Fuse Box in house

tred

Lads, chatting to a sparky last week, Is it correct that the fuse box of the house needs now to be accessable at eye level, instead of high up in the corner of a room as it was historically? is there a reg change on it. For a new build I mean!

Mike2006

Correct.
There is a specified height that the board now needs to be mounted at.
Apparently the reason is due to tradesmen falling off ladders while working at the boards....
Of course in all their cleverness they brought the unit down to a level which is now accessible to children but never added the requirement that the unit needs to be locked...

Anyway, I opted for a recessed wall unit and added a lock to it as well.

Mike.

M cebee

2.25 to the top afaik

good job on large commercial etc. where they're locked

maybe a tad low for domestic

tred

M cebee wrote: »

2.25 to the top afaik

good job on large commercial etc. where they're locked

maybe a tad low for domestic

Thanks Lads. Thats what I was thinking as well. and I was wondering was it for the reason, it would be easier to turn off stuff if needed. never thought of the height for working.

pdiddy

is the new height not for diabled access,def agree that with them down that low there shud be a lock,what are most lads doin for cable access to the domestic board wud be thinking a bit of trunking chased into wall myself

Effects

Has this changed again? 1.4m to the bottom?

Bruthal

tred wrote: »

Thanks Lads. Thats what I was thinking as well. and I was wondering was it for the reason, it would be easier to turn off stuff if needed. never thought of the height for working.

2.25 meters is not quite down at eye level though, 2 meters would be the height of the top of a door, so its another 25 cm higher than that for the max to the top of the board.

M cebee

i think the board has to between 1.4 and 2.25

there's some amendments here for page99 of rules

http://www.etci.ie/docs/ET101%28E&C06-2009%29.pdf

below the 1.4 you'd need a lock

SparKing

Why would you need a lock?

marknjb

another rule by the guys in reci to make it look like their doing something
if it aint broke dont fix it

Effects

Thanks for that.

Bruthal

marknjb wrote: »

another rule by the guys in reci to make it look like their doing something
if it aint broke dont fix it

Sometimes i think that myself.

M cebee

reci don't make the rules

why should people have to stand on a stepladder in the dark

Bruthal

I was not referring to reci coming up with rules, or saying the board height rule is wrong. What i meant was sometimes i think someone is sitting down all day thinking of something else to add in. `Sometimes` being the main word there.

M cebee

i wasn't referriing to you robbie:pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac:

i'd say the idea with rule changes generally is progression


although you'd wonder sometimes are they a step backwards

i've fitted a good few boards at the max 2.25-definitely a good rule change

Southern Dandy

SparKing wrote: »

Why would you need a lock?

Kid hops up on a chair opens an unlocked box, fiddles with a blank cap sticks his fingers in and bang, kentucky fried children, locked to avoid tampering whether it be a kid or adult.

M cebee

yes the lock is for kids

the amendment says it


in theory direct contact shouldn't happen by poking a finger round a live board


busbar should insulated and all breakers are IP2X

Bruthal

M cebee wrote: »

i wasn't referriing to you robbie:pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac:

I was thinking you might say that:o

2011

Personally I think this rule is a giant step backwards.

Bruthal

Too low a maximum height 2011?

2011

robbie7730 wrote: »

Too low a maximum height 2011?

In my opinion, yes.

I think it is better to keep a distribution out of reach from children, rather than locking it. A descent locking mechanism adds to expense.

I will bet that many people:

1) Loose the key!
2) Leave the key in the lock
3) Don't lock it!
4)Think that a "low down" distribution board looks cr@p

If it is flush mounted it would look better, but this is not always an option.

M cebee

no way is it a step backwards- 2.25 is perfect

M cebee

i suppose there's opposing views on it


but the boards i've fitted lately up at the max 2.25 mark (always)

they're not readily accessible for kids and the height seems ideal for maintenance

2011

M cebee wrote: »

no way is it a step backwards- 2.25 is perfect

Well I guess that depends on the size and shape of the board and the circumstances.

In some cases 2.25 is a good maximum height. I think it should be up to the electrician and or designer to make this decision.

2011

On the project I am working on at the moment many of the distribution boards are more than 2.25 heigh!

Bruthal

It is a bit restrictive to say they must not be higher than 2.25 meters.

M cebee

yes 2011 - i'm assuming dom board is standard size 2-row

i just think standing on a stepladder at a board is 'old hat':)



the larger sub-boards where i work are all MG with locks-even better

Bruthal

You will still need a ladder to work on a board 2.25 meters to the top of it.

antlyn

Just a quick one for you, am I right in thinking this new height is only for new installations and not rewires??

M cebee

i'd say the height rule applies to re-wires

as a re-wire is 'new work' ?

i have to dig out the rules every time:)

M cebee

robbie7730 wrote: »

You will still need a ladder to work on a board 2.25 meters to the top of it.

yes robbie -but not to reset a breaker

M cebee

below the 2.25 is too low in domestic alright:mad:

2011

M cebee wrote: »

yes robbie -but not to reset a breaker:

Tell that to my other half, she is 5' 1/2" :D

Bruthal

M cebee wrote: »

yes robbie -but not to reset a breaker

It might be easier to find the ladder than the key though.

Bruthal

2011 wrote: »

Tell that to my other half, she is 5' 1/2" :D

You`l have to show her how to use the brush handle:D

ted1

Has anyone actually ever falling off a ladder while at the consumer unit?

M cebee

robbie7730 wrote: »

It might be easier to find the ladder than the key though.

for the standard dom board at 2.25
-
no key needed

-not readily accessible to kids


can't see the problem having fitted a few


definitely below that is too low

Bruthal

M cebee wrote: »

for the standard dom board at 2.25
-
no key needed

-not readily accessible to kids


can't see the problem having fitted a few


definitely below that is too low

There is no problem really. My one is 2.35 though, and i wouldnt consider it too high. I know no key is needed at that height, im just saying locking a lower down domestic board with a key would present more problems than needing a small ladder for a higher one.

M cebee

i've been using the 3-compartment dado trunking without the dividers for the drops

looks pretty neat and allows for additional ccts later

2011

robbie7730 wrote: »

im just saying locking a lower down domestic board with a key would present more problems than needing a small ladder for a higher one.

+1

If an electrician has an issue with using a ladder he is in the wrong game.

Bruthal

2011 wrote: »

+1

If an electrician has an issue with using a ladder he is in the wrong game.

I was on a site a couple of years ago, terminating the mains cables in the switch room and into the generator switches, and sub boards all around a new hotel. And ladders were not allowed, for safety reasons. Stupid and ridiculous. The were still on the site, so we used them when we could in the switchroom with doors locked, but they wanted us to use them mobile scaffold things.

Terminating up to 4x150 in the sub panels and 4x240`s into PFC units and chillers, only needing to be about a foot or 2 off the ground at times, and still, no ladders allowed. yet a 6 foot ladder was far better for trying to bend the cables in etc. Madness.

M cebee

2011 wrote: »

+1

If an electrician has an issue with using a ladder he is in the wrong game.

yes that's all well and good making sweeping statements like that:pac:

but why should electricians and customers have to climb ladders to reset breakers

M cebee

ted1 wrote: »

Has anyone actually ever falling off a ladder while at the consumer unit?

yes-there was a poster here recently


his wife fell off a ladder after the esb had been out

she was trying to reset something i believe

2011

M cebee wrote: »

yes that's all well and good making sweeping statements like that:pac:

but why should electricians and customers have to climb ladders to reset breakers

My point is that regardless of what height distribution boards are installed at if you are an electrician you will have to use a ladder some of the time.

brencog

Hi all. I followed a link posted by M cebee, and having read the relevant paragraphs, it seems there is a little latitude in mounting consumer units. The regs. state that they may not be mounted at a height greater than...2.25m from floor to TOP of unit, and not less than 1.4m from floor to BOTTOM of unit... under that height, and they must only be accessible by "authorised persons"...there is a "free space" there of 0.85m...that would seem reasonable for access. Mind you, I may be interpreting the regs. completely a**eways, (it's my age you know).

Bruthal

brencog wrote: »

Hi all. I followed a link posted by M cebee, and having read the relevant paragraphs, it seems there is a little latitude in mounting consumer units. The regs. state that they may not be mounted at a height greater than...2.25m from floor to TOP of unit, and not less than 1.4m from floor to BOTTOM of unit... under that height, and they must only be accessible by "authorised persons"...there is a "free space" there of 0.85m...that would seem reasonable for access. Mind you, I may be interpreting the regs. completely a**eways, (it's my age you know).

Thats more or less it, although the top max height being 2.25 and the bottom being a minumum of 1.4 would mean for a 2 row board that a difference between max and min height is 0.45 meters, as the 2 row board is about 400mm tall, and the max is the top while the minimum is the bottom.

marknjb

ted1 wrote: »

Has anyone actually ever falling off a ladder while at the consumer unit?

maybe a few but i would bet a lot more have fallen of ladders cleaning windows and changeing curtains but they have not tried to get the height of the tops of the windows droped yet
but give them time..

creedp

M cebee wrote: »

yes that's all well and good making sweeping statements like that:pac:

but why should electricians and customers have to climb ladders to reset breakers

Why should they have to climb one to change a bulb? Answer because its the best place for the light fitting:)

M cebee

creedp wrote: »

Why should they have to climb one to change a bulb? Answer because its the best place for the light fitting:)

i don't follow your logic

what's the advantage of having distribution boards out of reach

Bruthal

I think its one of those `how many does it take to change a light bulb`style jokes.

M cebee

can anybody give a good reason why a DB should be jammed up to a ceiling

this is the 21st century