LOCATION OF A NEW CONSUMER UNIT

[aberdeenpaul]

I am doing extensive rewiring to my house and wanting to move the incoming meters and a consumer units.
Is there anywhere in the 17th edition regs that tell me where i am allowed to site the new consumer unit? I am wanting to put it in an accessible cupboard but there is going to be a bathroom sited upstairs directly above this, so is it still ok to have th consumer unit here?

Also i want to possibly put in a lighting dimming rack, it will need possibly its on 40A supply from the CU, but with the new regs will it have to be fed from a 40A RCD? I am going to put all other circuits on there own RCD within the CU.

 

[JohnD]

you are thinking of the risk that someone will let the bath overflow?

Apart from buying a waterproof CU, there are a few easy precautions you can take (I see you are in Scotland, in England and Wales fitting of a CU is notifiable, I don't know your rules).

You can fit the CU on a backboard made of WBP ply and spaced off the wall by 15mm or more. This will reduce the risk of water running down the wall getting into it.

You can feed in all cables from behind, every cable coming upwards as it enters, so that water cannot run down the sheath and drip into the CU. You may need to loop down any cables which come from upstairs. You would do this with an outdoor installation for the same reason.

Avoid having any knockouts, cutouts or holes in the top of the CU (this is a requirement anyway)

I suppose you could have a waterproof shelf above the CU as well to encourage any water to run away from it.

There is a catch-all that anything you install should be suitable for where it is installed.

The CU should be out of reach of children, but within reach of a disabled person for example in a wheelchair. A height of 1200m may be suitable. But you are not obliged to comply with this as you are not a new build.

As for RCDs, it is a bad idea to have many circuits on one RCD. If you can afford it, use RCBOs, or, at least, group a few circuits for each RCD. this is because a fault on one circuit will cut power to all other circuits on the same RCD. If this means all the lights go out it introduces other dangers.

 

[RF Lighting]

Also i want to possibly put in a lighting dimming rack, it will need possibly its on 40A supply from the CU, but with the new regs will it have to be fed from a 40A RCD?

Depends on how, what and where the supply cable is installed. Including an RCD regardless of this is still a good idea.

 

[blondini]

I recently stumbled across a simple guide to the 17th which you may find informative. http://www.brewtime.co.uk/ProductPics/2447.pdf

 

[JohnD]

good link, blondini

that's better than the last doc I saw