Fitting an isolator between meter and consumer unit.

[morqthana]

That's not an item of switchgear. There is no ban on plastic accessories.

 

[pete01]

Exactly

 

[pete01]

Or this seems to be a switch.

 

[morqthana]

Yup.

 

[JohnW2]

How can anybody not accept that except by refusing to accept the rules of English grammar?

For what it's worth, it certainly does seem to me that 'a big switch' should qualify as an 'item of switchgear'

 

[pcaouolte]

Can anyone see any advantage in requiring an isolator to be encased in metal, when it is fitted alongside a plastic meter and a plastic service head all connected together by wires encased in plastic?

 

[morqthana]

AIUI the London Fire Brigade can.

 

[ebee]

View attachment 419287

Yes that is one solution I passed by a DNO tails connection chappy and his reply/opinion he robustly and perhaps pedantically he rotorted that such switches have terminals actually marked as "L" and/or "N" etc therefore could not be used for other purposes - obviously my thoughts were, in essence, a 4 pole isolator could be considered the equivalent of two 2 pole isolators interlinked thereby one switching the normal domestic mains and the other switching the off peak mains and thereby all combined achieving full isolation of both of those single phase supplies using one switch action - I was disappointed with his conclusion - I thought I had bright idea until he countered it.

I was also a little mindful of a possible make/break offset time in milliseconds might be an actual requirement in practice but I did not mention this feature as he might have used it as more amo to counter my query with him!

 

[securespark]

As far as I recall, you can still use plastic consumer units.

As long as you mount them within a metallic enclosure.

 

[SUNRAY]

As far as I recall, you can still use plastic consumer units in a domestic property.

As long as they are not in the exit route including under the stairs.

 

[JohnW2]

As far as I recall, you can still use plastic consumer units in a domestic property. ... As long as they are not in the exit route including under the stairs.

That depends upon what you mean by 'can'. In terms of the literal meaning of the world, it obviously 'would be possible' to install a plastic CU, anywhere (in any sort of property).

As far as compliance with current BS7671 is concerned a plastic CU anywhere within a domestic property is non-compliant. Some 'guidance' documents suggest that a plastic CU should be given an EICR C2 only if located under stairs, but the authors of that guidance have simple made that up, since it doesn't relate to anything in BS7671 (compliance with which is not 'mandatory', anyway!)

 

[Mottie]

Anyway, back to my original post. This is what I have. Is there room to fit an isolator there?

 

[plugwash]

since it doesn't relate to anything in BS7671 (compliance with which is not 'mandatory', anyway!)

And even the government guidance doesn't actually reference the latest edition of BS7671............

 

[mattylad]

Anyway, back to my original post. This is what I have. Is there room to fit an isolator there?

View attachment 419519

On the left of the head appears to have enough space.
If not screw another board to it that it will fit on.

 

[JohnW2]

Anyway, back to my original post. This is what I have. Is there room to fit an isolator there?

It's all a bit tight - how much space is there to the left of the meter/cutout?

However, there nothing stopping you adding an additional board and putting the isolator on that. Indeed it seems that some 'supplier purists' ('pedants' ?) say that you shouldn't have an item of 'your equipment' mounted on 'their board'!