Advice needed for garage consumer unit and running singles in conduit.

[Nick Buckland]

Hey, so here's the situation, im doing a domestic install for an existing detached garage consisting of a radial power circuit and 2 lighting curcuits run from a mini 4 way "satelite" board (CU). It's raised 2 interesting questions.

1. is it acceptable to put the CU at high level i.e 6ft+ or do i have to keep it more accessible i.e below 1200mm like the regs say you should for a CU. if its on the wall at low level it's going to get bashed about, so up in a corner seems the only sensible location, but do the regs agree? my arguement is that as it is a secondary consumer unit, and protected by its own breaker in the house it is no longer considered a "consumer unit" and is mearly treated like a fused connection.

2. I'm running single cables around conduit for a lighting circuit with my switch being at the far end from my CU and the lights between the 2. Obviously i have to run my live to the switch and then a switched live back to the light fittings, but do i have to do the same with my neutral and earth cables can i not just run them in and out of the light fittings straight from the board? do i even need to take the neutral to the switch at all?

i cant see any problems with this other then the fact that my L, N and E runs would be different lengths and thus the potentual between them would be different.

 

[telectrix]

you don't need to take neutral mto switch, you can run L/N/E to light and L/swL/E to switch. CU recommende dmounting height is 1200 to 1500m above floor

 

[J@mes]

The CU in my house built 2006 is 7ft above the floor. As it is in a garage, I'd rather have it mounted up high to reduce the likelyhood of impact damage when moving heavy objects or vehicles out of the garage.

no need to take a neutral to the switch, but make sure you take an earth

 

[Nick Buckland]

Thanks guys, nice to see you both agree with me on the wiring, it would seem silly if i couldnt do it that way, but best to check. I'm still a bit fuzzy over the CU's positon though. its not the main CU so does anyone agree with me that it shouldnt be treated as such, and therefore reccomended heights dont apply? its interesting to see that J@mes' main CU was positioned so high so recently.

 

[telectrix]

the mounting height is not in brb, it's building regs. and i may be wrong, but i believe it's not obligatory, just a recommendation in case you sell the property to a dwarf

 

[Nick Buckland]

well, it's going up high anyway, i'll just sell it with a stepladder if needs be!

 

[J@mes]

I live on a new estate and have seen CU's mounted at all different heights. In mine it is well above head height, in my missus' house it is at shoulder height but in a kitchen cabinet and I have seen them mounted at waist height in some of the properties too, I assume for disabled access!