building regs on fuseboard height

[Shakeout]

Hi all,
I haven't done a new build for a while but I was speaking to another electrician the other day who told me that fuseboards fall into the 450mm - 1200mm height band for disables access.
Is this correct?

 

[Guest55]

pretty much yep.
at least 1 mtr high is preferable.

 

[Shakeout]

obviously I meant disabled not disables.

OK cheers, that's low for a fuse board. Does the top of the board need to be below 1200mm?


Any exceptions or is that everywhere that building res apply now?

 

[High Tower]

I always put them a littke higher, around the 1500 mark, at the meter mark the toddlers of the house will have the lights flashing!!

 

[Guest55]

I always put them a littke higher, around the 1500 mark, at the meter mark the toddlers of the house will have the lights flashing!!

that hazard is easy to design out by simply using a metal clad unit and electrifing it.

;-)

 

[Shakeout]

Noted, good advice!
Thanks for the updates.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

i have to agree with Aiden here

go for height....the plusses of not having youngsters attempting to get to grips with our trade early outweigh the negitives of not being able to reach it if sat down....

 

[Octopus]

I was always under the impression that the CU height was down to the installer to decide. Which numpty would place a CU at kiddy finger height!

 

[gutterball]

It's to go at floor level in the back of the most inaccessible cupboard that you can find. Preferably with 10 tons of junk in front of it.:smiley2:

 

[Plonker 3]

Most kids seem to be fine these days, even those that grew up with 3036 boards in understairs cupboards in which the kids would hide in for hours on end.

 

[amo]

In most new builds I've seen they have them housed in a little locked cupboard with the meter and cutout all together

 

[Guest55]

go too high and your in danger of someone in a wheelchair not being able to reach mcb's
which is the whole point of the accessability regs if its for a new build

and a modern CU is considerably less dangerous than say an electric hob in the kitchen and no-ones putting that 1500mm high are they ?

 

[bwm730]

Found this link to a recent article in Professional Electrician

[h=5]Accessible units[/h]However, section 1.4 of Part P now states that, “One way of complying with Part M in new dwellings is to mount consumer units so that the switches are between 1350mm and 1450mm above floor level. At this height, the consumer unit is out of reach of young children yet accessible to other people when standing or sitting.”

Consumer Unit Placement | Professional Electrician & Installer

 

[High Tower]

go too high and your in danger of someone in a wheelchair not being able to reach mcb's
which is the whole point of the accessability regs if its for a new build

and a modern CU is considerably less dangerous than say an electric hob in the kitchen and no-ones putting that 1500mm high are they ?

How do you know???, have you been in my kitchen??, no thought not!

My thinking is kids are unlikely to pull 3036's but the urge to flick switches is often to much to resist!

my personal favorite is terraced houses with the Cu's in the back of a cupboard at floor level, behind the sofa, in the living room. At 6'5" and 23 stone, i aint built for climbing into those cupboards!

 

[GLENNSPARK]

a flirty thirty six in the kitchen....

so...whoos been in whoos kitchen then.....

(this is before we get to the breadbin)....

 

[uksparks]

I tend to put them approx at shoulder level so it's easy to look at or read things on it, it may not entirely comply but nobody has complained yet about where I fit them. It also makes for easy termination.

I find ones that are hard against the ceiling stupid as you can't tighten things properly due to poor access.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

r how

I tend to put them approx at shoulder level so it's easy to look at or read things on it, it may not entirely comply but nobody has complained yet about where I fit them. It also makes for easy termination.

I find ones that are hard against the ceiling stupid as you can't tighten things properly due to poor access.

or how about the simple stuff...like not being able to reach it....

 

[uksparks]

r how
or how about the simple stuff...like not being able to reach it....

Very true but you can never please everyone.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Very true but you can never please everyone.

no....you damned well cant...

 

[uksparks]

Just out of interest, what height do you find boards in on new housing estates? I've seen them in all sorts of silly places, when they are above a kitchen cupboard that's got to be the worst.