Relocating a Consumer Unit

[Midwest]

Looking at reg 421.1.201, it states 'Within domestic (household) premises, consumer units and similar switchgear assemblies shall comply with BS EN 61439-3 and shall; ........you know the rest.

Then at the beginning of (not quoting from Genesis, another well know publication) BS7671: 2008 inc A3, reg 110.1.1 'The regulations apply to the design, erection and verification of electrical installations.

No definition of erection in BS7671, The Oxford Dictionary; 1 erecting, being erected. 2 something erected, such as a building. 3 (then something described, which we shouldn't talk about in a family forum, with young kids about!) # Verb erect, set up, build.

So I would suggest, disconnecting cabling, dismantling CU, moving to new location, re-fixing, reconnecting cabling is an erection and therefore needs to apply to the current regs, which includes 421.1.201 (et al).

 

[phedders]

I do find it a bit weird that suddenly plastic CU's are "unsafe", when for donkeys years they were "safe".

Better change all those plastic-clad-cables to metal-clad too.

But seriously - Are they suddenly "unsafe"? Or is it just that they could maybe be safer in certain situations.

 

[Wilko]

I do find it a bit weird that suddenly plastic CU's are "unsafe", when for donkeys years they were "safe".
But seriously - Are they suddenly "unsafe"? Or is it just that they could maybe be safer in certain situations.

Just guaranteed a whole lot more replies
IMHO they were not unsafe then and not unsafe now, but they did see fit to change the regs to exclude them going forward. Hi ho. Now the internal cabling in the CU at risk, but any fire that results will be contained .

 

[Octopus]

Just guaranteed a whole lot more replies
IMHO they were not unsafe then and not unsafe now, but they did see fit to change the regs to exclude them going forward. Hi ho. Now the internal cabling in the CU at risk, but any fire that results will be contained .

You could argue that a lot of the cheap units are simply rubbish and even now, encasing them in metal isn't much help either!

 

[UNG]

Just over a year in I'm waiting for the fire stats since the introduction of metalclad boards or are they going to fudge something
Blaming the product for causing fires is pretty poor when you are not properly assessing the complete product which has to include the installation of it

 

[Pete999]

I doubt very much if the entire problem is down to poor design, more like poor installation practices.

 

[telectrix]

pink floyd 2005 concert on the stereo, rough cider in the glass, who gives a shyte about plastic CUs?

 

[Pete999]

pink floyd 2005 concert on the stereo, rough cider in the glass, who gives a shyte about plastic CUs?

Not working today Tel?

 

[telectrix]

no mate. bit quiet at the mo. just chilling.

 

[Pete999]

no mate. bit quiet at the mo. just chilling.

Enjoy