Installing a new consumer unit

[wildcat]

Thanks for your response. I simply need to know if the regulations now require some fireproof membrane between the consumer unit and the wall.
In hindsight I probably should have given you more background to my experience and my qualifications. In the light of the fact that I do know what i'm doing could someone please now confirm whether I can fit the consumer unit directly to the wall without a fireproof membrane. Or alternatively please give me the regulation reference so that I can read the specific requirements. I am anxious to ensure that I fully satisfy the latest regulations.
Thank you.

 

[Big_Spark]

There is no specific Regulation. It is not advised to mount domestic consumer units directly onto a wall, but this is due to damp ingress more than anything else.

Mounting a CCU onto a wooden board is normal practice. MDF is good for this as it does not burn easily so is a material with better properties.

If the rewire is good, then you shouldn't be concerned about fire

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Once upon a time you could have used a nice piece of asbestos.

Fortunately we know better now. Mind you - working MDF is not without its health hazards, as trivial as they are in comparison to asbestos.

FWL is right - MDF doesn't burn easily, and if you want you can get fire-resistnat MDF. By the time that has caught fire due to faulty electrics then you will either be outside watching the firebrigade or dead.

Just a thought though - will the CU be on show? If not, why not fix it to the wall with metal brackets - e.g. Dexion. That way it could stand away from the wall, avoiding damp issues, and maybe making it easier to get the cables in. And air is fairly non-flammable.

 

[Big_Spark]

If not, why not fix it to the wall with metal brackets - e.g. Dexion. That way it could stand away from the wall, avoiding damp issues, and maybe making it easier to get the cables in. And air is fairly non-flammable.

Nice idea Ban, but it would not stand-up to a test and Inspect. That is certainly bad design due to the damage that could be caused by the impact of another object. I don't think the supply company would be overly impressed either.

The only way you could convince anyone it is safe is if you used Unistrut to create a floor braced framework in which the CU was mounted...easier to use MDF!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

OK...

Why is a CU fixed to metal brackets more likely to be damaged by impact than one fixed to a wall or wooden board?

 

[securespark]

In the NW, Norwebs policy is this:

If the CU is on an external wall, then it must be mounted on a board spaced off the wall with plastic spacers. If the unit is on an inside wall, it does not need the spacers, and presumably a board, either.

I like to fit a board cos it's nice & flat unlike most walls (no distortion to the unit), and you can bring all the circuit tails into the unit from behind so it looks a whole lot neater, too.