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Location of distribution board

lyledunn

It looks like this guy is on steps with the board just below the ceiling. I would see this as contrary to Building Regulations in terms of accessibility (your Approved Document M our Technical Booklet R). It is a very common practice and I suppose not unreasonable for a spark to locate it there for other reasons. Given the control devices within such boards including those that need to be visually checked and perhaps re-set; SPDs, RCBOs, AFDDs etc, it would seem strange that a Schneider would see this arrangement as acceptable!

Parents

  • Even worse is next to the ceiling above the toilet in a small downstairs toilet. I could not get the steps near enough to easily get to it. 

    I recommended an outside consumer unit be moved inside on an EICR. The electrician put it next to the floor in a first floor bedroom!

    My worst was replacing a consumer unit mounted under the stairs. I had to lie on my back and slide in through a small hatch and then reach up to get to it. I had to remove the stairs to get access to move it.

    My father was partly sighted and his house had high ceilings. The consumer unit had been mounted about 8ft from the floor. He had a spate of bulbs blowing and taking out the lighting MCB and he could not reset it. I changed his bulbs to CFLs (before LEDS) but they were just as bad at tripping the MCB. Since then I have always mounted CUs at an accessible height, especially as it made it easier for me.

Reply

  • Even worse is next to the ceiling above the toilet in a small downstairs toilet. I could not get the steps near enough to easily get to it. 

    I recommended an outside consumer unit be moved inside on an EICR. The electrician put it next to the floor in a first floor bedroom!

    My worst was replacing a consumer unit mounted under the stairs. I had to lie on my back and slide in through a small hatch and then reach up to get to it. I had to remove the stairs to get access to move it.

    My father was partly sighted and his house had high ceilings. The consumer unit had been mounted about 8ft from the floor. He had a spate of bulbs blowing and taking out the lighting MCB and he could not reset it. I changed his bulbs to CFLs (before LEDS) but they were just as bad at tripping the MCB. Since then I have always mounted CUs at an accessible height, especially as it made it easier for me.

Children
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