Can you chase mains wires when rewriting/relocating consumer unit?

In a way he is correct as the cables would have to be in a zone, chased at a depth greater than 50mm or have sufficient mechanical protection like a steel plate, steel conduit etc. Another option might be to use steel wired armoured cable and install a switch fuse near the old position but without seeing it this might not be possible etc. The reasons the other cables are allowed to be chased with none of the above is because they will have been installed within permitted zones and have protection by a 30mA RCD. You cant really install an up front RCD to protect the cables you mention because if you have a fault and the upfront RCD tripped then you would be left with no sockets, lights etc and this would not comply with regulations.

 

On new installs I tend to use this product. can be purchased from edmundson electrical.

A similar product here but I don't know if its as robust as the product in the video

http://www.directchannel.uk.com/cable-management/cable-capping/gs9-tail-cable-protectors

 

No what would of been used would be a thing called metal capping http://www.screwfix.com/p/tower-gal...3pmO4iLVs94oN6j9cHebhFK11rzlWBlmloaAqTh8P8HAQ This isn't the same thing as the video, metal capping will not provide the required level of mechanical protection. The purpose of capping is to protect the cables from plasterers trowels.

 

All your circuits are protected with 30ma RCDs,your meter tails won't, it not really advisable to bury them in your wall most new builds meter tails are inside wall

 

Do you have pics of the trunking so we can see the route it would of needed to of been chased? IIRC a horizontal chase has a maximum depth of 1/6th of the brick thickness.

 

I think your new position for you CU is against Part P. Was the work registered with LABC.

 

yes that's correct. This complies with reg 522.6.204 (iv) if your electrician wants to check it out.

 

Part M of the building regs says for work on an existing building that did not comply with the applicable requirements of the building regulations the building must not be no more unsatisfactory in relation to the requirements than before the work was carried out.

Part M says consumer units should be mounted at a height so that the switches are between 1350mm and 1450mm above finished floor level. so if the existing position was below this height it shouldn't of really been moved to a height above the door.

However having mentioned the above its your house position it where you want.

Here is the document https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...BR_PDF_AD_M1_2015_with_2016_amendments_V3.pdf Page V and page 9 state the above.

 

Part M heights are for new buildings generally, for existing buildings its says you just cant make the building any worse than it was.

I note the reg on page 9, it states that consumer units must be mounted 1350-1450 from the floor, if this applied to an existing house then how would you get the CU under the stairs next to the meter.

 

That don't sound right to me mate, afaik it's new builds only. Also the
BS 8300:2009+A1:2010 Design of buildings and their approaches to meet the needs of disabled people – Code of practice is not mandatory.

 

yes the height of 1350-1450 for a consumer unit is for new builds. I was pointing out the height the document mentions as this would be your benchmark to follow otherwise how would you know your work was no more unsatisfactory in relation to the requirements than before the work was completed?

For an existing consumer unit under the stairs, if you replace the consumer unit and it goes back at the same height then its no more unsatisfactory than before you replaced it.

 

That quote was taken from approved document part "M", which is mandatory, otherwise part P wouldn't be mandatory either-if only.

Its like the socket height, in a new build they have to be at least 450mm, in an existing building if the original sockets are at 300mm then you can put the new ones at this height but not 290mm.

 

Spot on