Changes to Amendment 3 BS7671:2008

As of the first of January, the Amendment 3 changes to BS 7671: 2008, The IET Wiring Regulations have come in to effect. One of the main changes relates to the switchgear assemblies including consumer units in new domestic installations. It is now a requirement that they are made from a non-combustible material i.e steel.

Within the controls industry there is some debate as to what qualifies as a consumer unit or similar switchgear but it is our suggestions that non combustible boards should be used wherever possible.

Currently the only range of compliant boards from ABB is the Protecta range. These come in rows of 15.5 modules (16 if using breakers).

At this present time, any of the other steel boards from ABB are not compliant due to the use of plastic components. These will still be available for the foreseeable future but should only be installed when the electrician or installation engineer is confident they will be not be classed as a consumer unit or similar switchgear. We expect to see a new range that has a more usable row width released around the middle of the year.

If you have any questions relating to this please get in touch with the sales team on 01243 572700 or email sales@ivoryegg.co.uk.