location of CU's

[Megaohm7]

I will be doing 1st fix on an extension to a 3 bed house. The customer wants the new 17th ed CU to go in the garage which is integral to the property. The existing CU is in the hallway of the house and the Buildings inspector has said to the occupier that he thinks that the new CU should be fitted where the old one is as it's in the dwelling itself which makes things easier to reset if devices trip. I too think it makes sense . Is there a ruling to say that a CU has to stay in the dwelling and not the garage even if the garage is built on the side of the property.I will be speaking to the buildings inspector myself on Monday but my guess is that what he says goes..especially when it all needs to be signed off at the end..

 

[initforthemoney]

There is no ruling at all about where a CU goes.

 

[sellers]

There is no ruling at all about where a CU goes.

Isn't there? I'll pop it in the shower cubicle then, or behind a build in cupboard. Access to switchgear and all that.

Put it where you want mate, as long as it satisfys regs and practicallity.

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

I will be speaking to the buildings inspector myself on Monday but my guess is that what he says goes..especially when it all needs to be signed off at the end..

erm... wont you be signing off the electrical work yourself? Certificates and any Part-P compliance??

Thats what I normally do..

I do the work..

I issue the certs..

I notify all the bits for compliance cert..

Builder/homeowner/person ordering the work gets the puka paperwork..

Builder/homeowner/person ordering the work shows copies of paperwork to Building inspector..

He's happy ticks the box saying he can confirm electrics have been covered!

Jobs a goodun!

 

[initforthemoney]

Isn't there? I'll pop it in the shower cubicle then, or behind a build in cupboard. Access to switchgear and all that.

I think most of us on here use common sense.

Notice, i said "most".

 

[Lurch]

The CU can go anywhere reasonably convenient and accessible, the garage is reasonably convenient and accessible. The BCO can't make you put something somewhere just because he feels like it.

 

[Doc Hudson]

The CU can go anywhere reasonably convenient and accessible, the garage is reasonably convenient and accessible. The BCO can't make you put something somewhere just because he feels like it.

It is reasonable for millions of homes around the country to have their CU in the garage. Surely its more relative to the position of the suppliers cut-out & meter and length of meter tails that are reasonable.

Doc H.

 

[speedster]

I will be doing 1st fix on an extension to a 3 bed house. The customer wants the new 17th ed CU to go in the garage which is integral to the property. The existing CU is in the hallway of the house and the Buildings inspector has said to the occupier that he thinks that the new CU should be fitted where the old one is as it's in the dwelling itself which makes things easier to reset if devices trip. I too think it makes sense . Is there a ruling to say that a CU has to stay in the dwelling and not the garage even if the garage is built on the side of the property.I will be speaking to the buildings inspector myself on Monday but my guess is that what he says goes..especially when it all needs to be signed off at the end..

Hi. Regardless of what the customer wants,he or she needs to understand the practicalities. The meter tails should not be more than 3 metres long,so the new consumer unit should stay in the same position as the old one,unless the property is getting the supply intake point moved elsewhere !

Sometimes you just have to insist on doing it the right way,or the customers will have you breaking the law.

I recently did a shower installation for a retired farmer. He was not happy when I told him that the existing pendant light fitting (which was hanging such that a 6 footer would have headbutted the lightbulb on getting out of the shower), would need to be replaced with an enclosed fitting.

I told him the light fitting was going to be changed regardless, because otherwise someone could die. He paid up.

Best of luck

Speedster.

 

[kme]

Partially correct post above, if somewhat misleading. As long as you protect the tails, there is no reason the CU can`t go elsewhere; as SpecLoc suggests.

KME

 

[Evans Electric]

Megohm , If the client wants it in the garage ,put it in the garage . Building inspector is exceeding his remit . End of. IMHO

 

[Megaohm7]

erm... wont you be signing off the electrical work yourself? Certificates and any Part-P compliance??Thats what I normally do..

I do the work..

I issue the certs..

I notify all bit for compliance cert..

Builder/homeowner/person ordering the work gets the puka paperwork..

Builder/homeowner/person ordering the work shows copies of paperwork to Building inspector..

He's happy ticks the box saying he can confirm electrics have been covered!

Jobs a goodun!

I can do the certs. I'm talking to the building inspector on monday to see what he requires as I'm not registered with a scheme yet so I see this as the best way forward to keep it all above board..

---------- AUTO MERGE Post added at 18:15 ---------- Previous post was at 18:11 ----------

Megohm , If the client wants it in the garage ,put it in the garage . Building inspector is exceeding his remit . End of. IMHO

That's fair enough..I couldn't for the life of me see why this couldn't be the case except the customer having to go into the garage to reset mcb's, rcd's

.should be good to go then. ut the kettle on

---------- AUTO MERGE Post added at 18:20 ---------- Previous post was at 18:15 ----------

It is reasonable for millions of homes around the country to have their CU in the garage. Surely its more relative to the position of the suppliers cut-out & meter and length of meter tails that are reasonable.Doc H.

Cheers Doc.. The meter/cutout has been moved so the meter tails would still be about a meter in length.if the CU was placed in the garage. so no probs there.

 

[septiclecky]

As it is an extension the LABC officer might not issue the completion certificate for the extension if the CU is not where he wants it

 

[batty]

As it is an extension the LABC officer might not issue the completion certificate for the extension if the CU is not where he wants it

I see what your saying but really cannot see a problem as to why it can't go in the garage millions and millions of homes are built that way.

 

[Evans Electric]

Not his decision Sceptical , in my opinion , just between client and builder/sparks , with Meggy not having scam membership ,the LBC will sending a registered guy to pass it off, but don't they have to inspect at 1st fix stage to see the cable runs, I'm not sure .

 

[Badger]

i dont see the location of c/u to be a problem, we have a consumer unit 10 way full to the brim in the hallway and also another consumer unit 12 way in the garage.

 

[batty]

i don't see the location of c/u to be a problem, we have a consumer unit 10 way full to the brim in the hallway and also another consumer unit 12 way in the garage.

Theres always one.

; \

 

[Megaohm7]

Not his decision Sceptical , in my opinion , just between client and builder/sparks , with Meggy not having scam membership ,the LBC will sending a registered guy to pass it off, but don't they have to inspect at 1st fix stage to see the cable runs, I'm not sure .

I've been told that inspecting the 1st fix has to be done before any further work can be done..

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

I can do the certs. I'm talking to the building inspector on monday to see what he requires as I'm not registered with a scheme yet so I see this as the best way forward to keep it all above board..

Ah!! I can see why you were inquiring from the inspector then...

Always bet to keep them on your side with these sort of jobs!

Even so I would have thought garage could still be ok with him..

Unless he's going down a very strict Part 'M' accessibility route..?

:C

 

[sellers]

Read him a couple of the regs regarding CU locations, he'll probably be more impressed that you know what you can and can't do rather than doing what he's telling you.

I suppose it depends how much you want this CU to move?

 

[Megaohm7]

Ah!! I can see why you were inquiring from the inspector then...Always bet to keep them on your side with these sort of jobs!

Even so I would have thought garage could still be ok with him..

Unless he's going down a very strict Part 'M' accessibility route..?

:C

The existing CU is about 6' from the floor level. I know that part M shouldn't really apply here as the installation is not new except the extension part of it but that can usually be in keeping with the existing installation.Besides the owners have two small children so if the CU had to be brought down to a lower level then I can see the RCD test buttons being operated more often than the quarterly test... :innocent