Relocating a Consumer Unit

[vwes59]

It's been asked a thousand times I know, but nothing quite matches what I have to work with.

Ok, it's a 1950's ish house, 2 bed terrace, so very small. The incoming tails, meter and current consumer board are in a small cupboard in the lounge by the front door. The consumer board is tiny, only two MCB's, one for a ring final for the whole house, and one for the lights. The consumer board is fairly recent, about 10-15 years old, but some of the wiring dates back decades and is starting to fail in places causing problems. So client has asked for an EICR and a possible rewire and relocate the consumer unit somewhere more sensible, with the circuits properly divided up.

All well and good. However I'm struggling to work out where to put the consumer board. The cupboard space is so tiny, nothing except a two way CU will fit, and I'm going to need at least a 5-7 way board. There's nothing in the regs to say the board can't be in the lounge, except it is near an exit (ie the front door). I can easily extend the meter tails and mount the new consumer unit 1450mm up the wall, so well within the 3m limit, but I want it to look nice, given its in the lounge, so how to hide these hideous tails. I suppose I could chase out the brick work, run them inside the wall and into the back of the new consumer unit, cap them and then plaster over (according to reg 522.6.202 that's ok). The property will need an isolator put in.

Anyone else been confronted with something similar ? Have to say it seemed a very odd thing to do, the only thing protecting the occupants in the lounge from the incoming supply is this flimsy wooden cupboard!

 

[Dustydazzler]

Where is the meter and cutout fuse L

 

[Vortigern]

How about straight through the wall and rear entry (Ohhhh matron!) to the CU?

 

[loz2754]

If the tails are to be buried in the wall at a depth of less than 50mm, they will need to be protected either by 30mA RCD, earthed metallic conduit, or a physical barrier strong enough to resist penetration by nails and screws, usually deemed to be 3mm steel plate.

The RCD option isn't really an option, as you would be effectively negating the requirement to adequately divide the installation into circuits because an earth fault on one circuit would disconnect all circuits.

As usual, a few pictures might help, if possible.

Also I'm not really sure what you mean by:

the only thing protecting the occupants in the lounge from the incoming supply is this flimsy wooden cupboard!

 

[vwes59]

If the tails are to be buried in the wall at a depth of less than 50mm, they will need to be protected either by 30mA RCD, earthed metallic conduit, or a physical barrier strong enough to resist penetration by nails and screws, usually deemed to be 3mm steel plate.

The RCD option isn't really an option, as you would be effectively negating the requirement to adequately divide the installation into circuits because an earth fault on one circuit would disconnect all circuits.

As usual, a few pictures might help, if possible.

Also I'm not really sure what you mean by:

Sorry not the greatest of pictures, but all that is in the lounge of the house, the front door is about a foot off to the right, and all contained in a wooden cupboard.

 

[timhoward]

Is there any room high up above or close to the front door? Lots of smaller older properties tend to have them in that area.

 

[Dartlec]

Since the meter is going to stay there I imagine (unless they're willing to fork out the cost for head and meter to be moved...), could you get a small switch fuse in there, and then run SWA to the new board - it can then be wherever they want it, if you are rewiring....

SWA could be buried in the wall without needing RCD protection, or could be taken outside if that's by any chance an outside wall?

Or if they are happy to have it higher, maybe put a recessed one in the brick work at a suitable height, with tails either >50mm or protected with suitable steel plate as @loz2754 mentions...

 

[i=p/u]

hager skeleton consumer unit - Recherche Google

 

[vwes59]

Since the meter is going to stay there I imagine (unless they're willing to fork out the cost for head and meter to be moved...), could you get a small switch fuse in there, and then run SWA to the new board - it can then be wherever they want it, if you are rewiring....

SWA could be buried in the wall without needing RCD protection, or could be taken outside if that's by any chance an outside wall?

Or if they are happy to have it higher, maybe put a recessed one in the brick work at a suitable height, with tails either >50mm or protected with suitable steel plate as @loz2754 mentions...

That's a possibility, as its on the outside wall. I'm due to complete the EICR in a couple of weeks so I'll know for sure what I'm facing.

 

[Penguin]

It's been asked a thousand times I know, but nothing quite matches what I have to work with.

Ok, it's a 1950's ish house, 2 bed terrace, so very small. The incoming tails, meter and current consumer board are in a small cupboard in the lounge by the front door. The consumer board is tiny, only two MCB's, one for a ring final for the whole house, and one for the lights. The consumer board is fairly recent, about 10-15 years old, but some of the wiring dates back decades and is starting to fail in places causing problems. So client has asked for an EICR and a possible rewire and relocate the consumer unit somewhere more sensible, with the circuits properly divided up.

All well and good. However I'm struggling to work out where to put the consumer board. The cupboard space is so tiny, nothing except a two way CU will fit, and I'm going to need at least a 5-7 way board. There's nothing in the regs to say the board can't be in the lounge, except it is near an exit (ie the front door). I can easily extend the meter tails and mount the new consumer unit 1450mm up the wall, so well within the 3m limit, but I want it to look nice, given its in the lounge, so how to hide these hideous tails. I suppose I could chase out the brick work, run them inside the wall and into the back of the new consumer unit, cap them and then plaster over (according to reg 522.6.202 that's ok). The property will need an isolator put in.

Anyone else been confronted with something similar ? Have to say it seemed a very odd thing to do, the only thing protecting the occupants in the lounge from the incoming supply is this flimsy wooden cupboard!

Hi Vwes59,
Firstly if this property is a rental etc then it is classed as commercial.!

Thus it will require a non flammable DB (metal), SDP and a separate Kitchen ring.

Before you go any further, perform an Insulation resistance check on the currrnt set up, and possibly suggest that a new cupboard is built to accommodate the new DB etc.
Have you any photos???

 

[loz2754]

Hi penguin, I don't know if you realise this but the thread is 2 years old. I'm sure he's finished the job by now!

 

[Penguin]

Hi penguin, I don't know if you realise this but the thread is 2 years old. I'm sure he's finished the job by now!

. Let’s hope he wasn’t charging the customer by the day…!!!!! 365x2yrs=

Thanks for letting me know.!