Main consumer unit in wooden outbuilding

[pncomms]

Looking for a bit of advice here. I am replacing the CU which is currently in a shower room. Now, don't gasp too hard, it's not as bad as it sounds. The shower is in a totally enclosed cubicle with a good extractor, and the room never gets steamy or has condensation. The existing CU is in a cupboard which is diagonally 1.6M from the outside of the cubicle, ie, outside zone 2. The door does not currently have a lock on but easily could, or some other means of securing it but allowing emergency access. There is no other location in the room or adjacent rooms to site it. However, on the other side of the wall is a wooden workshop (yeah OK a shed), that the house wall forms one wall of. It is a substantial, dry, permanent construction. I am thinking it might be better to put the CU in there? Any thoughts?? There is no excessive dust etc created in it by the way. Seems like a better idea to me. I am aware I will need to notify this.

 

[pncomms]

If the NICEIC advisor really said that to you, then it only goes to show just what a shower they really are on that advice line!! So what was his reasoning behind that gem of advice then??

...Didn't catch his name by the way did you??? ...lol!!!

I did get his name yes, but I'm not about to go advertising it on here! However, I can understand his reasoning to be honest. I am sure I am not as experienced as a lot of guy's on here but nobody has yet come up with a good technical argument as to why the "outbuilding" is such a bad idea. Near where I live there are complete properties built out of timber, and I am sure they don't rely on candles! If the workshop, shall we call it, ever needs to be taken down or falls down in 25 years time, then it will have to go back in the airing cupboard. Surely, it is more sensible to move it out of a location where it may be exposed to a humid atmosphere, however unlikely? If someone can provide either a reg's or other technical reason then I would appreciate it. I understand there has been a consensus of opinion and as has been said, they are opinions. As a comparative newbie to this who could blame me for taking the advice of the NICEIC? Are you saying they are a bunch of idiots? I would tend to think at the moment that the best thing to do would be to put it in an IP rated enclosure, but unfortunately they all seem too big to fit in the space I have available.

 

[pncomms]

Oh and the intake and meter are in an adjacent cupboard, in the same room. And yes, there has never been a problem. yet.....

 

[ipf]

Oh and the intake and meter are in an adjacent cupboard, in the same room. And yes, there has never been a problem. yet.....

Well, you won't be moving those, I take it ? So why move the CU ?
Did you mention this to the advisor ?

 

[KAS1]

I think as the installation electrician it's now time for you to make an installation decision as you are the person onsite with all the available information as to environmental conditions, after all that's what we are trained to do within he industry day after day.

 

[MDJ]

Stick a tent up with a bit of half inch board from a building site inside it and screw the Board to that lol.

 

[MDJ]

I did get his name yes, but I'm not about to go advertising it on here! However, I can understand his reasoning to be honest. I am sure I am not as experienced as a lot of guy's on here but nobody has yet come up with a good technical argument as to why the "outbuilding" is such a bad idea. Near where I live there are complete properties built out of timber, and I am sure they don't rely on candles! If the workshop, shall we call it, ever needs to be taken down or falls down in 25 years time, then it will have to go back in the airing cupboard. Surely, it is more sensible to move it out of a location where it may be exposed to a humid atmosphere, however unlikely? If someone can provide either a reg's or other technical reason then I would appreciate it. I understand there has been a consensus of opinion and as has been said, they are opinions. As a comparative newbie to this who could blame me for taking the advice of the NICEIC? Are you saying they are a bunch of idiots? I would tend to think at the moment that the best thing to do would be to put it in an IP rated enclosure, but unfortunately they all seem too big to fit in the space I have available.

is the wooden building a decent quality building with a proper roof and secure structure?

 

[driverman]

Off track slightly....but are you allowed to clip cables directly onto wood surfaces nowadays? Or must cables now be enclosed in conduit / trunking etc.

 

[MDJ]

Off track slightly....but are you allowed to clip cables directly onto wood surfaces nowadays? Or must cables now be enclosed in conduit / trunking etc.

Well I wouldn't tube around my loft space to stick a light in it would you?

 

[pncomms]

is the wooden building a decent quality building with a proper roof and secure structure?

Ah do I sense your coming round a bit?? Yep, its ply lined on the inside, timber clad outside, proper bitumen underlay and felted roof, 1 3/4 inch solid timber door. Like I said, it ain't a potting shed. And of course, I'm not going to dream of moving the intake and meter, but if it had to be moved would the DNO put it in a shower room??

 

[KAS1]

Off track slightly....but are you allowed to clip cables directly onto wood surfaces nowadays? Or must cables now be enclosed in conduit / trunking etc.

