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Should the UK domestic dwelling have a plant room

Sergio Fernandez

Should it be made mandatory for a UK new build domestic dwelling to have a plant room factored in at the design stage?  Something like 1 meter by 2 meter as the minimum requirement.  This could be a BS (British Standard) or a Building Control or CDM (Construction Design Management)

The Plant Room/Services room could be used to house some of the following
Boiler Gas/Electric/Hydrogen
CU/DB (Consumer Unit/Distribution Unit)
Power inverter and batteries
This is not an exhaustive list but it sets the idea or concept


The space could then be suitably heated and ventilated and fire resistant including interlink smoke/heat alarms



As always please be polite and respectful in this purely academic debate.







Come on everybody let’s help inspire the future.

  • When I think about it, both my properties have a “plant room”, it happens to be shared by other facilities.  In one, it is in the under-stair cupboard.  It houses two smart meters, isolation switch and a CU. It shares the space with vacuum cleaner, tools and a broom.  All readily accessible at a crouch.  In the other it shares space in the garage and houses two smart meters and a conventional meter, various dc and ac switchgear and three inverters for the pv system and two cu’s.  Also there is my car and various tools.  Again all easily accessible except the second cu, recently installed, that I can operate the main switch at a reach but needs short stepladder to work on.

    I am not sure that we need a dedicated plant room, it does need some thought and consideration (and priority?) at the planning stage to bring the services together at an appropriate place in the house.  Too often where services go it is an afterthought with low priority.

    David

  • in reply to Chris Pearson

    Unfortunately  expensive looking does not always mean well engineered Slight frown

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