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Non Combustible Material.

If a plastic consumer unit is housed in a "non-combustible material" enclosure (421.1.201 (ii)) what is the definition of non-combustible? And non combustible for how long in case of fire?

Z.

Parents
  • Well given that the reg on the line below considers steel  non combustible, and anyone who has used a thermic lance knows that this is far from the case (*), I suspect they really mean 'does not sustain burning in free air'
    So Brick, hardibacker cement boards, stone glass  etc. Oh, and steel. But probably not aluminium or magnesium ;-)

    Mike.

    PS there is a BS 476 spec for flammability of building materials - they could have referenced it.

    Other related standards

    https://www.firesafe.org.uk/british-standard-476-fire-tests/

    Note that certain ceramic loaded plastics that are more ceramic powder than the plastic are also essentially non-combustible when tested this way..

    * PPS actually if you have an oxy bottle available, you do not even need a real thermic lance
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH5c796e6_0



    - at a push spaghetti and oxygen will do for cutting thin sheet steel if you follow this comedian.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96AhjceZJLk

  • How combustible were the Crabtree Starbreaker non metallic consumer units enclosures? Say of 10 years or more ago.

    Z.

Reply
  • How combustible were the Crabtree Starbreaker non metallic consumer units enclosures? Say of 10 years or more ago.

    Z.

Children
  • Dunno. All I can tell you is that the old MEM Memshield 2  and Memera 2000 consumer units were made from a plastic compound which would melt but would not catch fire,  no matter how much I tried to burn one of the old carcasses.