Question about Fuse Box in New Build

[sedgy34]

we do alot of newbuilds and question anything we notice unusual on our drawings, the height is down to the building regs at 1200 from the finished floor level and its accesible but it seems no one has questioned its above the loo. why dont you ask them to box it in and make some shelving out of it.

 

[PC Electrics]

New or rewired domestic and similar installations : Electrical Safety Council

see Q30:Q30. Are there any particular requirements relating to the mounting height or location of consumer units for electrical installations in new dwellings?

The provision of access to consumer units is not specifically covered by Building Regulations or BS 7671. However, consumer units need to be so located as to enable reasonable access by the users, including for the purpose of testing the RCDs at regular intervals, and in case of emergency.
BSI Draft for development DD 266: 2007 – Design of accessible housing: Lifetime homes – Code of practice, explains how, by following the principles of inclusive design, general needs housing can be made sufficiently flexible and convenient to meet the existing and changing needs of most households, and so give disabled and older people more choice over where they live.
Amongst other things, the code of practice recommends that meters and consumer units should be mounted 1200 mm to 1400 mm from the floor so that the readings and switches can be viewed by a person standing or sitting, and should be positioned to be accessible.

Regulation number(s)

• 132.12
• 341.1
• 513.1

Sorry.
However I agree that it could have been a little higher on the wall. I recently did a new build and the CU is in the office, about 6ft up. When I took my assessor there a few weeks ago he didn't bat an eyelid over the height. Personally I think CUs should be mounted within reach of average adults but out of reach of children, so about 6ft IMO. When i was an automotive engineer we used to design the height of an open tailgate to e within 95th centile reach - in other words within the reach of 95% of adults (so the shortest 5% can't reach). I forget the exact height this represents, but it is about 6ft. This business of putting CUs in positions like yours is PC nonsense IMO

 

[SPARTYKUS]

......unless its in an area liable to flooding! Hah! Then forget that reg

Just to qualify, i have rewired a house that was flood damaged higher than 1200mm.

 

[PC Electrics]

I doubt you'd get a wheelchair through the door.

ground floor doors are extra wide for this purpose.

 

[Des 56]

Building regs or no building regs,prat of an architiect or not,it surly is a doctored picture

If not,its incredible to think how many other pratts have "seen it", "knew of it" or installed it,it still got positioned in a place where the only missing witness was basic common sense

 

[needasparks]

The clue on this is in the OP. Barratt says it all.
No one questions the design from architects on barrett jobs or you dont get any more work for them as a contractor, so it all gets done as the drawing.
I suspect this won't be the only anomaly in the property to appear when checked over.

 

[sedgy34]

......unless its in an area liable to flooding! Hah! Then forget that reg

Just to qualify, i have rewired a house that was flood damaged higher than 1200mm.

1200/450 is only for newbuild building regs so dont discriminate disabled nothing to do with exhisting houses

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Sedgy34


Good point. Yes house. Did was existing.

 

[telectrix]

and how many CUs are fitted with those cheapo, nasty blanks in the cover over unused ways? any 4 year old child can flick a blank out and stick his/her fingers in , onto a live busbar. so why fix a CU where a 4 year old can reach it? political ineptness gone mad. cater for the small minority to the detriment of the majority.

 

[needasparks]

and how many CUs are fitted with those cheapo, nasty blanks in the cover over unused ways? any 4 year old child can flick a blank out and stick his/her fingers in , onto a live busbar. so why fix a CU where a 4 year old can reach it? political ineptness gone mad. cater for the small minority to the detriment of the majority.

Last board i changed had exactly that and was full of dog food from the young-un putting it through the hole and filled it up.
When i told the owner he said the dog died 8 yrs ago and his daughter was now 20 so must have been like it for years.
No one was more suprized than me when i took the cover off and a kilo of biscuits fell out.

 

[Des 56]

I think what needasparks is really trying to say is "that consumer unit really takes the biscuit pal"

 

[Spudnik]

CU at ceiling height is readily accessible with a walking stick. all a disabled person needs to be able to do is reset MCB/RCD. anything else, there's mastercard (sorry, masterspark)

So why do we have Part M in our remit now?

 

[PC Electrics]

and how many CUs are fitted with those cheapo, nasty blanks in the cover over unused ways? any 4 year old child can flick a blank out and stick his/her fingers in , onto a live busbar. so why fix a CU where a 4 year old can reach it? political ineptness gone mad. cater for the small minority to the detriment of the majority.

Another reason why I like Hager boards with proper blanks that fit to the din rail and mimic the shape of MCBs and cannot be pulled out.

 

[sedgy34]

they should all put on the lid a latch to lock off for safety (hey thats my idea not any of yours)

 

[Dannyspark]

The height of the CU in new builds has nothing to do with being PC, it is entirely down to cost implications for the local authority. People with disabilities have access to all manner of government funded grants and many of the costs involved in converting houses to disabled use have to be met by the government or specifically the local authority. By implementing the positioning of CU's at 1200mm the government have ensured that every new house in the country has a CU that is accessible to all meaning that the cost of moving CU's for disabled access will eventually be a thing of the past........or am I just being pesimistic!:smilewinkgrin: