Hi all, my father in law has a rental property that was completely rewired and with new split load CU five years ago. The installation is now due an inspection. Will the fact that the CU is plastic constitute a "fail"?
Long before the BS7671 requirement for reducing the risks of fires in consumer units the local council required fuse boards with re-wirable fuses in HMOs to be enclosed in a non-combustible cupboard or replaced.
I also replaced a fuse board with re-wirable fuses in a cupboard on the stairs of a small hotel because the fire brigade failed it on an inspection.
So I was replacing old fuse boards with new consumer units with plastic enclosures long before the requirements to reduce the fire risks were introduced in BS7671, because the council or fire brigade insisted on it.
However some of those old fuse boards were enclosed in non-combustible cupboards and still comply with 421.1.201 (ii) now. It is not just about what the enclosures are made of it also depends on the location.
Long before the BS7671 requirement for reducing the risks of fires in consumer units the local council required fuse boards with re-wirable fuses in HMOs to be enclosed in a non-combustible cupboard or replaced.
I also replaced a fuse board with re-wirable fuses in a cupboard on the stairs of a small hotel because the fire brigade failed it on an inspection.
So I was replacing old fuse boards with new consumer units with plastic enclosures long before the requirements to reduce the fire risks were introduced in BS7671, because the council or fire brigade insisted on it.
However some of those old fuse boards were enclosed in non-combustible cupboards and still comply with 421.1.201 (ii) now. It is not just about what the enclosures are made of it also depends on the location.
