Tap-off box launched for high-rise domestic power distribution

If the power to a single property needs to be isolated, to enable contractors to work on the main supply cable or install a smart meter for example, the Distribution Fuse Board Tap-Off from Legrand’s Zucchini MR range will enable the contractor to do so without affecting the supply to the other dwellings.

Housing 100A R-type fuses, this compact solution enables up to 12 separate apartments to be fed from just one tap-off box. Crucially, the unit removes the need for a separate wall-mounted fuse board, and the associated cable connection. If for whatever reason the board is not busbar-mounted, a tap-off for 3-phase 250A J-type fuses that can be used to feed an independent board is also available.

Legrand’s Distribution Fuse Board Tap-Off is a true plug-in solution which can be removed from the busbar if future maintenance or replacement is required. It is the latest addition to Legrand’s comprehensive Zucchini busbar range, which extends from 25A through to 6300A.

Steve Marr, Lead Marketing Manager for Legrand’s Power Distribution business, commented: “With central London property prices reaching into the thousands of pounds per square metre, the building riser – like many other service elements – has been squeezed in size over recent years in order to deliver maximum available – and sellable – living space.

“Busbar-based power distribution systems already represent a compact and adaptable solution compared to traditional cable-based systems, which need much greater space to accommodate bend radii; yet many system designs are still unnecessarily taking up valuable extra space.

“Up until now, specifiers had little choice but to opt for a distribution fuse board which was separately mounted on the wall. This requires a cabled electrical connection from the rising main busbar or supply cables, which adds both further cost and installation time onto a project.

“Now, however, they have the choice to specify a unit that can be mounted directly on the busbar, enabling developers to further reduce the size of service risers and increase the volume of sellable living space. From an installation point of view, as no supply cable terminations are required, nor is there a need to separately mount a large and heavy distribution board to the wall, the tap-off box can be installed comparatively quickly. Given one unit is likely to be needed per floor, these time savings will be magnified in larger projects.”