New power spur for IP Camera

dnme

Hi folks,

I'm installing an IP camera with a power requirement of 5V DC 2.0A supplied by a switching power supply adapter. The ideal spot for the camera is right beside the fuse box pictured below.

Can you advise me how I might get a power supply out for this? I don't want to start a new line as it would be way to heavy unless of course there is no alternative.



Many thanks for any help

Davy

dnme wrote: »

I don't want to start a new line as it would be way to heavy unless of course there is no alternative.

I dont understand what you mean, are you saying yo dont want to go to a third row board? Its not necessary as you have plenty room left on your board. If you dont know this, you are out of your depth, and need to guy a sparks to do it for you. It wont cost you much and wont take long.

dnme

Davy wrote: »

I dont understand what you mean, are you saying yo dont want to go to a third row board? Its not necessary as you have plenty room left on your board. If you dont know this, you are out of your depth, and need to guy a sparks to do it for you. It wont cost you much and wont take long.

what I want to do is present a single socket right beside the pictured board to plug the IP Camera's power supply into. But I am worried that starting a new spur off the fusebox will be too heavy and not isolated etc. Just looking for advice is all, isn't that the point of this forum?

Edit: Ah, I see the confusion. When I say line, I mean a radial. Can I just ad an MCB to the fusebox? Is there a simpler way to present a single socket right beside the consumer unit?

pod2011

Hi ,

Just by reading your post I can tell you are way out of your depth. I would advise you to ask a quallified electrician to do this work it wont cost you much and you will be able to sleep better at night knowing the work has been done safely. Electricity is dangerous this is why electricians spend five to six years training.

beanie10

If its a ip camera wired in cat 5 with rj45 plugs the power is transmitted through the cat 5 so no need for power point.

dnme

beanie10 wrote: »

If its a ip camera wired in cat 5 with rj45 plugs the power is transmitted through the cat 5 so no need for power point.

No beanie, it won't take power over ethernet.

dnme

Folks, appreciate what you are saying about knowledge and safety. I'm fairly handy and have the right tools etc. I've wired sockets on radials and return circuits, installed attic extractor fans, than kinda thing.

Had a look at the CU. It' turns out I have 2 spare mcb's already in place - see image. They are both 20A and are part of the sockets gang. (Yes only two mcb's for existing sockets, it's a tiny cottage).

So with a spare mcb, this would make the job exponentially safer no? would it be ok to take some 2.5mm off one of these as a radial? I would run one socket beside CU and another double socket about 3m away (in an existing empty blanked back box).

Is the above ok? should I go thicker on the cable?

Many thanks

sparcocars

dnme wrote: »

Folks, appreciate what you are saying about knowledge and safety. I'm fairly handy and have the right tools etc. I've wired sockets on radials and return circuits, installed attic extractor fans, than kinda thing.

Had a look at the CU. It' turns out I have 2 spare mcb's already in place - see image. They are both 20A and are part of the sockets gang. (Yes only two mcb's for existing sockets, it's a tiny cottage).

So with a spare mcb, this would make the job exponentially safer no? would it be ok to take some 2.5mm off one of these as a radial? I would run one socket beside CU and another double socket about 3m away (in an existing empty blanked back box).

Is the above ok? should I go thicker on the cable?

Many thanks

2.5 twin and earth would be fine. Make sure you go off the rcd neutral if your using one of those spare mcbs as if you didn't it would cause an imbalance in the rcd and keep tripping it. By the looks of your picture it is the neutral bar on the right hand side.

dnme

Many thanks sparcocars,

One side advantage of the exploration, I have discovered a major draft source. There's a jet of cold air coming in from above this CU. I'll plug that while I'm at it.

M cebee

you wanna be careful with that copper busbar-i hate that

i bet there's a rule against -what's the point of ip2x breakers

Bruthal

Maybe its that busbar with that brown insulation. Although looks like bare copper in the photo alright.

M cebee

ya but even the insulated stuff is dangerous if it's not chopped off

i'd hazard a guess it's not allowed

-after all you can't poke your finger into the breakers

i'd say the ceiling should be re-instated too -prob a rule on that somewhere

dnme

Yes bare copper busbar, lethel bastard alright.

Bruthal

M cebee wrote: »

ya but even the insulated stuff is dangerous if it's not chopped off

i'd hazard a guess it's not allowed

-after all you can't poke your finger into the breakers

i'd say the ceiling should be re-instated too -prob a rule on that somewhere

You meant the extended bits with no MCB`s, yea its surprising its not cut off alright. If the bottom bit of the bars are bare as well then its brutal.

dnme

Well jobs a good'un. Pretty pleased with myself and all done to regulation afaict. No junctions above ceiling, all runs vertical to sockets, 20A MCB feeding 2.5mmTE, Fully earthed and using earth shield. Also added a new double gang (highlighted). This used to be a blank plate covering where eircom entered the building.

Bruthal

dnme wrote: »

Well jobs a good'un. Pretty pleased with myself and all done to regulation afaict. No junctions above ceiling, all runs vertical to sockets, 20A MCB feeding 2.5mmTE, Fully earthed and using earth shield. Also added a new double gang (highlighted). This used to be a blank plate covering where eircom entered the building.

I would of put the socket up beside the board in flush myself especially if the wall is dry lined, or in tight against the board if leaving it surface.

dnme

robbie7730 wrote: »

I would of put the socket up beside the board in flush myself especially if the wall is dry lined, or in tight against the board if leaving it surface.

Well the reasons for the positioning of the socket up by the CU the way I did are 2 fold...
1. There's a mess of timber and studs, rafters and what have you up behind there and I needed a clear place where I could feed a cable through wall.
2. Camera's power supply is offset on centre and needs clearance.

The entire are is invisible to the onlooker anyway

Bruthal

A yes nothing wrong with it at all there. I have done similar like that myself before. But once the wall is dry lined there it is nearly always possible to get a dry lining box in, when you cut out the hole for the box it gives loads of room to get a cable into the board then. I was not being critical at all:)

Last one i did was for a wireless router, surface the same as you did, had socket tight under the board to find the router power supply stuck up above socket, so the board was in the way. swapped socket in upside down then. Its tidy though with a shelf with the router up beside it.

dnme

robbie7730 wrote: »

A yes nothing wrong with it at all there. I have done similar like that myself before. But once the wall is dry lined there it is nearly always possible to get a dry lining box in, when you cut out the hole for the box it gives loads of room to get a cable into the board then. I was not being critical at all:)

Last one i did was for a wireless router, surface the same as you did, had socket tight under the board to find the router power supply stuck up above socket, so the board was in the way. swapped socket in upside down then. Its tidy though with a shelf with the router up beside it.

No worries
Feels great to do a bit of this work myself, Learned a lot about wiring and my house. Also sealed a few drafts etc. Also very satisfying to know it's done well.

Bruthal

dnme wrote: »

No worries
Feels great to do a bit of this work myself, Learned a lot about wiring and my house. Also sealed a few drafts etc. Also very satisfying to know it's done well.

Plug someting like a lamp into the new sockets and switch off the RCD which is the one to the right of your main switch, press the test button on it will actually test that too, and see that the lamp into new sockets goes off, then you know its connected up right anyway.

Once the live was from one of the spare MCB`s and the neutral was the right hand one by the look of your first photo, then it should be right. Wrong neutral bar and anything plugged into new sockets will trip anyway.

dnme

Yes did that and it's perfect.