Hi , I am pricing a job at the moment where because of its location the consumer unit is sideways mounted and very old.

I need to change the unit which would mean mounting the new one on its side also.

Can anyone see a problem with this ?

Regards

I cannot find the reference to this at the moment, but I believe a previous discussion concluded that the main concern is the positioning of the main isolator.
The protective devices could be installed sideways, but the isolator needed to be vertical. I cannot remember if it was for identification and prevention of inadvertent closure reasons or if it was under the BS EN 60947 standards...

There are small industrial control boxes that could be adapted to take horizontally mounted MCBs. by the use of vertical and horizontal din-rails.

I think the use of a bulk standard CU will look so DIY.

Legh

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Hi ,Legh I agree but without relocating the consumer unit I would have no choice.

I want to install a 10 way dual wylex unit.

Regards

I've never needed to mount a c/unit sideways but can't really see any reason not to, I really can't see why there would be a problem regarding the main switch as Widdler mentions?

Dave.

Does the main switch have to be in the consumer? Can you not fit a wylex rec2 very close, call this the main switch and remove the consumer isolator. But i may be wrong, it has happened, ask my other half.

In the past I've fitted duplex CU's to get round this problem.
MEM and MK used to do them.
More common abroad than in the UK I think.

I often see panels mounted on their side, partly due to the sheer size of the panel, qty of ccts, and size of breakers.
Derrick
Canada.

In practice it should be fine, BUT a pedant might argue that it is a contravention of the regs.
"install equipment as instructed by the manufacturer"or some similar wording is in the regs.

All the consumer units that I have seen have an internal marking "top", so it could therefore be argued that this is a part of the instructions, and should be followed.

Edited: 25 June 2012 at 12:44 PM by broadgage

A seperate DP switch mounted correctly for emergency isolation and a single phase DB mounted vertically with a DP connection block in leau of the main switch should be ok. the enclosure is simply a box and the breakers cold be mounted in that manner in a three phase DB so apart from "messy" (ish) ok?

same old story, if you do it and there is a problem you are in the wrong, some C/U even come with a little bubble to make sure you mount it level-ish so mounting one on its side will go against the manufactures instructions/guide lines

Edited: 25 June 2012 at 05:54 PM by Dave69

I'm wondering just who might have difficulty correctly operating a sideways mounted MCB or main switch.

Most domestic customers would need to read the labelling to know whether a main switch or breaker is on or off. Even then many don't know where the main switch is. I've seen customers throw the breaker on an adjacent shower unit thinking it was the isolation for the whole installation and still not be sure if it's on or off.

I've seen sideways mounted boards many times and done it myself a couple of times. The customer gets a safer installation and full testing along with a nice shiny new CU. They don't want major works to relocate the unit or have to get a joiner in to rebuild the meter cupboard. I've had customers who'd rather stick with their old 4 way re-wirables than have the new CU on view.

So long as it fits tidily and is accessible for maintenance I see no reason to lose sleep over it. The Big Book isn't the best place to find guidance on semantics.

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"I learned very early the difference between knowing
the name of something and knowing something". - Richard P. Feynman