Consumer Unit Move

[newsparky]

Hello can I have some advice please.

I have been asked to move a consumer unit by a family friend.
It needs to be moved 3m which is fine.

The 2 problems that I have -

1. No main protective bonding conductors - which will obviously need sorting before I can change the board.

2. It is a student house and shower cubicles have been put put in all of the bedrooms and there are sockets within 3m of all the cubicles.

The board will need to be changed to a split load dual RCD board as there is no RCD protection for any of it and I will need to carry out a periodic first as there is no previous certification for any of the work (this was originally done 4 years ago).

The main question is can I change the board knowing that there are sockets within 3m of the shower cubicles and code it as a C2 on the periodic or do I have to blank these sockets off before carrying out the board change?
There is no way that the sockets will stay blanked but I need to cover myself.

Many Thanks

 

[MDJ]

Oh Dear, seems like you have some homework to do then???? Part Pee and other matters too.

 

[telectrix]

tricky one on the sockets. either blank them ( take photos ) or code them C2 with a strong recommendation. they are not in bathrooms as such, and also are existing.

 

[SJD]

2. It is a student house and shower cubicles have been put put in all of the bedrooms and there are sockets within 3m of all the cubicles.

While it is against the wiring regs to install a socket within 3m of a shower, if a plumber was installing a shower in a bedroom (hot/cold fed, and and no electrical work involved), does the plumber actually have any equivalent regs that says he/she can't install the shower within 3m of a socket? Not being a plumber (except, of course, to DIY my own), I'm not really aware what regulations they would (or should) work to, I'm perhaps naively assuming they would not be expected to know BS7671?

 

[newsparky]

MDJ,

I have Part P, 17th and 2394/5.

I do not profess to know everything about electrics and merely asking for help with this one.
If you don't have anything constructive to say then why reply?
I thought the whole point about forums was to get advice from other people not smart rse remarks

 

[newsparky]

SJD,

I completely agree but the showers are all electric so maybe he should have known better or not fitted them at all as he clearly had no idea about the regs

 

[newsparky]

telectrix,

thanks for your reply - that was what I was thinking but do you you know if I can legally change the board without blanking the sockets as there is no way the land lady will agree to losing all the sockets in the bedrooms as the rooms are all about 3m x 3m

 

[KAS1]

You need to let a competent person make the decisions and do the EICR as per the 2395 and the 17th edition

 

[MDJ]

MDJ,

I have Part P, 17th and 2394/5.

I do not profess to know everything about electrics and merely asking for help with this one.
If you don't have anything constructive to say then why reply?
I thought the whole point about forums was to get advice from other people not smart rse remarks

2 things, (1) I wasn't being a smart ---, you misunderstood the post, I genuinely meant there was a lot to think about with this Job hence the homework remark, and (2) the 17th qualification means nothing without a full electricians course along side it, my wife could pass the multipule choice 17th exam and she could pass it without revising for it as well, so bragging about the fact you have this qualification is unimportant as far as I'm concerned, anyhow you started it, na na na na na :lipsrsealed2:

 

[telectrix]

if the bedrooms are only 3m x 3m, then how in hell can anyone fit sockets > 3m from showers? it's strange that the UK is virtually alone in this 3m rule.you are a scam member, i would phone them and ask their opinion. you pay the buggers enough.

 

[newsparky]

MDJ,

Good for your wife.

I wasn't bragging about having this course I am pointing out that I am not a complete chimp.
Why do I need a full electricians course? I am multi trade and carry out domestic electrics as another service and consider myself to be competent to do so. I have no intention of doing commercial or industrial work so do not consider it necessary to have any more qualifications or experience than I possess.
The point I was making is that if you know the answer then why not just say or say nothing at all?

 

[newsparky]

Why am I a scam member? The showers were fitted 3 years ago and the house built in 1960 so the sockets were already in place

 

[Welchyboy]

I would be interested in what they say(your part p provider), it's an all too common problem with showers in bedrooms, rarely is a bedroom bigenough to sensibly install a shower and sockets 3m away but if its already existing what can you seriously do, as said no-one will allow you to remove all the sockets from the bedrooms, and on a positive note rcd protection and main bonding will at least make it a hell of a lot safer than it currently is

However i would at least insist any in zone 2 are removed without a doubt, I think this rule should maybe be relaxed a little to say 2m in the case of showers, used to be 2.4m in the 16th ed

 

[Jay Sparks]

3M x 3M bedrooms??? The beds are gonna be abit small arent they? This is obviousley poor design, probably by who ever fit the cubicle but I would not it on the EICR as C2, then if they dont want to move the sockets, just blank em off and as tel said, take photos. If they want to put the socket back, thats up to them. For all you know, they could get a shower with an extension cord running from a socket thats more than 3M away. Its hard to future proof numbtys sometimes..lol Just try and cover your ---!!


Jay

 

[Jay Sparks]

Why am I a scam member? The showers were fitted 3 years ago and the house built in 1960 so the sockets were already in place

A scam memeber is when you are registered with a scheme like Napit, Elecsa etc.... I dont think he ment you personaly was a scam!! But then again............lol