Old Wooden backed Wylex CU's - The position???

[oharaf]

We here about and see quite alot of these CU's.

After chating with a friend, who is NICEIC registered, he understands that should we come across any of these that we should 'condem' them and not carryout other electrical installations unless the offending CU is also replaced.

When ever I come across them, which must be every other day, I always tell the customer that I strongly reccomend that they change the CU.

Many are happy to do so, but there is till a substantial number who do not see or understand the need for this.

Does anyone know of any specific guidance around these CU's?

 

[Chri5]

What do you mean by wooden backed ?

As in a wall board or mounting board, or a CU that came from manufacture with wood intergrated at the back ?

Reason I ask is that 98% of all the work I ever do has DNO meters, henley boxes, main isolation on the DNO supplied wood board. A good 60% of the time what passes for CU's (some very old and others less so) are also to be found on the wallboards.

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[ban-all-sheds]

he understands that should we come across any of these that we should 'condem' them and not carryout other electrical installations unless the offending CU is also replaced.

Coming Soon To An Episode Of Rogue Traders Near You

 

[oharaf]

Cheers fellas, what I was on about is the actual CU's not the mounting boards.

I was just curious because some of them do limit the level of work that can be done. Re the picture of the shower terminations in another post.

The 30A? rating of the board was not suitable so Henleys & shower sub or new CU.

It is trying to advise customers as to give them the most flexible follow on options.

Thanks anyway, off to phone Rogue Traders, see if I can get a kick back

 

[Lectrician]

They are old and outdated, but you cannot condem them.

The old school wylex and rewireable fuses where built to a british standard which is still recognised in the regulations.

The only item of distribution equipment you are likely to come across which you can happily condemn are voltage operated earth leakage breakers (ELCB). These are notable by their two earth connections in series with the main earthing conductor.

 

[GaryMo]

There are many around which were fitted without a backplate (thin brown paxolin?) but directly on what looks like general wood. This in itself is a fire risk and in breech of BS7671 as the enclosure for electrical equipment is inadequate.

 

[Taylortwocities]

OK Gary. So when you are doing a PIR would that get a 2, or a 1 (or a 4)?

 

[FingRinal]

I wonder how many people have tried to start a fire with Swedish Fire Steel and a noggin of softwood (let alone hardwood)? Or with coarse shavings?

Even though they are fairly recent, I bet there have been a lot more melted modern CUs than burnt out Wylex boards.

 

[GaryMo]

If there's any evidence of heat damage to the wood that the consumer unit is mounted on from any current or previous bad connections or over heating of cables then I would give it a code 1.
If there's no sign at all of any heat damage then I would opt for a code 2.

I would prefer not to go for a code 4 as even though it doesn't comply I couldn't say with any great certainty that it's safe.

 

[FingRinal]

I don't go along with 'blanket' Code 4s just because something complied with a previous edition. It depends on the deviation and the type and use (and user) of the installation.

Heat damage evidence could be 20 (or more) years old, so I wouldn't necessarily give a Code 1 unless there was evidence to suggest that the problem was current and couldn't be resolved,or the damage was extensive. In which case, would a new consumer unit fare any better?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

There are many around which were fitted without a backplate (thin brown paxolin?) but directly on what looks like general wood. This in itself is a fire risk and in breech of BS7671 as the enclosure for electrical equipment is inadequate.

I used to have a cream Wylex†, open backed, where the body was made out of wood as well.

Very nicely made, with bullnose box-jointed corners.

Wish I'd kept it, really...




† Actually I can't swear it was a Wylex, but the layout was the same, as were the rewirable fuses

 

[securespark]

Ah, a 604 IVY, perhaps?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

FK

 

[plugwash]

The old school wylex and rewireable fuses where built to a british standard which is still recognised in the regulations.

At least according to http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/4.3.8.htm they are recongnised but with a special requirement to derate cables fed from them which means circuits connected to them generally won't comply.