Fitting consumer boards

[N6rul]

Hello there guys,
I am a bit confused regarding fitting consumer boards on wood. I am fitting one in a shop and I have been told I am not allowed to fit on the wood panels. But yet the suppliers have recently put all their meters and upgraded the supply to a three phase on the wooden panel. Please can someone give me advice regarding this. Thanks

 

[davethsparky]

Who told you this and why?

If the client or job spec has said you are not allowed to fit them on the wooden panelling I'd say its probably best you don't fit them to the panels. Could be the panels in question are due to be removed or other plans are afoot.

If its what your mate down the pub said cos he overhead his brothers friends father say it sometime, then you might want to check with a more reliable source of information. The manufacturer of the boards in question would be a good start.

 

[Amp David]

Oh my lord, i've just fitted a consumer unit onto a sheet of plywood on my last job, best go back and check its not set on fire.

 

[kingeri]

I'd better go back to the majority of jobs I've done over the last 15 years!

 

[Edd]

If you only have a wooden panel as the wall, does that mean I gota build a small brick wall to mount the consumer unit on? Dam my bricky skills suck

 

[shagbite]

who's telling you this? are they saying it's against the reg's to fit it on a piece of wood? if so they're wrong.

whatever you do, make sure you maintain the IP rating that is required for the environment. as a minimum, you should be abiding by reg. 416.2.1 & 416.2.2.

 

[i=p/u]

My cu is made of wood , vintage...

 

[KFH]

I have often seen this and I think it related to the old CUs which were open at the back and often made of wood. (I have one of these in the house) I was told, long ago, you are supposed to use fireproofed wood panels behind them.

The modern totally enclosed CUs do not have this requirement and everyone usually mounts them on wood panels unless you have a nice flat wall.

 

[Engineer54]

The old wood panels that the DNO and electricians used to mount meters and CU's too were all fire retardant proof boards. Same went for the old Wylex open back CU's they were made from treated seasoned hardwood, that are virtually impossible to catch fire.

Compare those old wooden CU's to the modern plastic CU's of today, and i'd say those old CU's are better as far as fire rating is concerned!! Seen too many modern plastic CU's that have ended up as a molten blob on the floor!! lol!!

 

[SPARTYKUS]

The old wood panels that the DNO and electricians used to mount meters and CU's too were all fire retardant proof boards. Same went for the old Wylex open back CU's they were made from treated seasoned hardwood, that are virtually impossible to catch fire.

Compare those old wooden CU's to the modern plastic CU's of today, and i'd say those old CU's are better as far as fire rating is concerned!! Seen too many modern plastic CU's that have ended up as a molten blob on the floor!! lol!!

Couldn't agree more. Seen a few melted blobs i mean cus

 

[SPARTYKUS]

In fact I squirrel away really old stuff I find, recently found what is the equivalent of a garage unit (small enclosure, two fuses), its LOVELY its like an old valve radio, body is ceramic (melts at, well, thousands of degrees?) with an ornate bakalite cover & a brass nut. Plan to buff up the brass nut to a high shine

- - - Updated - - -

The point of my last post being, what was wrong with ceramic housings???

 

[trev]

Oh my lord, i've just fitted a consumer unit onto a sheet of plywood on my last job

Gasp! Here was me thinking you knew your stuff!

 

[DPG]

You enjoy buffing your nuts Daz

 

[telectrix]

makes a change from being an apprentice and having them done with boot polish or cutting grease.

 

[N6rul]

Thanks guys

Thanks guys. You have just confirmed that my mate who thinks he is a know it all. Is wrong this time. Lol!!
I've been fitting cu on wooden boards for 9 years now. So I was a bit baffled when I got told we cannot fit cu's on wood. Thanks alot guys. Thought I was hanging myself when I posted this question.

 

[7029 dave]

If you were to give me tenner for every cu me installed on wood/panels me would be able to retire.