Moving consumer unit

[Chops77]

Hi all.
Just wanting some advice please.

Would it be possible to move my consumer unit slightly from where it is now,to where the red box is drawn?

i plan on putting the new oven into this cupboard,but the consumer unit is in the way by approx 20mm!


Thanks.

 

[Taylortwocities]

You do not have a consumer unit in your picture.
You have

1. the mains incoming supply snd fuse,
2. an electricity meter,
3. and a very ancient fuse board.

moving 1 can only be done by the DNO allow about a grand for that. They may insist it is fitted on the outside of the house.

Moving 2 is done by whoever owns the meter, usually who you pay for your electric. You’ll have to ask them, after least a hundred. And they’ll probably make you have a smart meter while they are at it.

moving 3 is fine by your local friendly electrician. Looking at the age/state of it, it is long overdue for updating. There’s another £500+.

Does this help? Maybe redesign the kitchen?

 

[sparxxxx]

You should not place your main electrics behind an oven, or anything else that prevents easy access. You need to re-think your ideas

 

[Chops77]

You should not place your main electrics behind an oven, or anything else that prevents easy access. You need to re-think your ideas

Thanks. thats the reason i was wanting to move it down. So that the oven would sit above all the electric units.
But if its going to be to much of a pain and expense i will have a rethink. cheers

 

[Chops77]

You do not have a consumer unit in your picture.
You have

1. the mains incoming supply snd fuse,
2. an electricity meter,
3. and a very ancient fuse board.

moving 1 can only be done by the DNO allow about a grand for that. They may insist it is fitted on the outside of the house.

Moving 2 is done by whoever owns the meter, usually who you pay for your electric. You’ll have to ask them, after least a hundred. And they’ll probably make you have a smart meter while they are at it.

moving 3 is fine by your local friendly electrician. Looking at the age/state of it, it is long overdue for updating. There’s another £500+.

Does this help? Maybe redesign the kitchen?

Thanks for that. yeh,i guess i meant the fuse board then.
cheers

 

[Taylortwocities]

Ok. Is it just the fuse board that u need to move then?

 

[Chops77]

Ok. Is it just the fuse board that u need to move then?

Yes. Just to wherr the red box is that ive drawn. Thanks

 

[Taylortwocities]

Ok. All of the cables that go to the current fuse board will need to be re-routed to the new location. That means so that they go down the wall vertically to the new position. There may be other wires that feed from the sides nor up from the floor. Needs an investigation by an electrician. As a said, you can’t just move that old board, nobody will do that. You are long overdue for a new modern consumer unit.
so, in principle, it can be moved. You need to find a registered electrician to decide the practicalities and associated £££.

Then, in your new kitchen plan, will the meter and the main fuse be easily accessible,?? They can’t be behind cupboards.

 

[Chops77]

Ok. All of the cables that go to the current fuse board will need to be re-routed to the new location. That means so that they go down the wall vertically to the new position. There may be other wires that feed from the sides nor up from the floor. Needs an investigation by an electrician. As a said, you can’t just move that old board, nobody will do that. You are long overdue for a new modern consumer unit.
so, in principle, it can be moved. You need to find a registered electrician to decide the practicalities and associated £££.

Then, in your new kitchen plan, will the meter and the main fuse be easily accessible,?? They can’t be behind cupboards.

Cheers for that.
All the electrics in that cupboard would be below the oven enclosure (once fuse board is moved) but if its going to be expensive then i will just leave it!
Its not a new kitchen,it was just an idea to move it so i could put a dishwasher where the oven is located now!
Thanks again

 

[Chops77]

One final question!!!

Would i be able to have the back of the oven (bottom lip) sitting flush against the top part of the fuse box? Or would this cause issues?
It would all be in a purpose built oven enclosure.
The pic shows where the back if the oven would sit.
Thanks

 

[sparxxxx]

In my experience the top of all ovens should be at waist height. The higher you go above this point the higher the risk of pouring oven temp liquids over your chest.

And its a good idea to have your main electrics readily accessible for emergency switching

 

[Chops77]

In my experience the top of all ovens should be at waist height. The higher you go above this point the higher the risk of pouring oven temp liquids over your chest.

And its a good idea to have your main electrics readily accessible for emergency switching

All electrics would still bu easily accessable as they would be under the oven.

so basically what im trying to do is relocate the oven so i can install a dishwasher in its place as the kitchen is small.
This is the cupboard which has the fuseboard inside and is where i want the oven to go.

 

[endecotp]

All electrics would still bu easily accessable as they would be under the oven.

That’s not my idea of “easily accessible” !

 

[Chops77]

That’s not my idea of “easily accessible” !

How?
Open a door and all the electrics are there!!

 

[ericmark]

To get a supply to the oven likely means new cables, which will need RCD protection, so to move the oven anywhere likely means renewing the fuse box with a consumer unit anyway.

This is a major problem although you don't have to upgrade, anything new has to comply, so you can't add any sockets with that set up, and at some point it will need changing, even if you find a way around it now, and really the time to change is before you box it in and make it more expensive to change it.