Consumer unit ?

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do you need to have metal consumer unit now or is this ok
 
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If you have a new one it will be metal but you don't have to.

Not a dictatorship yet.
 
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Isn't the case of that isolator the wrong way up & haven't they sealed the wrong side (though I can't see why either side needs sealing as it is after the meter.)?
 
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Isn't the case of that isolator the wrong way up

The isolator is just a Wylex 100a dp switch, if it was in a dB it would be fed from the top, what’s the difference here?

Yes they have sealed the wrong side, as in this case the bottom is designed for end user access.
 
The isolator is just a Wylex 100a dp switch, if it was in a dB it would be fed from the top, what’s the difference here?

Yes they have sealed the wrong side, as in this case the bottom is designed for end user access.

The SWITCH is the right way round (i.e. up for on), the CASE is the wrong way round (the switch can be fitted into the case either way round).

The idea is that when the isolator is in the off position, you can remove the small cover for access to the consumer unit tail connections without exposing any live parts. The way this one is fitted, even with the isolator switched off, removing the large cover to access the CU tail connections exposes live parts.
 
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DickyMint,
What is the back story?
Why are you asking if you need to have metal consumer unit (which you likely don't)?

I notice that it was last inspected Aug2019.

Has someone (incorrectly) told you that you now need to change it from plastic to metal?

SFK
 
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Good grief you load of barrack room warriors would have a bl***y field day in my house if you came to look. My fuse box still has wired fuses I have absolutely no idea what the house wiring is like and until I win HUGE on the lottery I certainly cannot afford to get a spark in to check it all out. At the moment it is all working and I don't smell smoke and I cannot be ar**d to listen any leccy bods when they come here and start sucking air through their teeth anyway.
 
Apart from "because the rules says so..." why do new CUs have to be metal but new smart meters in plastic are allowed. And what evidence (I presume there's lots) to demonstrate that plastic CU enclosures have been the primary cause of house fires; or is this regulation in existence because someone thought it might be a good idea.
 
Apart from "because the rules says so..." why do new CUs have to be metal but new smart meters in plastic are allowed. And what evidence (I presume there's lots) to demonstrate that plastic CU enclosures have been the primary cause of house fires; or is this regulation in existence because someone thought it might be a good idea.
The London Fire Brigade suggested it and, for some reason, the IET jumped.

IF CUs were the cause of some fires then it would because of loose connections and nothing was done to address this with better product terminals.

The requirement was for "non-combustible" CUs or enclosures. No definition was supplied.
Steel was mentioned as one non-combustible material and that was taken as the only acceptable material.

It really was remarkable how quickly the manufacturers made that the only option.

You might wonder how many they have sold since that one sentence was written.
 
And what evidence (I presume there's lots) to demonstrate that plastic CU enclosures have been the primary cause of house fires;
Plastic enclosures do not cause fires. It is the lack of competence of some people who undertake electrical work that results in bad connections that can lead to fire. The idea of a non-combustible enclosure is to inhibit the spread of fire, rather than add to the flames which is what many plastic enclosures can do.

These are the regs for the domestic side of the meter. It would seem that the meters themselves can stillbe made of plastic, maybe because it has been found that smart meter installers are so talented that there has never been a single incidence of a fault or a problem following a smart meter installation.

PS It wonderful here in my parallel universe. And nearly time for my special pills....:LOL:
 
The crazy thing is that the regulations have always required 'non combustible' enclosures for such things as junction boxes, and there is a regulation BS 476: Part 4 defining what is meant by 'non combustible', which clearly allows the materials used by e.g. pattresses, to be used. So the only reason that metal CUs became 'required' was because the electrical parts vendors saw an opportunity to take advantage of peoples timidity, when they made claims to be the only way to conform.
 

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