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Electrical

Fusebox mounted on the back of the kitchen cabinet

Anonymous user 23/02/2024 - 3.44 PM

This is question to find out if my surveyor has failed doing the job or the electrician certificate provided has not been conducted properly! Purchased a house recently, 16years old build. Just noticed after looking to get new kitchen that the fusebox is actually mounter on the back of the kitchen cabinet. Is this even legal? If not, am I entitled to any compensation or complaints as the independent surveyor failed to raise this? Neither the electrical certificate from seller has no notes about this. Just wondering … Ps; find it frustrating not having the option to reply back to any comments! This would avoid creating new question for an ongoing topic. UPATE Thanks for the feedback. As you speak of regulations etc and me thinking moving it bit higher. What’s highest I can place it on? Even if i move ut higher, it be reachable by us …. We are round 6ft tall. Also, Does council and or the electricity company need to know? Or is it just certified electrician enough? Cheers

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4 Answers

Anonymous user

There are no regulations to say that this cannot be done. There are regulations for accessibility. This includes prescribed heights for switch gear and adequate space available for functional use, maintenance and testing. Although if the consumer unit was installed around 16 years ago, some of these regulations wouldn't have applied when it was installed. Sometimes clients prefer to have their consumer unit out of sight.
Answered10 January 2022
1

Singh Electricals

Rating: 5 out of 5
Nuneaton
According to bs7671 this should have to accessible for future maintenance and inspection and testing.
Answered9 January 2022
0

Anonymous user

As long as the CU is accessible and can be worked on then it is perfectly ok. Some people like to 'hide' equipment that they consider unsightly which is probably why its behind a kitchen cupboard. I would imagine that the cupboard was added over the CU rather than the CU being put in to it. There is nothing to suggest any improper reporting from a surveyor or an electrician. If you personally don't want the CU in the cupboard just remove the cupboard.
Answered9 January 2022
0

Electrical Solutions (North) Ltd

Rating: 4.8 out of 5
Hyde
Whilst Approved Document M does not recommend a height for new consumer units, the 2013 version of Approved Document P points out that one way of complying with Part M in new dwellings is to mount consumer units so that the switches are between 1350mm and 1450mm above floor level. At this height, the consumer unit is out of reach of young children yet accessible to other people when standing or sitting.
Answered10 January 2022
0