Consumer Unit mounting

[Stephen Gower]

Just a quicky:

Installing a new consumer unit, what should it be fixed to? Directly to the wall, on a piece of varnished plywood like the current one, or something else?

[Lurch]

A level, solid surface. Are you sure you know what you're doing. ..

SJW A.C.S. Ltd.

[Martin]

I've recently moved / replaced my consumer box and mounted it to a piece of

18 mm plywood painted with emulsion.

[Stephen Gower]

I'm pretty sure I know which bits I need to find out about, and if google and the books I have aren't conclusive I ask for confirmation here. Thanks for the help.

[Martin Angove]

Older units were open-backed - think of the traditional Wylex type. A modern fully enclosed unit is designed for mounting onto any suitable surface. I can see no reason in regulations why this shouldn't be directly to a wall, and have installed several this way myself.

Having said that, if the wall is a bit manky or you have several items to mount then mounting a bit of chipboard (as the elec. company do) on it and screwing everything to that may make your job that little bit easier.

Hwyl!

M.

[Lobster]

I was talking to my supply co last week about a related query, and they told me in passing that my consumer unit should not be mounted on the same wooden board as their meter and main fuse. I didn't seek any elucidation of this (knowing full well that mine was on the same board, as it has been in every house I've lived in IIRC!)

David

[Lurch]

Technically you're not meant to, but most people do. ..

SJW A.C.S. Ltd.

[N. Thornton]

Hi

Is it acceptable to mount a CU at 90 degrees to the usual position? The only usable space is a very narrow vertical strip of wall.

Regards, NT

[Al Reynolds]

I read somewhere before that the thermal characteristics of the MCBs are based on them being side by side. Don't know if it's true though.

Al

[Martin Angove]

MCBs in three-phase distribution panels very often mounted vertically, though they are slightly different to the domestic variety owing to the need to connect to one of the phase busbars. (except for the three-phase breakers, of course, which... well... obviously)

Unless you are suggesting that heat from a heavily loaded MCB could rise and sensitise another MCB directly above it I can see no reason not to install a board in any convenient configuration. The biggest problem with a vertically mounted standard domestic board though I'd think would be the fact that most of the cable entry points are along a long side and so you may have some odd cable routing to do to get the things up into the ceiling or down into the floor.

Hwyl!

M.