Afternoon All,

I have been silently "lurking" on this forum for quite some time and found the advise to be given really helpful and I myself have learned quite a bit as well.
Now it's my turn - I have a query for the learned members on this forum regarding my own house main DB.

The DB in the house that I bought 9 years ago has always been an eyesore but I've managed to successfully pretend it didn't exist until recently. How it managed to get a CoC when I bought it is a mystery but considering the previous owner was the estate agent and her husband the conveyancing attorney, I suspect some special arrangements were made.

After a recent heavy and damaging downpour in my town, the main incoming municipal cable was damaged. A colleague of mine, the local sparky, who did the repair mentioned that I really need to sort my DB out - he's told me this on a few occasions.

Now the questions:

1. I have too many breakers for the existing panel, it has been modified as the house was extended to squeeze a few extra's in. I am considering placing a surface mount box on top of the existing flush mounted box - probably a larger dimensioned box to fit two rows of breakers. Is this allowed?

2. Leading on from the above, some of the circuits (lights, plugs) have two wires out of the single pole breaker - is this allowed? (Another reason to fit a bigger box. Also to incorporate additional ELCB's to eliminate nuisance tripping, which I have occasionally)

3. As I anticipate the wiring to be too short, is it legal to fit a terminal rail into the DB, which will allow the use of shorter, extension pieces from the CB's to this terminal rail? (Terminals such as Weidmuller SAK 2.5 or 4 or equivalent legal terminals - I'm an Instrument Tech by trade, hence my familiarity with using terminals in JB's.)

I hope the above makes sense?

Many thanks,
Shaun.

p.s. - I have no intention of doing the work myself. I just want to be able to make an educated decision when scoping the job.