Time to voice OUR opinion

[Octopus]

So its now less than 1 year to metal CU's and fire retardent cable entries.....

So is this a good idea or not?

I think its a ill thought out requirement and needs to be reconsidered...

So please vote in my poll!

 

[trev]

I think it's bloody ridiculous Clive. I cannot for the life of me understand why the requirement is being put on us and not the manufacturers.
Plus metal CUs usually look crap.

 

[Octopus]

Are you going to vote Trev?

 

[trev]

Are you going to vote Trev?

The poll wasn't there when I posted mate but I just did. I took option 3.

 

[telectrix]

the only thing that needs reviewing is the poor standard of installation. if fitted correctly there's less chance of a fire than a geordie buying a round.LOL.

 

[R G]

the only thing that needs reviewing is the poor standard of installation. if fitted correctly there's less chance of a fire than a geordie buying a round.LOL.

You want to visit Norfolk mate , they have all got short arms and deep pockets here ,

 

[D Skelton]

If the new regs state that metal DBs have to be fitted in domestic installations I will continue to fit 960 degree glow wire tested plastic DBs in domestic installations as it is a very easily justifiable departure. The reason for the five fold increase in 'fusebox' fires isn't down to the material they're made out of its down to the thousands of under trained and under skilled idiots fitting sub-standard products to a sub standard.

Edit: see here for an explanation on how it is an easily justifiable departure from BS 7671:

http://www.electriciansforums.co.uk/electrical-forum-general-electrical-forum/98557-holy-grail-bs7671-amendment-3-plastic.html#post1052649

 

[Pete999]

Absof&&kinlootly correct mate couldn't agree more,

 

[tomspark93]

I don't think metals CU's are the answer. Improving the installation standards and the quality of the products would make a much bigger difference in my opinion. Dual screws for main connections would be the minimum I'd expect.

 

[Adam W]

I don't think this has been thought through enough - it seems to me a few incorrectly installed consumer units have caught fire so the IET have tried to legislate against incompetence by bringing in this reg, with little apparent consideration for the benefits of a correctly installed plastic CU over a correctly installed metal one, such as electrical insulation and resistance to corrosion.

If they're going to insist on metal CUs just in case they're installed incorrectly (to offer increased protection from fire but decreased protection from electric shock in the place you need it most, ie before the protective device) you have to ask "what's next?" Will we see all plastic accessories 'banned' just in case they're installed incorrectly and could start a fire?

 

[trev]

So a CU catches fire because cables haven't been tightened up in a mainly plastic MCB or main switch. To counteract this the bods at the IET bring in a reg to state that they should now be made of metal, but they still contain lots of plastic which will still (potentially) not be nipped up properly thus the arcing and heating can still occur and cause fires.
Sorry but I'm not seeing the logic so as Damian says above I think I'll continue to install plastic ones because my risk assessment says the same as his.

 

[D Skelton]

I still fail to see how they're going to get around metal DBs in domestic TT setups?! Of course an up front s-type should be fitted anyway but this will now need to be within a seperate enclosure before the metal DB, and the enclosure material housing the s-type, will have to be? You guessed it... PLASTIC!

WTF?!?

 

[itselectric]

So the C.U. has to be metal but the DNO can fit plastic cut outs and meters?

 

[Dcf]

Bit of a double edged problem here.
witness the decline in manufacturing standards( mk 80/90s vs today's tat being a prime case study)
coupled with poorly trained installers
result is far more charred lumps of plastic than before
saying that I went to one on Wednesday night that was an old Wylex m/c feeding storage heaters with the main switch burnt to a crisp and the tails joined together in an unholy live neutral Union of melted plastic insulation.nice.thankfully quite rare as well.
as I've said before as an apprentice you never got near the board part of the job as it was a pile of bits that had to be built up with a bit of knowledge.
that was the journeymans bit of the job
once he deemed you competent you might get a wee 4 way to do as a test to see if you were up to it
and woe betide if it was untidy!
now you buy a fully populated board and if you don't know what you are doing it leads to disaster
stop selling populated boards to the untrained and it might be a start rather than making you do all metal.
ill get my torque driver.........

 

[Risteard]

Remember the Reg does not state that the dis board must be metal, but that either it or a cupboard housing it must be non-combustible.