Which Consumer Unit?

[mouk]

the consumer unit and meter used to be under the stairs but I had the meter moved outside as the under stairs is going to be a toilet

the meter is outside and the consuemr unit will be directly behind it inside. I look into moving the CU elsewhere but apparently its not possible because the wiring wold be too long

electrician did mention something about putting another box in to the external fusebox which will allow me to have longer than 3m tails but the outside box is too small to take it.

 

[Lurch]

the consumer unit and meter used to be under the stairs but I had the meter moved outside as the under stairs is going to be a toilet

the meter is outside and the consuemr unit will be directly behind it inside. I look into moving the CU elsewhere but apparently its not possible because the wiring wold be too long

electrician did mention something about putting another box in to the external fusebox which will allow me to have longer than 3m tails but the outside box is too small to take it.

What box is installed outside? It should be a standard meter box, if so there is more than enough room for the necessary equipment to enable the CU to be >3m from the meter box.

 

[ProDave]

you can have your CU anywhere in relation to the meter.  A competent electricioan would know what you need to fit to do that, rather than just say you can't.

It would be more work rewiring or altering all the circuits to put the CU somewhere else, but if it makes your house better it might be worth it.

I can't believe the outside meter box is too small. Just what was he proposing to fit in there?

 

[Lurch]

It would be more work rewiring or altering all the circuits to put the CU somewhere else, but if it makes your house better it might be worth it.

New build.

 

[Andy™]

or you could have just left in the in cupboard-now-toilet where it would be a lot more out of the way and probably easier to box in than on the stairs....

 

[Doc Hudson]

New build.

True, but hasn't some first fix wiring been done? presumably to the proposed CU position.

Doc H

 

[Lurch]

True, but hasn't some first fix wiring been done? presumably to the proposed CU position.

Yeah, but from what I could gather from the other thread there is some wiring to upstairs only so I doubt it would be too drastic to replace a few first legs to circuits. I'd rather do that now though than end up with a CU where it wasn't wanted, from the POV of electrician and customer.

 

[Murdoch]

True, but hasn't some first fix wiring been done? presumably to the proposed CU position.

Doc H

Only the upstairs lighting if my memory serves me correctly. Hardly that difficult to change

 

[mouk]

you can have your CU anywhere in relation to the meter.  A competent electricioan would know what you need to fit to do that, rather than just say you can't.

It would be more work rewiring or altering all the circuits to put the CU somewhere else, but if it makes your house better it might be worth it.

I can't believe the outside meter box is too small. Just what was he proposing to fit in there?

I dont know the ins and outs but we had a look inside the external meter box and he said there wasn't enough space for the additional thing that he would need.

one of the problems may be that although the box is big there is not a lot of 'wall space' - so he cannot connect the unit ot a fixed position - i cannot rememer without looking at it again though.

The wiring for the upstairs has been bought down to where the CU is going to be - if we were to move it then it would need to be extended.

I can take some pics for a 2nd opinion though...

or you could have just left in the in cupboard-now-toilet where it would be a lot more out of the way and probably easier to box in than on the stairs....

considering the toilet is now exactly where the meter was  - probably not!

 

[Lurch]

I can take some pics for a 2nd opinion though...

A pic of the meter box would be handy, but unless it is full of radio teleswitches and contactors with E7 meters and the like then I would imagine there will be a way to get everything required in it.

Moving a couple of cables now shouldn't any major hassle.

 

[ProDave]

Yes please a pic of the meter box.

So it's a new build (I missed that bit) what sort of construction?

 

[mouk]

if i recall correctly there is a limit on how long your 'tails' can be - so he would have to put some box in the meter box - i would then have to have an SWA cable come inside, and that would go to my new CU along with the upstairs wires

there would be questions over how we are going to get a fat SWA cable behind the dot and dabbed walls but i am guessing the tails wiring is roughly the same thickness ? although the tails are 2 thinner wires i think.

anyone know the name of the box so i can see what sizes are available online and make a suggestion to him.

 

[ProDave]

If tails are longer than 3 metres then you need a fuse. Pretty much the standard thing is a KMF switch fuse https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/CGMSF100.html

Dimensions (mm): 80H x 127W x 54D

 

[Andy™]

depending on cable routes & protection etc, you might be able to use DI tails instead of SWA. of course, your sparky should know all this anyway, and not been needing his customer to research materials etc for him...

 

[Essex1]

If tails are longer than 3 metres then you need a fuse. Pretty much the standard thing is a KMF switch fuse https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/CGMSF100.html

Dimensions (mm): 80H x 127W x 54D

Not entirely accurate. There is nothing in BS7671 about this. It is a DNO requirement and different DNOs have different standards. Some are 2 meters. Some are 3 meters. Some offer different lengths depending on if the meter is internal or external. Some could not care less. Some will also fit there own isolator now regardless of length.

 

[Murdoch]

Not entirely accurate. There is nothing in BS7671 about this. It is a DNO requirement and different DNOs have different standards. Some are 2 meters. Some are 3 meters. Some offer different lengths depending on if the meter is internal or external. Some could not care less. Some will also fit there own isolator now regardless of length.

100% correct. I've had EDF make a client move the fuseboard in a refurbishment so the CU was within 3 metres as they wouldn't allow a SF

 

[mouk]

OK, we may veer a bit off topic here but if it gives me a way of moving the CU then great.

Firstly here are 2 photos from this summer when the electric company, SSE, made me a new electrical connection outside.

Photo 1 is the connection underground

Photo 2 is the new meter box that I bought and to which they put all their own stuff in. The black meter was mine before and the new white switches they added themselves.

http://1drv.ms/1Rup3UH

Here are some photos I've taken tonight (in the dark).

http://1drv.ms/1OYKvST

Photos 3 and 4 show you the inside of the meter box

Photo 5 shows you the temporary box the original electrician put in - I have 1 power plug going off that so people can plug tools/lights in

Photo 6 shows you the little box above and also the wires coming down from upstairs. The consumer unit will be fitted in the middle.

As to where I wanted my CU to go - well I want it to go on the other wise of the door - which hopefully can be seen in the remaining photos - roughly inline with the noggin near the 2 copper pipes

So can we get oen of those little boxes into my black box? It appearst hat the space isn't being used in the best way because of the way SSE have fitted their stuff right in the middle of the box.

 

[Andy™]

well that rec2 can easily be moved down a bit...

 

[ProDave]

Sadly I can't see the pictures. All I get is a one drive live page that's blank.

Can you upload them to the forum (more reply options, attach files) rather than link to some external host that my browser does not like.

 

[mouk]

try again as i had to re-do one of the links, if not i will upload to the forum