Rules and Guidelines
Want to participate in the discussions? Please read our Community Rules and Guidelines. Need some help? Visit Support and Answers.

  • Replies 2 replies
  • Subscribers 37 subscribers
  • Views 83 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
You may also be interested in

The domestic dwelling kitchen cupboard

Sergio Fernandez

Why is a CU/DB allowed to be fitted in there?  Why are they still being fitted in there in 2026?



It seems that
you can install a consumer unit in a kitchen cupboard according to BS 7671:2018+A3:2024, provided you comply with specific regulations regarding fire safety, accessibility, and external influences.
The primary hurdle for a kitchen cupboard installation is ensuring the unit is not buried behind household items or placed in a position where it could be damaged or cause a fire hazard.
Fire Safety (Regulation 421.1.201) The Enclosure: It must be made of a non-combustible material (usually ferrous metal/steel)

Accessibility and Height (Part M & Regulation 132.12)
According to Building Regulations Approved Document M (which BS 7671 supports), the switches should be mounted between 1350mm and 1450mm above the floor for new builds to ensure accessibility for all users

You cannot install it in a way that requires the homeowner to dismantle the kitchen or crawl through a tiny gap to reset a tripped breaker. There should be enough "clearance" in front of the cupboard to allow the door to open fully and a person to work on it safely


External Influences (Section 512.2). 
Kitchens are "wet" and "hot" environments.

Regulation 132.12
"Electrical equipment shall be arranged so as to afford as may be necessary:
Sufficient space for the initial installation and later replacement of individual items of electrical equipment.
Accessibility for operation, inspection, testing, fault finding, maintenance and repair."




Future-Proofing (Replacement)
The regulation explicitly mentions "later replacement." If the kitchen cupboards are "built-in" around the consumer unit in a way that the unit cannot be swapped for a new one without ripping out the cabinetry, it violates this regulation.

It is worth noting that Regulation 513.1 expands on this, stating that electrical equipment must be arranged so that "adequate" space is provided for every task. It also notes that if equipment is installed in a "closed" space (like a cupboard), it must be done in a way that doesn't prevent access for inspection and maintenance.


Therefore
 - Should a CU/DB be allowed under Bs7671 to be installed in a kitchen?  I think not
 - Should we factor in “cleaning": for the CU/DB as well as operation, inspection, testing, fault finding, maintenance and repair similar to the wording from 60364 for inclusion to Regulation 132.12?


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





Come on everybody let’s help inspire the future

  • Sergio Fernandez said:
    Should a CU/DB be allowed under Bs7671 to be installed in a kitchen?

    Yes. What if the DB supplies only the kitchen?

    Sergio Fernandez said:
    Kitchens are "wet" and "hot" environments.

    Well, I wouldn't put a DB in the cupboard under the sink. Other than that, perhaps a cupboard would protect a DB from heat and moisture.

    I agree that the back of a cupboard beneath a counter is less than ideal, but what if the DB is reasonably accessible when new, but the householder subsequently refits the kitchen?

  • in reply to Chris Pearson

    We do seem to tie ourselves in knots when houses are built or fitted out. because UK consumer units are surface mounted and ugly, so folk want to hide them. I have a similar grumble with common designs of surface mounted cooker and shower switches. 

    regs permit so 'its OK and safe enough ' is not the same as  'its what I'd really like to see'

    I've often thought we would be better to have more things flush mounted and rather like a wall-safe, they could then be at shoulder height in a hallway or similar, where access could be unobstructed or behind something thin like a mirror or picture frame.

    This would of course require dimensions to be better standardized between manufacturers to avoid knocking bricks out for repair/replacement.

    Mike.

Community Rules & Guidelines