mcb for garage

[SeanG]

Hi All,

The MCB to my attached garage is currently a B16, it used to trip occasionally but my compressor arrived from Axminster today and that trips it everytime. It runs fine from the B32 mcb ring main in the house.

Can I just swap the mcb in the consumer unit for a C16 or C/B32?

Sean

 

[Dibs-h]

Hi All,

The MCB to my attached garage is currently a B16, it used to trip occasionally but my compressor arrived from Axminster today and that trips it everytime. It runs fine from the B32 mcb ring main in the house.

Can I just swap the mcb in the consumer unit for a C16 or C/B32?

Sean

you mean swap a 16amp one with a 32amp one - unless the wiring to the garage was over-spec'd at the time - no would be the short answer. Having said that technically it would work - but you could end up burning something down. :wink:

HIH

Dibs

 

[SeanG]

hmmmm - I thought that might be the answer - oh well.


Can I swap the b16 for a c16? I don't know what the difference is, but google searches came up with it as a possible solution.

 

[Dibs-h]

hmmmm - I thought that might be the answer - oh well.


Can I swap the b16 for a c16? I don't know what the difference is, but google searches came up with it as a possible solution.

I think the C one a slightly longer time (in milli seconds) to trip it and probably is the solution for items that have a slightly larger current requirement on start up than when normally running.

Bob (9 fingers might be your man).

HIH

Dibs

 

[SeanG]

it does help, thanks Dibs

 

[wobblycogs]

C type breakers have a longer delay before tripping and a higher instantaneous tripping current (the amount of current that causes a trip without delay).

If the circuit is currently on a 16A breaker it's probably a radial on 2.5mm in which case it can't be put on a 32A breaker. It's generally a fairly simple job for a sparky to convert a radial circuit to a ring circuit though.

 

[SeanG]

i think the garage circuit is radial, not a ring. I'll give the sparks a call then.

What makes it more annoying is that the lights are on the same circuit, so when the breaker goes I'm in the dark too. Literally and figuratively when it comes to lectrickery

Thank you for the info lads

Sean

 

[9fingers]

i think the garage circuit is radial, not a ring. I'll give the sparks a call then.

What makes it more annoying is that the lights are on the same circuit, so when the breaker goes I'm in the dark too. Literally and figuratively when it comes to lectrickery

Thank you for the info lads

Sean

Having the lights go out when you might be using machinery is dangerous.
If your spark says your cable to the workshop is man enough, then put a C32 in the house CU and then in the workshop have one of those small garage CUs with a C16 for your compressor and B6 for the lights.
Hopefully it will be very rare indeed that the C32 will drop out and so you will always have lights.

Bob (not a qualified spark!)