Domestic Consumer Unit

[Sparky@Hu15]

I recently visited a new customers house and was giving the electrics the once over. The consumer unit was mounted on the wall vertically (top pointing East-bottom pointing West) as opposed to horizontally, is this good practice & would it affect the safe operation of MCB, RCD, RCBO and the like?

 

[DPG]

Worth bearing in mind that MCBs etc. are used 'sideways' in commercial dis boards. Daz

 

[Darkwood]

Welcome to the forum

In a nutshell, no just ensure any required IP ratings are maintained, electricity isn't really fussy about gravity, my only comment would be any objects that fall on the breakers should not inadvertently switch them on now this would require the board to be upside down to do so.

 

[Midwest]

Don't suppose it's one of those new fangled A3 CU's?

 

[Sparky@Hu15]

Thanks for your input, point taken Dan re commercial dis boards.

 

[Sparky@Hu15]

No just a standard Domestic CU

 

[Risteard]

is this good practice

Almost certainly not. That's not to say that it's unsafe though.

 

[Octopus]

Sometimes its the only way to fit one in!

 

[telectrix]

mine's like that. the alternative was £2500 for DNO to move cut-out and meter. no-brainer.

 

[Risteard]

Sometimes its the only way to fit one in!

I realise that - still looks rubbish though.

 

[snowhead]

As hinted in post#4, it wouldn't be compliant to install one like it now.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

If the enclosure has something indicating 'top', would it be considered as failing to comply with manufacturer's instructions to fix it sideways?

 

[telectrix]

they'll have fun in australia then.

 

[Dave OCD]

As hinted in post#4, it wouldn't be compliant to install one like it now.

Why not, assuming all IP requirements are adhered to ?

 

[DPG]

Why not, assuming all IP requirements are adhered to ?

I think he's on about the lid not closing on it's own. Daz

 

[Dave OCD]

Ah yes good point Daz. :smile5:

 

[snowhead]

I think he's on about the lid not closing on it's own. Daz

Yep.

I was going to put , unless you rehinged the lid on it's end, but then it wouldn't be as supplied and tested by the manufacturer.

 

[Dave OCD]

I didn't think of that as it's been a long hard day. :biggrin:

 

[NDG Elecs]

Some amd3 boards hinge from the bottom with little catches that keep them shut. Not all are top hinged with gravity doing the rest.

 

[stevethesparks]

Some amd3 boards hinge from the bottom with little catches that keep them shut. Not all are top hinged with gravity doing the rest.

Beat me to it

 

[Midwest]

Some amd3 boards hinge from the bottom with little catches that keep them shut. Not all are top hinged with gravity doing the rest.

Those manufacturers are going to make a killing selling CU's for being mounted sideways then. Only kidding .


Below is not aimed at TheGayOwl, I can't double quote, must brush up on my skills there!


However my two penneth; if you have to mount a CU vertically because of lack of space to mount it horizontally (if horizontal is the way that the product has been designed to be mounted), by definition isn't that suggesting insufficient accessibility, reg. 132.1.

Reg. 537.2.2.2, 510.3, 511 reading of labels for isolation and circuit identification etc. To have to turn your head on it's side to read the labels, not all people are able to do so (e.g. those physically impaired), non compliance with those regs.

Reg. 510.3, 511. If the manufacturer has diagrams showing CU mounted horizontally or adds devices (level bubble) to assist in that, surely 'documentation would be required from the CU manufacturer that the specific orientation is suitable and comlies with BS EN 60439-3' (citation ESF).

Obviously, if you have considered those things and carried out a risk assessment & documented it, it's down to the individual.

I've read a lot of posts of disparaging the mounting of sockets in kitchen cupboards for example, but somehow its seems acceptable to mount a CU in a vertical plane, because of limited space?

 

[Dave OCD]

When I was forced to fit a board this way once I simply put the labelling in a vertical plane so no head turning needed.

 

[Midwest]

When I was forced to fit a board this way once I simply put the labelling in a vertical plane so no head turning needed.

Interested to know how you did that with the label for the isolator

 

[andyb]

Interested to know how you did that with the label for the isolator

Probably with something like this

 

[Dave OCD]

Nothing so elaborate, a black sharpie permanent marker, I can write very neatly though.