Mounting Consumer Unit and Tails through the wall

[Lounge About]

Hi, i'm having my meter moved and want to get as much ready for my electrician as I can.

I've put in a re-cessed box and want to put the consumer unit directly behind this on the inner wall. Do I drill through the box rear straight through the wall and put some 25mm plastic conduit in ready for the tails to be feed through. Or will I have to wait for the guys to fit the meter before doing this?

What material do I mount the consumer unit on?

Any help would be great

 

[Click-Sure]

I take it this 'recessed box' is a modern style meter box 'bricked in' to the wall of the house?

If the CU is to be mounted on the other side of the wall I can't see that drilling a hole through and installing some conduit will save any more than 1 minute for your electrician.

As for mounting the CU, my favourite is to use laminated chipboard 'infill panels' that my kitchen fitter mate gives me when he gets a load left over at the end of a job.

 

[Qedelec]

Your unlikely to get two 25mm tails and a 16mm G/Y main earth down 25mm plastic conduit.

Click, are you sure chipboard panels are fire proof, iirc the CU must be mounted on non-flammable material.

 

[Click-Sure]

Mmmm, Hardi-Backer...

See what you mean Qedelec but as far as I'm concerned laminated chip-board is pretty much non-flamable, ever tried burning it!

What do the DNO's use for their equipment anyway - unlaminated chip-board or plywood

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Mine uses, or used to use, large thin slabs of Weetabix....

Do I drill through the box rear straight through the wall and put some 25mm plastic conduit in ready for the tails to be feed through.

1) As observed, 25mm conduit will be too small.

See here: http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/4.5.3.htm

2) At an angle upwards from outside to inside.

 

[TicklyT]

Many years ago, faced with a similar situation, I used a bit of 32mm or 40mm waste pipe to line the hole through the wall.

 

[Lounge About]

Think i'll use 40mm pipe, thanks for the suggestion.

Should I drill at an angle up from the top right hand corner of my re-cessed box? (it would take a while to do, it's a solid sand stone wall)

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Is the top RH corner the most sensible place for the tails to exit the meter box?