Safe Zone

[160809]

Is it safe to sink cable in a wall directly above a consumer unit? I know i can use the corners or a room up to 150mm and i know you can sink above, below left and right of switches and socket, as log as its RCD protected. (less than 50mm). I cant fint any thinkg in the 17th edition regs about this.

 

[claire_r]

as long as the circuit you are wiring is rcd protected, or mechanically protected etc i would say yes, im presuming you mean the cable is coming directly out of the db so it would need to go above, below, or either side, there is nowhere else they could go! just make sure your not chasing into where there are already cables!

 

[not clever]

Yes because the safe zones still apply to a db/cu.

 

[Paul_Rawlinson]

Yes because the safe zones still apply to a db/cu.

Unless it has a box or cupboard round it

 

[Spudnik]

Unless it has a box or cupboard round it

Good point there Paul.

So what happens when a cu is installed in a new position and the job finished, and then the chippy or homeowner decides to put a cupboard around it?

 

[lister]

Bang!:d

 

[160809]

The consumer unit is in a cupboard....
Would it be OK to use steel capping around the cables (earthed of course)

 

[Paul_Rawlinson]

Good point there Paul.

So what happens when a cu is installed in a new position and the job finished, and then the chippy or homeowner decides to put a cupboard around it?

when u left it ir was in a safe zone so i can sleep at night. however for this reason i always use metal capping when above a CU just in case