consumer unit height

[dannysmith]

Hi all,
From what I understand the switches of a consumer unit have to be at 1200mm. The old consumer unit is way up high out of reach in the electric / Gas cupboard but the placement of it allows access from the doorway standing on the floor as there is a difference in height of floor levels of 400mm. So... What floor level do I take the 1200mm from. If it is from the lower level it will be knee height at the upper level ready for little fingers or spilled drinks. The upper level will make it too high to comply with regs in the room. Any advice?

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Yeah mine too.

there are many conflicting suggestions about the height of a CU,

Think about houses in a flood plain, they have another rule,

Richard hit the button on the nose, just stick it at a sensible height.

 

[NickD]

Houses on flood plains don't deserve electricity

 

[Rockingit]

Houses on flood plains don't deserve electricity

I'll forget you just said that.

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Rockingit.... From the lost city of Zummer-lantis

 

[MDJ]

Nick strikes again lmao

 

[Geordie Spark]

Good man, you have now gained my respect. you can take a joke and we like that, good on you.

Aye .... if you can't take a joke then this forum is not for you.

 

[uksparks]

I hate new builds where the board is against the ceiling, there's just no excuse, or those crappy Wylex boards with clip in blanks that don't go on the din rail, that winds me up.

 

[snowhead]

Houses on flood plains don't deserve electricity

That's a bit harsh, they should at least be allowed to have it just upstairs..:goofy:

 

[NickD]

Alright then, electricity upstairs, and everything downstairs has to be treated as Zone 0.

 

[Adam W]

Is the question really that ridiculous? I was sold the idea that part M was to make things accessible for 'persons with restricted reach' such as wheelchair users, midgets, 85 year old Mr Jones and Mrs Sproggins.
While it's common practice to put sockets and switches between 450 and 1200mm (except for the shower fan isolator which you should only need if you can reach the fan anyway), as far as the CU goes, 85 year old Mr Jones and Mrs Sproggins are expected to risk their necks standing on a chair, milk crate or wobbly old wooden stepladder to reset the breakers after their old filament lamps trip them, and as for wheelchair users, well if the freezer trips out at 6pm on a Friday they'll just have to wait until Monday morning for someone to come and reset it for them, then go and replace all the spoiled food.

So why should a functional switch have to be accessible unless it's in the consumer unit?

 

[NickD]

Fair point. However the OP question was about regs compliance hence the focus on that and the regs are only about sockets and switches for lights/fixed appliances I believe. CU switches aren't (you would hope) for functional switching? Also they will already have to have a means of reaching to height to change the bulb.

 

[telectrix]

Fair point. However the OP question was about regs compliance hence the focus on that and the regs are only about sockets and switches for lights/fixed appliances I believe. CU switches aren't (you would hope) for functional switching? Also they will already have to have a means of reaching to height to change the bulb.

then again, eldeerly or infirm people could manage without that blown lightbulb, but not without the rest of the lights.

 

[trev]

To me a CU does not fall into the 450-1200 rule. It's not an accessory, it's switchgear. However the sensible height rule trumps anything./

 

[Adam W]

The point is if one bulb goes there's probably another not too far away, or even a table lamp, television or other light emitting appliance which are probably on a different side of the board to the lighting so even if the lighting breaker went you'd be able to see. If the freezer trips though, you're screwed. All your food defrosts and there's nothing you can do about it because some idiot thought it would be a good idea to put the electric box somewhere you can't reach it.
Plus if the fire detection system is on the lighting circuit, if it's off all weekend it has safety implications.

 

[Adam W]

A breaker can be used as functional switching - it says so in the regs.