Is this dangerous?

[truescot]

Looking for a simple bit of advice.I want to put up a coat rail in our small entrance hall. The only place it can go would mean that the bottom of the coats would cover the fusebox/consumer unit (has MEMERA 21 written on it). My wife is worried that this is a fire hazard. Is she right and this should be avoided?

 

[piccollo]

No its not dangerous, you still have access if required. Mine is in the hall cupboard with the shopping bags etc etc. The consumer unit is safe within its own enclosure& Providing it has a cover over the fuses / mcb's you cant make it any safer. You will find many under stairs or in similar positions.If theirs going to be a fire your coats arn't going to stop it or make it worse. piccollo

 

[tlangdon12]

Hanging WET coats on the rail could be cause water to drip into the consumer unit.

 

[Jd-1]

No but you should be careful when screwing your coat racket to the wall as there may be cables behind the wall

 

[Spudnik]

Indeed, i would probably think about putting the rail elsewhere.

Cables could very well be buried in the wall above the consumer unit, plus what has also been pointed out, that wet coats above could also be a hazard.

 

[Richard]

I have had to empty whole cupboards to get even close to the Fuse box in some houses, so I wouldn't worry about it too much. As someone said, so long as they arn't wet...

 

[High Tower]

If it really has to go there then as the guys have said, no wet coats! Only thing I would add that there is a 90% chance that cables will be present there so get the gripfill out !

 

[wiresslighting]

Any small chance water and electric....hmmmI'd look for another location for the coat rack.