Radiator above Consumer unit

[russellsmiler]

Funnily enough was watching Cowboy builders last night and in the property under the investigation the builder had a shut of water valve directly above the consumer unit and obviously pipework carrying water in that vicinity.

The EXPERT and melissa were both shaking there heads and saying how big a no no this was.

What i didnt get was? obviously quite rightly it does seem like a massive NO NO NEVER thing to do, but is this a regulationary thing.

I enquire because in a renovation I am undertaking, i have a fixed (cast in stone) position for my consumer unit, meter etc. directly above this is the bathroom, and although I can keep all the domestic water and waste completely away from above the consumer unit, I am left with one position only were i can fix the Radiator/towel rail, which will be directly above the consumer unit etc.

Basically at gound floor at almost ceiling level i have CU coming out of the top of this are my circuits between joists, also in the vicinity, but not adjacent to, i will have the 15mm flow and return of the central heating feeding the Rad/towel rail. to some extent the valves of the said rad will be directly above the CU, seperated byfloorboard, joist, plasterboard.

What are the regs on this??
If regulation allows i will do it, however not without tanking in such a way as water would never be able to discharge from the rad to the CU.

All advice appreciated.

Russell

 

[EFLImpudence]

If you mean, as I read it, that the towel rail is above the consumer unit in another room (i.e. upstairs) then that is no problem.

As for expert and Melissa, I would remind you that these types of programmes are (quite poor) entertainment and as such should not be taken seriously.
It may be slightly silly to have a stop valve directly 'on top of' a consumer unit but apart from inches separation there are no regulations regarding this.

There are plenty of CUs under sinks and under boilers and similar.
They're not supposed to leak.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

There are no specific regulations, other than external influences, which brings common sense in to the equation.
If you have ceiling void between CU and towel rail it's no big deal, if you have cables running in to ceiling void and flow and return pipes then obviously you have external influences, such as heat dissipation of pipework in area of cables, so some separation should be given or pipes should be lagged.

 

[russellsmiler]

Thanks for both those replies, seems like i am not out of the norm, and not breaching any regs!

As for cowboy builders....99% of the cases that have to be addressed are more to do with the gullibility of the homeowner rather than builders!

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Whether the home-owner is gullible or not, does not mean that they should be lassoed and taking for a bull ride.

 

[russellsmiler]

no of course not
Just my observation of the programme....

 

[ban-all-sheds]

As for expert and Melissa, I would remind you that these types of programmes are (quite poor) entertainment

I would have thought you'd have to be a spectacularly incompetent programme maker to be unable to avoid poor entertainment with Melinda Messenger as a presenter.

 

[johno12345]

oh no! i suddenly realised that my consumer units are all located under a potential water source. I was that alarmed, i felt the need to don a shiny hard hat tut and shake my head in disgust.

now, where should i relocate my consumer units so that a leak in the roof cant possibly affect my consumer units? What about the water tanks in the loft too?

as an interim measure, i have banned all liquids from being used above the level of any electrical cables, its a bit inconvenient having to drink my tea in all fours in the living room but as long as it doesnt rain, i can sleep slightly better at night, although the tin foil does dig into my ears a little.

this is worse than the time i realised that my part built wall could collapse if a big oaf started booting it with a pair of size 12s!

 

[EFLImpudence]

I would have thought you'd have to be a spectacularly incompetent programme maker to be unable to avoid poor entertainment with Melinda Messenger as a presenter.

Nevertheless, one seems to have been found. Sky+, mute.