Stupid positioning of consumer units...

[Gavin John Hyde]

Called by a customer yesterday as the cover on the consumer unit has come off and they were panicking. Agreed to call in this morning.
Its a new build house, the consumer unit is located immediately adjacent to the side door. When it opens the door handle/ lock bangs into the cover.
Over time it has become dented and eventually the left screw has come loose and the cover popped off. BG boards are prone to having a tight or misaligned cover at the best of times.
Surely the original electricians must have thought about where they were putting it?
It seems these days more and more of them are put in daft places in the middle of a hall way wall or by a door sticking out rather than out of sight in a cupboard.
Whats the most stupid or strange place you have come across a consumer unit new or old?
Have come across one immediately above a bath tub and shower before, suffice to say it was an immediate C1.

 

[Toneyz]

Asked to go and do a test once turned up and half consumer unit in one base unit the other in another could not get the lid off a bit like the scene out of Steptoe and son when they split the house in half.

 

[NDG Elecs]

I saw one on a forum years ago that was located behind a removable panel on a stair riser. I recall the spark at the time saying it took a good while to find it. There was a picture of it. Have just tried googling it to no avail. I'm pretty certain the stairs were carpeted too.

 

[Electric Magic]

This was one of my most annoying, the picture is the back corner of a kitchen unit.
The service head is behind the cut out in the back of the unit so even less accessible!
View attachment 44068

I had a very similar one with the added bonus of the boiler being directly above it.

 

[SparkyChick]

The worst I've seen is service head, meter and CU in a 'space' between two rooms. It was the same height as the rooms, about 3.5 feet long but only about 18 inches wide. The door to get into the space was narrower and much lower.

Thankfully I didn't get the job

The place I'm working on at the mo is relatively good except it's Victorian I think... very high ceilings and the CU is about 2 inches below what appears to be the highest ceiling in the house.

 

[Jason Philip]

So what is the requirements / regulation on that, NEC (USA) codes require 36" clearance in front of the panel / consumer unit, and I know there is part M in UK, so does putting it in a cupboard violate the accessibility / clearance requirements.?

 

[Squid]

Hang the door the other way around.

 

[1Justin]

This one. Recent kitchen too, one-piece corner cabinet, 500mm door.

 

[1Justin]

This one. Recent kitchen too, one-piece corner cabinet, 500mm door. View attachment 44104 View attachment 44104

 

[Squid]

Looks like the gas meter is in there as well......

 

[Andy78]

Worst I saw was mounted, along with the head and meter, in an alcove to the side of a chimney breast. Then a stud wall was put over the chimney breast. Then a kitchen was built over the wall. Access was through a base cupboard. FFS !

 

[telectrix]

came acroos a job recently to add a coule of kitche sockets.done it by fitting RCD FCU. DB was a wylex 3036 mounted below kitchen sink.that was original build from 1970's.

 

[Sparky Pat]

Went to do an EICR once in a cottage with exposed beams, DB was over front door but unfortunately plumber had been in and fitted central heating pipes in front of DB and was not able to remove cover. So ended up having to smash cover off and lowering and fitting new DB.

 

[Andy78]

Worst I saw was mounted, along with the head and meter, in an alcove to the side of a chimney breast. Then a stud wall was put over the chimney breast. Then a kitchen was built over the wall. Access was through a base cupboard. FFS !

Here's my mate gaining access

 

[CACJL]

They ought bring out a new regulations consumer unit sighting, for instance between one and two meters above floor level.

 

[telectrix]

it's in the building regs. maybe by 2040 when the 154th edition of the regs. comes in, it will be included.

 

[sparksfly]

Not a good pic but 1/3rd of the CSU in cellar sticks out, the wall behind is quite a bit further back

 

[Paul P]

I had one half inside and half outside a kitchen cupboard, as in sticks through the worktop.

Had to remove the worktop to reset the MCB’s

Coded it on an ECR but tenet refused to let us move it.

 

[jonnyb]

On a lot of new builds around my area, I notice the CU's are well over 3 metres away from the meter, which seems dodgy to me, plus tails are going right through the house somewhere with no real indication where!

 

[Octopus]

They ought bring out a new regulations consumer unit sighting, for instance between one and two meters above floor level.

That’s already in part M ..... but it doesn’t state how accessible it should be .....only the height

 

[Wilko]

Here's my mate gaining access View attachment 44107 View attachment 44108 View attachment 44109

You guys are really up for a challenge, no doubting it ! I would've insisted on a move, preferably to the Pub.

 

[Dillb]

Here's my mate gaining access View attachment 44107 View attachment 44108 View attachment 44109

Your just showing off that you have got a mate aren't you?

 

[Andy78]

You guys are really up for a challenge, no doubting it ! I would've insisted on a move, preferably to the Pub.

I think I'd have taken the same attitude. It was his job and I was assisting. Which mainly involved laughing at him and passing tools

 

[Andy78]

Your just showing off that you have got a mate aren't you?

And I don't even have to pay him much to say he is