Building regs for consumer unit

[Olijay2017]

We are buying a newbuild property and due to the regulations, we are told the consumer unit needs to go in the dining room (as boxes are on the external wall in that location).

As the room will be painted dark grey we want to hide the box inside a cabinet by removing the back from the cabinet and pushing it against the wall. The door of the cabinet will then give access to the consumer unit.

For this to work, we need the consumer unit to be 500mm from the floor in the dining room. We are being told that regs state the minimum is 1.4m.

Is this correct or are we being misled?

 

[Midwest]

Oh really? I am starting to feel like the builder is just fobbing us off then. So we could potentially have a switched fuse in the meter box along with the meter that would allow us to take the consumer unit to anywhere in the house as long as it is downstairs? Thanks a lot for your advice on this one by the way.

There is also the consideration of the cable supplying the CU from the switch fuse, essentially it would probably need to be SWA (steel wire armoured), but its no great shakes.

I wouldn't listen to your builder, get in an independent electrician in to advise. He/she will also be cheaper, 'cos your builder is always going to add a 'mark up' on what 'his' electrician is charging your builder, kinda you paying the privilege of your builder supply you with an electrician.

Anyhows, I'm orrfff to cook the tea now (in house joke thing!)

 

[Leesparkykent]

I'm doing two new builds at the moment and the external recessed meter box is at the front of each property and the consumer unit has been located in the utility room the other side of the house. I've got the builder to install another recessed meter box next to the one for the meter to house the switch fuse for the distribution circuit that's feeding the consumer unit. Reason I went for a second recessed box was to stop any arguments from the meter operator when the time comes for the meter to be installed. Anything is possible really as long as it meets building/wiring regulations...your builder just seems reluctant to go the bit extra to give you what you want. If your buying off a national house builder you might find yourself against an up hill struggle to try and get them to do anything extra...If its just a builder/developer then he should just find a solution and get on with it. Its not going to be much extra if the building is still at 1st fix stage.

 

[telectrix]

Oh really? I am starting to feel like the builder is just fobbing us off then. So we could potentially have a switched fuse in the meter box along with the meter that would allow us to take the consumer unit to anywhere in the house as long as it is downstairs? Thanks a lot for your advice on this one by the way.

no regulation forbids you to have the CU upstairs if you want.the building regs recommended height is so that you don't need steps to reset a breaker/RCD, e.g. so that persons with limited reach can reach without posing as danger of falling etc.etc.

 

[Risteard]

However, there is some dispute that such devices installed in an external wall meter box, does actually require to be A3 compliant.

To be pedantic there is no dispute that they must comply with Amendment 3 - the argument is simply that they do not constitute a similar switchgear assembly to a consumer unit for the purposes of one particular Regulation (421.1.201).

 

[Midwest]

To be pedantic there is no dispute that they must comply with Amendment 3 - the argument is simply that they do not constitute a similar switchgear assembly to a consumer unit for the purposes of one particular Regulation (421.1.201).

I do not understand your point you are trying to make?

 

[Risteard]

I do not understand your point you are trying to make?

My point is that everything has to comply with Amendment 3 - Amendment 3 was not just one Regulation in BS7671:2008 (2015).

 

[Des 56]

They said a fused isolator will not solve our problem as this will need to go in place of the consumer unit and will still be an ugly box on the wall and still needs to be set 1.4m high.

The way I see the issue is the fused switch and its likely need for access to operate,it is akin to the isolator valve of a Gas meter in a cabinet buried in the Garden
Its accessibility by persons is unlikely to need any sort of consideration regard disabled access
Mounting it at low level in a cabinet seems to present no problem

There does seem to be little cooperation between the parties
If I were paying for a house to be build for my use,I would have a lot more to say regards who is working for who and which partys preferences within regulations takes priority

 

[Midwest]

My point is that everything has to comply with Amendment 3 - Amendment 3 was not just one Regulation in BS7671:2008 (2015).

Think one is splitting hairs. The OP wants to know if they are being misled, not on semantics of regulation or regulations. I mentioned the specific regulation in the post, your being pedantic about.

 

[jaydub]

Why is it necessary to install one of these switch fuses in between the DNO main cut out fuse and the consumer unit if the CU is of some distance from the meter box?

 

[SparkyChick]

Because the DNOs require it if the tails are above a certain length (typically 3m). The official line is that they cannot guarantee their fuse will protect the cables in the event of a fault if they are longer than that.

 

[telectrix]

Because the DNOs require it if the tails are above a certain length (typically 3m). The official line is that they cannot guarantee their fuse will protect the cables in the event of a fault if they are longer than that.

and they don't want to be called out on xmas day when and if their fuse blows.

 

[Midwest]

Which is gonna blow first, is anyone's guess mind, unless you put in 60a compared to their 100a e.g., so I've been told countless times on this forum

 

[jaydub]

Is there a reg for that requirement in any of our literature? BS7671, OSG, any of the guidance notes or building regs?

 

[SparkyChick]

It's part of the DNO network design/connection requirements I believe. This is beyond the scope of BS 7671, so there are no regulations you can quote easily. If you want proof (i.e. if people are telling you it's rubbish), have a conversation with your local DNO, confirm this is required by them, and then have the people who aren't listening to what you are telling them around, put your phone on speaker and have the DNO staffer repeat what they have just told you.

They can refuse a connection if they aren't happy with things and ultimately making them happy means complying with their rules, of which this is one.

 

[jaydub]

Thanks for the info on that, I'm just looking into this out of interest to be honest! I've never come across this situation on an install yet but I have heard of a few other sparky mates doing and I wanted to know what the crack is, cheers