I think if that is the case there would now be a lot of conduit or the like in roof spaces and under floors lol

 

[MDJ]

Ah do I sense your coming round a bit?? Yep, its ply lined on the inside, timber clad outside, proper bitumen underlay and felted roof, 1 3/4 inch solid timber door. Like I said, it ain't a potting shed. And of course, I'm not going to dream of moving the intake and meter, but if it had to be moved would the DNO put it in a shower room??

Without a picture of the building there is no way I will advise you to move the board into it, however as mentioned before, it is your call, only you have seen the site.

 

[ipf]

Off track slightly....but are you allowed to clip cables directly onto wood surfaces nowadays? Or must cables now be enclosed in conduit / trunking etc.

Why not ? That's what clips are for innit.

 

[pncomms]

Well I wouldn't tube around my loft space to stick a light in it would you?

Oh I got to say as well, I'm not sure that a man who likes creamflow should be taken seriously anyway, *****g awful stuff.

 

[Silly Sausage]

Oh and the intake and meter are in an adjacent cupboard, in the same room. And yes, there has never been a problem. yet.....

If you're determined to move this CU, why don't you stick it in there?
You could possibly make the door airtight as well!

 

[MDJ]

Oh I got to say as well, I'm not sure that a man who likes creamflow should be taken seriously anyway, *****g awful stuff.

I once went out with a girl from Derby, she was a dirty so and so, lol, up yours haha

 

[MDJ]

Off track slightly....but are you allowed to clip cables directly onto wood surfaces nowadays? Or must cables now be enclosed in conduit / trunking etc.

what if it is a 25mm2 3 core armoured cable, will the manufacturers have to make a 3" conduit so the armoured can be pulled through it lol

 

[ipf]

If you're determined to move this CU, why don't you stick it in there?
You could possibly make the door airtight as well!

And fasten a seal on it....

 

[ipf]

what if it is a 25mm2 3 core armoured cable, will the manufacturers have to make a 3" conduit so the armoured can be pulled through it lol

Might have a chance with 4'' soil pipe..

 

[driverman]

Well I wouldn't tube around my loft space to stick a light in it would you?

Yep.. knew as soon as I sent that....someone would say loft spaces etc. What I meant was, in a wooden building / shed etc.
Yes I've used buckle clips and tower clips directly onto wood. Instructor informed us whilst doing 2395 that not allowed no longer.

 

[MDJ]

And fasten a seal on it....

what would that achieve

 

[pncomms]

I once went out with a girl from Derby, she was a dirty so and so, lol, up yours haha

Ah there all slappers in Derby mate, and the teams crap as well. I'm from Notts. Do you think I'm getting the hang of this?? Still not sure about this fkin CU though

 

[Silly Sausage]

what if it is a 25mm2 3 core armoured cable, will the manufacturers have to make a 3" conduit so the armoured can be pulled through it lol

You're just being silly now, everybody knows you can safely clip a SWA to a wooden garden fence.

 

[R G]

I have just seen all this mumbo jumbo , makes me wonder what the public would make of it.. sheds , clips all sorts

 

[MDJ]

Ah there all slappers in Derby mate, and the teams crap as well. I'm from Notts. Do you think I'm getting the hang of this?? Still not sure about this fkin CU though

is the shed one of these

 

[pncomms]

i'm beginning to think I have formed too much of a bond with this shed. It does contain my barrels of homebrew though, maybe the CU would be in danger if one exploded?

- - - Updated - - -

is the shed one of these

Don't be stupid its not that professional

 

[ipf]

what would that achieve

Expected that from a face puller.

like to see a meter man carrying a packet of those around. :90:

 

[pncomms]

is the shed one of these

I have a feeling I am going to have to take a photo of this shed sooner or later.

 

[telectrix]

Oh I got to say as well, I'm not sure that a man who likes creamflow should be taken seriously anyway, *****g awful stuff.

just read most of this thread. it's obvious that you're a kosher bloke from the above post. sod the electrics side, any man who hates cumflow has got to have a half decent brain.

 

[telectrix]

Off track slightly....but are you allowed to clip cables directly onto wood surfaces nowadays? Or must cables now be enclosed in conduit / trunking etc.

clips? you cannot be serious. in a loft it's going to be buried under a foot of itchy-poo anyway. why waste clips where nobody can see?

 

[MDJ]

just read most of this thread. it's obvious that you're a kosher bloke from the above post. sod the electrics side, any man who hates cumflow has got to have a half decent brain.

Calm down Tel, these bloody old gangsters