Consumer Unit Under Sink

[councillor]

Is there a reg regarding a consumer unit placed under a kitchen sink? I know its bad practice etc, but I have just purchased a house and the CU is under the sink.

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[ricicle]

It's probably the worst place in a house to have one and would fall under the workmanship/accessibility/external influences brackets of the regulations but seeing as it is existing what do you want to do about it bearing in mind it will run into several £'00s to relocate it.

 

[councillor]

the fuse box is old school and will need to be replaced anyway so if a new one is fitted will it have to be relocated under the regs due to its location? is that cast iron and must be moved etc, I agree its a stupid position but if it cant be moved then is it against the regs to put a new one in the same place. Thanks

 

[JohnD]

if it cant be moved

It most certainly can.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

is it against the regs to put a new one in the same place.

Yes.

 

[councillor]

ok can you give me the spacific reg just out of interest? or is it based on general health and safety. Im having the kitchen re fitted anway so It can be moved and will be moved. Ta

 

[pjcomp]

If the kitchen's being refittedthen give a thought to saving that money by leaving the CU in place and moving the sink. All the wiring centralises on the CU - the feed comes to it from the meter (or is your meter under the sink as well?) and all the circuits radiate from there. Depending on where the circuits run you may be no better off by moving it, ending up with a bunch of junction boxes for the wiring instead of the CU under the sink. Whereas if the sink can relocate a couple of feet either way, you get a CU in an empty cupboard, which isn't ideal but is better than having conflicting pipework around.

Seems unlikely that the original fusebox/CU would have been installed under the sink, so my guess is that during a past kitchen refit some numpty moved the sink to where it is now.

PJ

 

[councillor]

Very good point "pjcomp" think I will defanatly shove the sink along a bit if anything

 

[ricicle]

Regulations 134.1.1 and 132.12 will do for starters.