Move meter board, or put consumer unit above mains water stopcock?

[David Robinson]

In the cupboard under the stairs, I can either move the suppliers meter board (am I allowed to do that? would they know? ;-) ) to make room for the new consumer unit next to it (won't fit on it, even if that was allowed), or put the consumer unit on the adjacent wall.

If I put it in the adjacent wall, it's sitting right above the pipe bringing the water into the house, i.e. right above the stopcock. Some of the cables might have to run behind the pipework which loops out of the stopcock and back under the floorboards.

I don't like either option, but which is least bad?

Is either one (or both) disallowed by regs? I don't think I'm supposed to move the meter board, but I don't think I like the idea of having the stopcock below the consumer unit. It can't leak upwards, but I suppose it could spray upwards if something catastrophic or stupid happened.

Cheers, David.

[Nutkey]

Can you just build a spray guard out of some ply to prevent any leaks jetting water straight at the CU/meter/anything with connections? That's what I did when I ran some pipes next to my CU.

[Tim Watts]

No - you can't do that. Also, if the cable is old Paper-Lead (PILC) then disturbing it by bending can be quite dangerous (the oil dries/drains out, the paper becomes brittle and you get a short circuit protected by a 300+A fuse in the street).

You can ask the supplier to move it, but these days, the buggers will almost certainly charge - but it might not be much of a charge is the new position does not involve jointing cable or digging - so no harm in asking.

The regs have limits re: gas pipes, but not water. They will say something like "suitable for the environment" though.

The water pipes themselves pose no problems as they are cold and cables could be run unprotected behind them, though some plastic trunking or

20mm conduit would probably help, especially as extra protection from a plumber's spanner slipping, just down to the floor.

The point about water spray is a good one though. Can you mount a cowl around the c*ck (like a plastic electronics style box sans lid with cutouts for the pipes?

Or a small shelf under the CU above the c*ck (obviously with a gap for the cables). The cables will not care if they get drenched, but the CU and its contents will. Or box the CU in.

I would also put the meter tails into cheap plastic trunking, though it is not required, they are worth a little extra protection on their way round.

Given what you describe, I would choose the adjacent wall, unless the supplier was willing to move their board for a very small sum.

Cheers

Tim

[newshound]

Total change of subject, but many years ago I had good sport with a neighbour of mine (social worker) who asked why his incoming cable was weeping some sort of black goo at the end. I explained that his electricity must be coming from an oil-fired power station (I worked for the CEGB in those days).

[george [dicegeorge]]

I moved mine. [g]

[Owain]

Especially if you have an outside stopcock as well, it might be a lot easier to move the water pipe (which you can get a plumber to do). Maybe even run the pipe through a length of plastic trunking to contain/divert any water that might escape.

Owain

[David Robinson]

Oh, the gas is there too - what's the limit?

Cheers, David.

[Tim Watts]

Don't have me books to hand. 50mm from cables to pipe IIRC and somewhat more from CU to pipes. But this can be avoided by installing an insulated separator. Slap some plastic trunking around the gas pipe if possible might be one way. Boxing in the CU and mini-trunking your cables might solve this and the water spray issue.

But wait for other posters, because as I say, I don't have anything to quote from at hand.

[ARWadsworth]

Have a look here. I am far too lazy to type it out.

[Tim Watts]

Ah - 25mm, 50mm for pipes > 35mm dia.

What constitutes "non combustible insulating" though? Asbestos?

I will have a gas pipe running fairly close to my electricity meter and tails, but the meter is in a standard external box and the tails are in Kopex pliable 32mm conduit.