Moving CU - Suitable enclosure?

[Dartlec]

EICR today which will need a new CU and clearly I am going to struggle to replace the CU where it is because of height limits - voila:




Current board is 21cm high and can't find any board wider than a garage board that will fit because of the curtain rail...

Makes sense anyway to move it down and to adjacent wall and cover the hole and extend terminals in an adaptable enclosure with possibly din rail terminals - rather like in this thread.

However, complication is that as well as the main tails coming in, there are 25mm Off peak tails entering for two redundant storage heater spurs. Won't be needed, but I can't easily isolate them externally so will need to terminate them in the same box.

Is terminating them into suitable din rail terminals a good idea? Was considering them into a main switch on the Din rail (not accessible for now) - but does that make the whole thing close enough to a CU to require non-combustible material?

Henley block within the enclosure is another alternative I guess?

Plan is then to come down in the corner in trunking and then into a new RCBO board where the current picture is....

open to any other suggestions I'm missing though!

 

[telectrix]

you couldlowerthe curtain railby 3" or so.

 

[Soi disant]

Is terminating them into suitable din rail terminals a good idea?

Why not?

A couple of rail-mount distribution blocks might be better for tails than through-terminals, though.

 

[Dartlec]

It looks like it, but the shadow is deceptive - the pole is attached literally mm from the return ?

Odd job though - the RCD (100mA) was put in 15+ years ago for an electric shower and is a Type A. Whoever did so stuck kitchen and main RFC all together in one 32A (though small 1 bed 1 reception house so overload was unlikely anyway)

 

[timhoward]

I had a similar struggle recently, from my notes Fusebox is 263mm, Hager 260mm, MK 240ish and Crabtree Starbreaker the squattest around at 230mm.
Can you find 2cm?!

Otherwise your plan sounds good.

 

[Pete999]

EICR today which will need a new CU and clearly I am going to struggle to replace the CU where it is because of height limits - voila:


View attachment 84730

Current board is 21cm high and can't find any board wider than a garage board that will fit because of the curtain rail...

Makes sense anyway to move it down and to adjacent wall and cover the hole and extend terminals in an adaptable enclosure with possibly din rail terminals - rather like in this thread.

However, complication is that as well as the main tails coming in, there are 25mm Off peak tails entering for two redundant storage heater spurs. Won't be needed, but I can't easily isolate them externally so will need to terminate them in the same box.

Is terminating them into suitable din rail terminals a good idea? Was considering them into a main switch on the Din rail (not accessible for now) - but does that make the whole thing close enough to a CU to require non-combustible material?

Henley block within the enclosure is another alternative I guess?

Plan is then to come down in the corner in trunking and then into a new RCBO board where the current picture is....

open to any other suggestions I'm missing though!

Why does the CU need replacing?

 

[timhoward]

Why does the CU need replacing?

I wondered that too, but assuming it does....

@Dartlec It might be worth you talking to Deopke, their DCMR or DCM range are 204mm high.

Data Sheet Dist. Equ. 06: DCM RCBO board - Doepke UK Ltd

www.doepke.co.uk

I've never fitted one, and would expect them to be expensive. You might prefer to move it and fit something less fiddly!

 

[westward10]

Looks like it has a hole through the cover for the cable from that mini trunking.

 

[Dartlec]

I'm not one for unnecessarily upgrading boards, but:

• no easy way to add additional protection on bathroom circuits and socket circuits (downstairs flat so potential for outside use of sockets)
• 2 RFCs currently in one 32A breaker so the shower could be added
• Cover is a bit of a state already
• older couple who have just signed a new long term tenancy so access may be a bit of an issue going forward and landlord is open to some improvements.

I might be able to gain enough height if I re-anchor their curtain pole - but the access issue is making me think that it might be worth biting the bullet and moving it down.

 

[Timbo]

Could you get some of those end fit pole mounts? Has a smaller footprint than existing...... could also move pole down slightly as well?
This type of thing?

GoodHome Symi Natural Wood Ceiling Curtain pole bracket (Dia)28mm

This ceiling bracket is compatible with our 28 mm diameter Symi poles

www.diy.com

Or maybe mount pole inside the recess.