Hunt the Consumer Unit

[tudge56]

Went to do a quote for a lady who's lived in her flat for 10 years and has never found the consumer unit! Victorian House converted into 3 flats. One flat the CU is outside the flat door. Her's is ground floor and I had a good poke around cupboards, above units etc. but no sign of it...anyone got any ideas???? Communal hallway has suppliers cut out and isolator for each flat but that's it....

 

[7029 dave]

Basement?

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Ha! I had a mery game with a house once, there was an old Wylex rewireable behind a false part of a tudor beam in the hallway, never would have found it if not known, and three yes three CUs and service cutouts in the corner of a kitchen behinf the cabinets.

not in the cabinet. 3 feet behind the back of the cabinet, completely inaccessible.....Muppets!!!

 

[Octopus]

high up in the back of a cupboard!

 

[shanky887614]

behind a draw

 

[SJD]

You could try connecting a cable tracing kit to a supposedly simple circuit such as cooker circuit, and trace the wiring backwards ...

 

[ipf]

Victorian?.....must have been wired before we had electrickery.....so no CU.....sol-ved

 

[Andy78]

I went to view a shop last month to install some window display lighting that had been supplied with plug tops. The owner didn't like the trailing lead idea so wanted me to hard wire them in.
"Ok so where's the distribution board"
He led me to a small toilet room and pointed to a 45 degree ceiling. "Behind there"
"Behind the plasterboard ?"
"Yes but you can just unscrew it and access it probably. Well you can get to the bottom half of the board. If you wanted to be at the top half you would have to go up onto the mezzanine and take a bit of wall out I suppose"

It was at that point I wished him well but politely declined to offer quotation for the works.

 

[Barry White]

Is it a wireless consumer unit then it can be anywhere!
Liking the cellar suggestion ATM if it has one.

 

[NDG Elecs]

I remember seeing a photo of an old 3036 board located behind a removable panel on a stair riser. May be a good idea to lift some carpet and see where the cables are heading. Look for boards that have been lifted before. Good luck!!

 

[Marvo]

I like the cable tracer or tone set idea.

 

[telectrix]

or just hang around till it catches fire. :49:

 

[SPARTYKUS]

or just hang around till it catches fire. :49:

Not if its bake o light

 

[chrisclose]

is it possible it's in one of the other flats? Some of the 4 in a block where i live had all the cu's for the 4 flats in one of the ground flats in a cupboard when i was a lot younger, remember my brother telling me about it... major rewiring project to get them all to standard by the council.

 

[PEG]

Hi dude,where is her meter located? If rented,owner is responsible for showing where isolation is possible,plus should have had safety check at some point. If purchased 10 years ago,well in time frame for agent (if used) to have had information regarding position of utilities.

...Or...take a punt on sockets being RCD protected,trip via MFT off a plug top lead...tell customer what you have just done...and i guarantee you won't go home till it's found! :icon12: