or should I say I have mates who have them. I intend to ask one to pop over and check my work after it's done.

TBH I thought the 13amp fuse would be sufficient Al, you used to get 3.4kwh fires running off a 13amp plug. I'd prefer for the fuse to blow before it starts melting the contacts inside the socket, saying that I'd say the RCB would trip long before that happened. However if you think a 20amp one would be better I can do that easily.

How many spare outlets for fuses do you think I have?   :) :) I'm all electric, no gas at all. The main fuse board is bloody huge already and they are all taken up now.

TBH the 24h side just charges a small battery for the LCD panel and powers the convector heater fitted to the inside in case the heating charge in the bricks runs low and the heater feels it needs to boost the temp. Hopefully that should rarely be on. That's my understanding of it anyway, I don't think it has the ability to power the elements inside the bricks.

Seabeowner:
My father was all electric with storage heaters. Presume each is on its own spur and remember each was on a switched 20amp dp switched outlet. Also one had an integral fan on a thermostat that was wired into the ring I believe.
I also dismantled one from my gran and put the bits is my car and re-installed it in my father's extension.

Oddjob:
Yeah, mine are also each to their own spur.

I've ordered some 20a DP switch spur sockets, this time without a fuse.

You are correct BTW Al, as I suspected you would be, looking it up on the web the advise was anything rated above 3Kw should have it's own spur etc, as it turns out the rest are all 2.6kwh heaters so that doesn't apply.

The general consensus on the web from various electricians is to use either a 20a or 16a MCB, I've opted for RCBO instead of MCB as I understand they are even better. The existing fuses are all 16a MCBs so I opted for the 16a RCBO instead of the 20a RCBO.

Any thoughts?

I'd rather you say something than nothing, I'm not a novice at electrics but up to date regs aren't my forte.

BigAl (Alan):
All sounds good. RCBO’s are the preferred method for overload & short-circuit protection. Again, ask your friend to check the tripping times of the RCBO’s to confirm that devices operate at safe levels.

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