The Future of Fuse boards...?

[Dustydazzler]

Looks nice

 

[brianmoooore]

Used twin row (2 x 10W) MEM plastic boards for years on loads of domestic installations.

 

[mainline]

Looks nice

I really can't see the point of cutting a cable entry hole that size in the back board.

 

[Dustydazzler]

I really can't see the point of cutting a cable entry hole that size in the back board.

It is a pre punched knock out

 

[mainline]

It is a pre punched knock out

In the wooden partition.

 

[mattg4321]

I can’t see the point of removing the DIN rail!

 

[freddo]

In the wooden partition.

didn't you see the video? It's to prepare for all the future circuits for your battery banks and electric car charging points! (If you can afford it after spending all your money on the CU) Just feed the cable into the already made hole...

 

[mainline]

didn't you see the video? It's to prepare for all the future circuits for your battery banks and electric car charging points! (If you can afford it after spending all your money on the CU) Just feed the cable into the already made hole...

Except that they probably wouldn't come in from the back.

 

[Dave OCD]

In the wooden partition.

Well it's smaller than the steel knockout and makes it nice and easy to feed the cables into the back of the CU, so what's the point in making the cutout smaller and more fiddly ?

 

[freddo]

The large hole helps vent the flames into the wall void.

 

[mainline]

Well it's smaller than the steel knockout and makes it nice and easy to feed the cables into the back of the CU, so what's the point in making the cutout smaller and more fiddly ?

It's into a partition, nothing is going to be easy to get back entry into that CU.

 

[brianmoooore]

The large hole helps vent the flames into the wall void.

Exactly! The enclosure is not air tight, and heat inside will be fanned into flames by the chimney effect of the void. just like nominally non flammable insulation on the outside of high rise buildings.

 

[Dustydazzler]

Most sparks I see just mash a hole in the wall with their claw hammer big enough to put your head through...

 

[mainline]

Well it's smaller than the steel knockout and makes it nice and easy to feed the cables into the back of the CU, so what's the point in making the cutout smaller and more fiddly ?

Going with that logic, they may as well knock all of them out, that would make it a lot easier.

 

[Dave OCD]

Totally irrelevant. And there is nothing in the Regs about making a CU 'airtight' , if anything that's counter productive as we're told to install in such a way to minimise the build up of heat or words to that effect.

 

[westward10]

There shouldn't be a chimney effect as there should be cavity barriers for this purpose.

 

[mainline]

Totally irrelevant. And there is nothing in the Regs about making a CU 'airtight' , if anything that's counter productive as we're told to install in such a way to minimise the build up of heat or words to that effect.

As far as is reasonably practicable, to contain any fire within the enclosure or cabinet and to minimise the escape of flames.

 

[Dustydazzler]

Won't be long before everyone is filling a consumer unit with expanding foam

 

[Dave OCD]

Don't give anybody ideas ! Can you imagine trying to add a cable to that ?!

 

[littlespark]

Won't be long before everyone is filling a consumer unit with expanding foam

Intumescent foam, of course.

 

[Dustydazzler]

I can just imagine Delroys face when he turn up to do a Youtuber domestic board change this year only to find some sparky has completely filled it to the brim with builders foam...

NO WAY NO WAY A QUALIFIED ELECTRICIAN DONE THAT I CAN'T SEE IT

 

[brianmoooore]

There shouldn't be a chimney effect as there should be cavity barriers for this purpose.

Might have been before the sparky pulled them out the way to get his cables down.

 

[mainline]

Imagine telling a customer that they need to spend a load of money on a new metal consumer unit, telling them how much safer it is in a fire and then leaving a dirty great hole in their wall partition.

There is no argument for not sealing it up.

 

[Midwest]

Imagine telling a customer that they need to spend a load of money on a new metal consumer unit, telling them how much safer it is in a fire and then leaving a dirty great hole in their wall partition.

There is no argument for not sealing it up.

Here we go again

I tried using that naff grommet strip, including super gluing it, never stays it place, even when carefully inserting a larger cable. Hager bespoke grommet is the same. Manufacturers should come up with something more substantial.

 

[freddo]

We use a much deeper grommet strip (similar to this) than the silly short stuff the wholesalers stock.

 

[suffolkspark]

people C2 open backed wylex boards on a flammable wall if no paxolin sheet, but then wang a load of these knockouts out for 6 cables to come in

 

[mainline]

Totally irrelevant. And there is nothing in the Regs about making a CU 'airtight' , if anything that's counter productive as we're told to install in such a way to minimise the build up of heat or words to that effect.

I think that most people would know what Brian meant when saying “airtight”.

Also, I don't understand how you can disagree about leaving a dirty, great hole in a wall cavity.

Have a read of section 527.

 

[westward10]

I think that most people would know what Brian meant when saying “airtight”.

Also, I don't understand how you can disagree about leaving a dirty, great hole in a wall cavity.

Have a read of section 527.

Has the penetration breached a fire compartment because if not no further action is required.

 

[mainline]

Has the penetration breached a fire compartment because if not no further action is required.

The metal CU should be treated as a form of fire barrier/containment, that being the whole reason for having metal CUs in the first place.

Cutting a hole that size in a wooden partition and leaving it cannot be said to be the work of a decent electrician.

 

[littlespark]

Fill it with asbestos. Job’s a good ‘un