DB Height

[bsrfc10]

Hi All,

I am a electrician that works for a large electrical contractors and do not have a great deal of domestic experience, i was wondering if the db is regarded as a accessory and should be mounted in accordance to the part m building regs? i am currently doing the electrical install for a friend who is building 2 flats, and am unsure of db mounting heights.

any help would be much appreciated, i have been asking lots of questions to friends that work domestically but if can think of something that i should be doing then please let me know.

 

[nickblake]

they should be accessable , i normall install them at 1500 , the biggest problem is these days is accessability for disabled people , what they do forget is tall people so i average the height at 1500 all they state in building regs is should be readably accessible , so not in cupboards or at ceiling heights

 

[bsrfc10]

cheers,
its a bit of a grey area i suppose because i've been to some new build show homes (to be nosey!) and they differ from builder to builder but all must get signed off. Some are ceiling level in downstairs toilets, some are waist height under stairs. I can see why they should be accessible but also could think of some reasons why they shouldn't be!

 

[Des 56]

Yes its a bit of "do it this way for this particular reason" to find that by doing so you are making "another reason not to site it as such"

In a cupboard,keeps it out of the way of playing children,but the location in the cupboard should be accessable
Children dont play hide and seek so they never go in cupboards
Nor do cupboards get filled with all manner of junk which makes it inaccessable to most users
The more we try and make it accessable for dis abled etc,the accessability means lower safety for other users

A reasonable highth as nick suggested hopefully in a toilet or cupboard


Just noticed the complete reversal of my reasoning in nicks post,either way will probably have sound reasoning for doing so,but is at odds with each others reasoning,clear as daylight then

 

[nickblake]

The reason you have to put them accessable is due to the sensitivity of the protective devices these days , i have seen them a heights where they are inaccessible , i have one customer in perticular elderly lady in her 80 some guys came and installed a heater in her bathromm with the lights CDU in a cupboard at high level and it tripped she could reach it with out the use of a ladder you try getting up a ladder when you have a walking frame , one of the other problems as des has mentioned is kids fiddling as they do this is another reason for the 1500 height by the time they can reach that height they should be old enough to be out of the inquisetive mode

 

[malcolmsanford]

The OSG like Nick says just recommends accessible regarding CU positioning.

A great get out of the building regs is "habitable" rooms. So a cupboard, downstairs toilet, hallway. garage etc are not and so in reality you can fit any height as long as they are deemed accessible.