Electric meter box on ICF

[Chanmenie]

Those of you having built with ICF, what electric meter boxes did you use, recessed or surface.

My understanding is recessed box’s need 150mm deep recesses, so many ICF blocks would not be thick enough. If you did have room for a recessed box would you want to fit one and compromise the insulation or fit a surface box 

[JohnMo]

Mounted inside next to consumer unit, so no meter box.  During the build it was mounted in an external meter box, until wind and water tight, I then cut the box off the meter.

[Chanmenie]

Thanks John,

I’ll ask the supply company if they’ll accept it indoors 

[Conor]

We recessed it, but only possible because we put on an extra 100mm insualtion, meaning we had 175mm to play with. Undoubtedly a cold bridge to some extent, but pretty much the only one in the build so don't care. Cable ducts chase through the EPS then foamed over. Install crew had no issues.

 

Other option the architect suggested was to locally build a block cavity return wall coming off the house that could take the box. Would return at 90⁰ within 2m of the principle elevation, cables would then run through the cavit and a duct through the icf wall to the consumer unit.

 

Other option I considered was building out the icf wall by another 100mm an area a bit wider than the box, so I could form a void for the box but still retain most insualtion. Ditched that as it would look obstrusive and I'd have an awkward flashing detail to do.

 

Internal meter wasn't an option with our DNO.

[freshy]

On 03/05/2023 at 19:58, Chanmenie said:

Those of you having built with ICF, what electric meter boxes did you use, recessed or surface.

My understanding is recessed box’s need 150mm deep recesses, so many ICF blocks would not be thick enough. If you did have room for a recessed box would you want to fit one and compromise the insulation or fit a surface box 

@Chanmenie I’m planning on having a surface mounted box on my ICF. Have you bought your meter box? Which one did you get?

[Chanmenie]

1 hour ago, freshy said:

@Chanmenie I’m planning on having a surface mounted box on my ICF. Have you bought your meter box? Which one did you get?

@freshy No I haven’t bought one yet hence asking the question 

Edited May 8, 2023 by Chanmenie

[freshy]

Fair enough, I’m looking into a surface mounted 3 phase meter box, can’t get my head around how expensive they are compared to regular meter boxes.

Mitras surface mounted meter box £55

Mitras surface mounted 3 phase meter box £315!?

 

[Chanmenie]

3 hours ago, freshy said:

Fair enough, I’m looking into a surface mounted 3 phase meter box, can’t get my head around how expensive they are compared to regular meter boxes.

Mitras surface mounted meter box £55

Mitras surface mounted 3 phase meter box £315!?

 

@freshy Yikes yeah that’s a big difference

[freshy]

Recessed meter boxes are half the price, this is best I could find.

 

Tricel Large 3 Phase Recessed / Large Permali Recessed Electric Meter Box £176 including shipping.

 

https://www.meterboxesdirect.co.uk/electric-meter-box-recessed-large-3-phase-794-565-180-mm.html

 

[Chanmenie]

45 minutes ago, freshy said:

Recessed meter boxes are half the price, this is best I could find.

 

Tricel Large 3 Phase Recessed / Large Permali Recessed Electric Meter Box £176 including shipping.

 

https://www.meterboxesdirect.co.uk/electric-meter-box-recessed-large-3-phase-794-565-180-mm.html

 

I'm really not sure on recessed, not keen on cutting 150mm out of my insulation, my meter box will be on the same wall and not too far from the ASHP so if a surface box sticks out 215mm it should not really matter 

[Blooda]

We bought our 3 phase box from the DNO as it was cheaper, and we were close enough to pick it up.  

[Surfiejim]

I'm either building a bin store seperate to the house but close and installing it on/in there or bring it inside like Johnmo. 

[Chanmenie]

11 minutes ago, Surfiejim said:

I'm either building a bin store seperate to the house but close and installing it on/in there or bring it inside like Johnmo. 

 

I checked with our DNO, not allowed to have them inside. 

[magnethead]

This is what I did, I was terrified of touching the external insulation, so I put the meter box on the wall beside the house, and ran the ducting in under the rising walls, straight into the plant room, I had about a 1M to play with along the side shoot here.