Consumer unit boxing in.....................

[magnoliafan89]

Hi guys

As before on my last post. Having a read of the OSG and yet again failing to understand the wording.
This time about consumer units and enclosures. It states that when fitted a dwelling a board must be one of these two;
Manufactured from non combustible material ( this im assuming means a metal board which is what is to be fitted nowadays anyway)

Or

The consumer unit is enclosed in a cabinet constructed from non combustible material.

Obviously im aware that any boards put up now have to be metal and that's all is sold. But what im wondering is; if you had a metal board but say wanted to build a box around it with a way of accessing it would it be ok for the boxing to be say baton and plasterboard? Is it meaning that say if u went to a dwelling that has a plastic board youre not replacing but it is being boxed in (again with acessibility to the board) that the enclosure would need to be of a non combustiable material?

Apologies if ive not got the question out very well and many thanks for replies

 

[suffolkspark]

Its saying if you want to use a plastic board in a house you have to put it in a metal box

And yes you can box in a metal board in ply aslong as access is ok

 

[magnoliafan89]

Thanks for clearing that up mate.

 

[Risteard]

Obviously im aware that any boards put up now have to be metal

How do you come to that conclusion when the Regulation categorically states that they do not need to be so long as they are housed in a non-combustible enclosure as you have quoted? (I can nearly guarantee that the cheapest and easiest solution will be a non-combustible DB though.)

 

[magnoliafan89]

Doesnt amendmet 3 state that if you are installing a new board it has to be a metal one? I was always lead to believe at college and whilst working that you can no longer buy plastic boards.

 

[suffolkspark]

Of course you can still buy plastic boards? They still have uses.

 

[Rpa07]

You can still buy them and at a good price but as @Risteard says, the non combustible are now the cheapest and easiest to install because of the AMD3 of BS1761 demand. It would cost as much as some new boards just for the materials to make a non combustible enclosure, would be a fun experiment though (I like riveting things)

 

[magnoliafan89]

Ah right. Well thanks for the feedback guys