Moving CU from one side of wall to other side of wall - Safe zones??

[leo79]

Hi

Basically, I've just finished the 1st fix on a property, customer and builder wanted CU to go into kitchen cupboard where the gas meter was. Gas meter has been disconnected, builder waiting on National Grid to come and re-site gas meter externally.

National Grid came out on Friday, customer has been informed off the cost, £700-£800, which is the price I thought it would have been, I've never known it to be less than £500. Customer not happy with price and wants CU moved, god knows what price she had in mind!

I'll be charging extra to move it so I'm not trying to get out of carrying out the extra work, but we're limited to where it can go.

My suggestion would be to go back to back to where it was originally going which will take it into the WC off the hall.

Now I realise that the regs state that a safe zone is extended to the reverse side of a wall for an accessory/switchgear,where the wall is 100mm thickness or less, but the wall is single brick with render, plaster and tiles, making around 120mm.

Common sense would tell you that the location of the CU would mean that all cables would be run on the reverse side of the wall as there is nowhere else they could be run.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Leo

 

[Guest55]

Go ahead and do it.
sometimes the practicalities over-rule the guidelines.
no-ones gonna be measuring the thickness of the wall when the jobs finished lol.
lifes too short

Just get builder to box it in with small cupboard when wiring is completed.

 

[telectrix]

if you want to be doubly certain you could flush fit a 2-3mm steel plate over the cables.

 

[Rockingit]

What he said ^^^^

 

[leo79]

Thanks for the replies.

Will get builder to put some steel plate in place.

Thanks again.

Leo

 

[sedgy34]

just thinking!!!
if you put DB in wc and your cables drop down on otherside of wall in the kitchen, are the kitchen cuboards going over the finished wall of your cable drop.

 

[PC Electrics]

Why don't you pull the cables back up to the floor cavity and drop them down to the CU direct?

Or at least pull them back up to within 150mm of the ceiling and pass them through the wall within the safe zone?

 

[sedgy34]

Thanks for the replies.

Will get builder to put some steel plate in place.

Thanks again.

Leo

Question!!! where do you intend to have this steel plate installed?? over your cable drops?

 

[leo79]

just thinking!!!
if you put DB in wc and your cables drop down on otherside of wall in the kitchen, are the kitchen cuboards going over the finished wall of your cable drop.

Yes, cables are in situ. Kitchen cupboard was going over CU but gas meter will be going in there now.

Why don't you pull the cables back up to the floor cavity and drop them down to the CU direct?

Or at least pull them back up to within 150mm of the ceiling and pass them through the wall within the safe zone?

Not possible due to layout of stairs, WC is under stairs, stairs have winders at top and 2 levels.

Cables will be coming through the wall within safe zone of WC as this would be going ceiling height anyway, but ceiling height in WC is much lower than ceiling height of kitchen.

Question!!! where do you intend to have this steel plate installed?? over your cable drops?

Erm........possibly?

 

[sedgy34]

ok mr stupid comes along drills through from wc into kitchen to get above them kitchen units straight through your cables your steel plate is doing nothing.

 

[sedgy34]

also you have to install the steel plate to satisfy the regs, the builder will say hes done it but really he couldnt be bothered and thinks it wont matter

 

[telectrix]

ok mr stupid comes along drills through from wc into kitchen to get above them kitchen units straight through your cables your steel plate is doing nothing.

No.... CU is ceiling height in WC. cables are through wall and up. ... at least that's how i read it....

 

[sedgy34]

different ceiling heights

 

[leo79]

ok mr stupid comes along drills through from wc into kitchen to get above them kitchen units straight through your cables your steel plate is doing nothing.

It would be impossible to drill through from WC to above kitchen units.

also you have to install the steel plate to satisfy the regs, the builder will say hes done it but really he couldnt be bothered and thinks it wont matter

Is a steel plate a requirement of the regs?
I would never take anybody's word that they were going to do something.

No.... CU is ceiling height in WC. cables are through wall and up. ... at least that's how i read it....

Correct.

different ceiling heights

Whats your point?

 

[Guest55]

ok mr stupid comes along drills through from wc into kitchen to get above them kitchen units straight through your cables your steel plate is doing nothing.

Mr stupid would probably drill through cables whether they were in safe zones or not.
And if we keep coming up with " what if " scenarios nothing would get done would it ?