Recesssing CU into a wall

[long iron]

At present the Consumer Unit, along with a switch-fuse, is mounted in a box (around 300mm x 700mm) on the internal leaf of an outside wall. I should like to recess the box into the inner wall leaf to give more elbow space in the surrounding area. The white meter box, which has long lost its meter seals, is about 500mm along sideways on the outside wall.

Can find no bar in the regs to this re-arrangement. The tails would actually finish up slightly shorter. Any snags known?

Would ply (WPB) 18mm thick make a strong enough new back for the box or do I need something thicker? (Box sides are timber)

[Andrew Gabriel]

You can get flush mounting CU's. What's the switch-fuse for?

In Ireland, there's a rule about CU mounting location having to be fire resistant (don't know the precise details). Otherwise it sounds fine, indeed 1/2" would be OK.

[David Hansen]

On 3 Apr 2006 07:49:03 -0700 someone who may be "long iron" wrote this:-

Personally I would replace the consumer unit with something suitable for flush mounting.

is an example of something that can be mounted flush with a wall, with the appropriate bits. Your electrical supplier should be able to get hold of one.

[long iron]

//snipped//

TFT & to David Hansen for link: however the CU was upgraded 3 or 4 years ago & is completely adequate for as far as I can see ahead, so would prefer just to leave things as they are equipment wise.

What's the switch-fuse for?

It's a left over from the days when it was a hanging offence to interfere with board fuses, [the offence has since been downgraded to transportation ;-) ]. When the supply was moved 10 years ago & the white box installed, the switch was put in so that the CU could be worked on.'in private'. Possibly even more desirable now we live in the days of part pee.

SFAIUI I could now get the elec supplier to install an isolator alongside the fuse, but on balance it's likely to be less fuss if I just keep things private as they are, and move it back into the wall quietly with no part pee fuss or fees and no one demanding expensive inspection certificates.

Thanks