Seriously. CU in bathroom.

[Dave Appleby]

Ok.....

So I've quoted today on an EICR rectification. Main issues are those associated with Noah and Sons having done the previous installation. As usual Scottish Regs apply

2 fusewire boards in the hall to be replaced. Cracked sockets etc. Worst issue is no CPC in upstairs lighting,but, access available so not panicking about that.

Now...

We have a third fuse box to be replaced in an upstairs bedroom. Which the client wants to convert to a bathroom... Which she only told me at the end. House is to be a holiday let. So I also had to cover alarm systems.

Back to the bathroom. Board is fed from a Henley block at the incomer in SWA run outside.

As I see it options are very limited. However I'm interested in opinions.

Boxing it in with an environmental seal such as the use for risers was one thought, but I'm worried about the legality even though it's outside zone 2. Also humidity effects on the RCD and MCB's is a concern. Even building an IP65 enclosure and jointing everything then taking it all downstairs in tubing is introducing a failure point I don't like and again needs to be accessable.

I'm set on a ' not going to happen' answer unless I've missed something blindingly obvious.

Over to the mob??

Thanks

Dave

 

[Pretty Mouth]

My folks have one in a cupboard in their downstairs shower room since the mid 80s. No dramas, doesn't seem to have suffered from the environment. Perhaps not great in a holiday let though.

Could it be moved into the loft? Not ideal, but perhaps better than in the bathroom.

 

[pc1966]

Winding back a bit, why 3 boards?

If it is a rewire and/or new CU situation could you not migrate all of it to a single CU in the hall?

Or am I missing something really obvious here? Which is quite likely...

 

[Dartlec]

To be honest, if it's in some sort of suitable cupboard and outside zones it's probably not going to be an issue, though being a holiday let maybe makes it not ideal - though alternatively if it's a well managed holiday let then it may get more assessment for deterioration than a normal home...

You can get IP rated consumer units though of course they are plastic - however, one of those in one of those steel enclosures that they advertised to retrofit over existing units when 17th AMD 3 came out might make a satisfactory compromise? Not sure if Scottish Regs have anything separate from 7671 on requirements?

Might be better to extend the necessary circuits in a suitable IP rated enclosure and move the consumer unit elsewhere though - depending on what it's feeding and how many circuits are involved...

 

[Dave Appleby]

Thanks to everyone who contributed. It was initially a CU replacement for fused box.

The client has now decided, with some direction, that we will go for a single board downstairs. So essentially problem has gone away.

Thanks again all