CU Max Height According to Building Regs - Electricians Forum | Electrical Forum | An electrical forum for electricians in the UK

dixon9 · 26-07-2008

Part M requires that reasonable provision be made for people to gain access to a building and use its facilities. The approved document prescribes that switches, socket outlets and “other equipment” needs to be at appropriate heights, these are defined as between 0.45m and 1.2m from finished floor level.

Other equipment includes the consumer unit, as it contains devices such as MCB’s and RCD’s that may need operation or resetting by the user of the dwelling.

The consumer unit should therefore be accessible, with the devices mounted at a height no greater the 1.2m above the floor. In addition the consumer unit should not be in a location that would make it difficult to access such as an under stairs cupboard. Neither should it be placed in a position where is likely to be damaged by impact.

Hmmm...seems a bit low! Are you lot mounting them at this max height?

26-07-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by dixon9

Part M requires that reasonable provision be made for people to gain access to a building and use its facilities. The approved document prescribes that switches, socket outlets and “other equipment” needs to be at appropriate heights, these are defined as between 0.45m and 1.2m from finished floor level.

Other equipment includes the consumer unit, as it contains devices such as MCB’s and RCD’s that may need operation or resetting by the user of the dwelling.

The consumer unit should therefore be accessible, with the devices mounted at a height no greater the 1.2m above the floor. In addition the consumer unit should not be in a location that would make it difficult to access such as an under stairs cupboard. Neither should it be placed in a position where is likely to be damaged by impact.

Hmmm...seems a bit low! Are you lot mounting them at this max height?

well if it was new build then yes it should, but remeber Part M only applies to new builds, as long as equipment is no less accessible than it was previously

26-07-2008

Wow! Explains why my CU is so bloody low the kids can **** about with the MCB's! Very useful...not!
What I don't get is this...... Is the UK so full of disabled people now? I know that in some parts of England such as the forest of dean there are brother / sister type things going on that muddy the gene pool a little but come on, are there REALLY that many people with disabilities that EVERY new house must be built with them in mind and not the able bodied??

Grae79 · 26-07-2008

daft really innit...you don't see new builds with wider doorways/access ramps/disabled bathrooms as standard....so why the lecs

PAUL M · 26-07-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cirrus

Wow! Explains why my CU is so bloody low the kids can **** about with the MCB's! Very useful...not!
What I don't get is this...... Is the UK so full of disabled people now? I know that in some parts of England such as the forest of dean there are brother / sister type things going on that muddy the gene pool a little but come on, are there REALLY that many people with disabilities that EVERY new house must be built with them in mind and not the able bodied??

i think its so the disabled are not being discriminated against or some tosh of that ilk,i think thats why new builds have to have a downstairs w/c as well.

26-07-2008

Yeah, I know exactly why it is fella, just don't agree that we have to bow down to the minority all the time in this damn country.

sparkyork · 26-07-2008

i do agree that we need to look after disabled folk, i mean anyone of us could become disbled at anytime. and i also doint really agree with putting these boards at this sort of height. ive seeen too many with cracked casings etc from furniture been bashed into them! also if were not supposed to discriminate against them then how come there arnt 5ft pendant drops so they can change the bulbs? and y arnt these house automatically supplied with stairlifts if they dont wanna discriminate?
again i dont have anything against them but surely it should be full access for them or no access at all!!

dixon9 · 26-07-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shakey

well if it was new build then yes it should, but remeber Part M only applies to new builds, as long as equipment is no less accessible than it was previously

But what if you make a CU change with perhaps 1-2 new circuits? This would require an (D)EIC wouldn´t it? And if it´s a new circuit..........and any changes to circuits nowadays have to be to the 17th.....and if they are to be to the 17th.....?

sparkymark · 28-07-2008

No dixon, im pretty sure if there was an extension to a old house part m does not apply. i did my 17th last week and the lecturer said we didint need to change all the heights for the new bit.

28-07-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by sparkyork

i do agree that we need to look after disabled folk, i mean anyone of us could become disbled at anytime. and i also doint really agree with putting these boards at this sort of height. ive seeen too many with cracked casings etc from furniture been bashed into them! also if were not supposed to discriminate against them then how come there arnt 5ft pendant drops so they can change the bulbs? and y arnt these house automatically supplied with stairlifts if they dont wanna discriminate?
again i dont have anything against them but surely it should be full access for them or no access at all!!

LMFAO!!!