'Buried' Consumer Unit (...?)

[Skyhigh]

Hi guys,

I'd really appreciate your input on this!

We viewed a property tonight and it looks OK - needs fair bit of work, but that's fine.

It had an integrated garage, which has been converted into a family room (boarded out, door bricked up and window put in, door put in from main property).

After looking around the house we noticed that we'd not seen the consumer unit. Then we found it, hidden behind a picture in the ex-garage...

Untitled

• Skyhigh
• 9 Jun 2014
• 1

It's been left in place and boarded around - there's also insulation around it.

Is the legal / up to spec?

Seems a bit off to me.





Cheers,
Sky

 

[DaftPunk]

Where's the suppliers fuse and electricity meter?

 

[Skyhigh]

The other side of the wall to the unit (their original position) - it's an external wall.

 

[EFLImpudence]

There appears to be plenty of ventilation around it.

There are 'flush-mounted' consumer units so ...

It would depend on whether the cables are surrounded by the thermal insulation and their rating.

 

[Skyhigh]

That's a fair point - I didn't realise you could get flush mounted units, all the ones I've ever seen are surface mounted.

I'd assume if it's all be signed off by planning/building-regs - and if they have the certificates/docs - that it would all be OK, surely?

(I'm assuming that work like this would need to be signed off)


Edit:
Apparently you can even get 'pretty' flush consumer units, not just frosted plastic or magnolia - not sure if they're available in the UK though!

http://www.striebelundjohn.com/en/content/uk500-series-consumer-units-0


Cheers,
Sky

 

[Taylortwocities]

t.

Is the legal / up to spec?

Seems a bit off to me.

I've seen a lot worse than that! It should be OK providing the caver can be removed (for maintenance) and the cables are not completely surrounded by insulation.

I can't see exactly the configuartion of the consumer unit, but it looks like a "split load" unit with an RCD protecting the socket circuits. That would have met the wiring regulations at the time it was installed.
These days additional rcd(s) are needed for all circuits, but the regulations are not retrospective.

re

I'd assume if it's all be signed off by planning/building-regs - and if they have the certificates/docs - that it would all be OK, surely?

What paperwork is there to cover this? Building regs (Part P) for electrical safety was not introduced until the beginning of 2005, so there wont be a Building Regs document if the CU/installation predates this.
There has always been a requirement for electrical work to have been tested and an installation certificate signed, but this was not always done!

 

[ekmdgrf]

Just this afternoon I was considering starting a thread asking for a Maintenance Free consumer unit