Stupid positioning of consumer units...

Gavin John Hyde · Sep 2, 2018

Called by a customer yesterday as the cover on the consumer unit has come off and they were panicking. Agreed to call in this morning.
Its a new build house, the consumer unit is located immediately adjacent to the side door. When it opens the door handle/ lock bangs into the cover.
Over time it has become dented and eventually the left screw has come loose and the cover popped off. BG boards are prone to having a tight or misaligned cover at the best of times.
Surely the original electricians must have thought about where they were putting it?
It seems these days more and more of them are put in daft places in the middle of a hall way wall or by a door sticking out rather than out of sight in a cupboard.
Whats the most stupid or strange place you have come across a consumer unit new or old?
Have come across one immediately above a bath tub and shower before, suffice to say it was an immediate C1.

Squid · Sep 4, 2018

Hang the door the other way around.

1Justin · Sep 4, 2018

This one. Recent kitchen too, one-piece corner cabinet, 500mm door.

[ElectriciansForums.net] Stupid positioning of consumer units...

1Justin · Sep 4, 2018

This one. Recent kitchen too, one-piece corner cabinet, 500mm door. View attachment 44104 View attachment 44104

Squid · Sep 4, 2018

Looks like the gas meter is in there as well......

Andy78 · Sep 4, 2018

Worst I saw was mounted, along with the head and meter, in an alcove to the side of a chimney breast. Then a stud wall was put over the chimney breast. Then a kitchen was built over the wall. Access was through a base cupboard. FFS !

telectrix · Sep 4, 2018

came acroos a job recently to add a coule of kitche sockets.done it by fitting RCD FCU. DB was a wylex 3036 mounted below kitchen sink.that was original build from 1970's.

Sparky Pat · Sep 4, 2018

Went to do an EICR once in a cottage with exposed beams, DB was over front door but unfortunately plumber had been in and fitted central heating pipes in front of DB and was not able to remove cover. So ended up having to smash cover off and lowering and fitting new DB.

Andy78 · Sep 4, 2018

Andy78 said:
Worst I saw was mounted, along with the head and meter, in an alcove to the side of a chimney breast. Then a stud wall was put over the chimney breast. Then a kitchen was built over the wall. Access was through a base cupboard. FFS !

Here's my mate gaining access

CACJL · Sep 8, 2018

They ought bring out a new regulations consumer unit sighting, for instance between one and two meters above floor level.

telectrix · Sep 8, 2018

it's in the building regs. maybe by 2040 when the 154th edition of the regs. comes in, it will be included.

sparksfly · Sep 8, 2018

Not a good pic but 1/3rd of the CSU in cellar sticks out, the wall behind is quite a bit further back

Paul P · Sep 8, 2018

I had one half inside and half outside a kitchen cupboard, as in sticks through the worktop.

Had to remove the worktop to reset the MCB’s

Coded it on an ECR but tenet refused to let us move it.

jonnyb · Sep 8, 2018

On a lot of new builds around my area, I notice the CU's are well over 3 metres away from the meter, which seems dodgy to me, plus tails are going right through the house somewhere with no real indication where!