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Flush mount meter boxes


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I need to move both my electric supply and gas supply. I only need them moved a few inches, but both DNO’s have said they can’t be, both have suggested best solution is flush fit boxes on external wall.

 

they are giving conflicting info on mounting them though, and it is something I’ve never done before so looking for suggestions on best practice. They need to be as close to each other as can be safely and acceptably done. Any tips and rules to stick to appreciated!

 

one particular question I have is regarding fitment. We have 100mm external skin and 60mm cavity. The boxes I’ve looked at require 150mm from outer face so whilst we have that, there is only 10mm to spare. Is that enough? Can the box be spaced off the wall a little to increase that? I know my parents had a flush fit box fitted and they also have 60mm cavity but theirs was done some years ago.

 

basically any info past “chop out bricks, screw in boxes” appreciated 😂

Edited by Del-inquent
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18 minutes ago, Del-inquent said:

I only need them moved a few inches,

Can we ask why?, yes solid gas pipes need doing properly (gas safe engineer?) but if any slack surely electric cables can move this small amount.

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1 hour ago, joe90 said:

Can we ask why?, yes solid gas pipes need doing properly (gas safe engineer?) but if any slack surely electric cables can move this small amount.


 

They’re both on one wall in a corner but they are in just the wrong place and prevent the kitchen we want, from fitting. There is slack in the incoming supply cable but to move it it needs disconnecting because of the board it’s on. I don’t touch DNO’s stuff, and they are not allowed to reposition in a kitchen even if only a few inches. If moved at all they have to go “elsewhere” so they said easiest was in a flush box. The gas they could move but said it would involve a new pipe cutting back either way due to its age and type not meeting spec, so it would be more sensible to move it completely (as it would still be less than ideal in the proposed position, just not a make or break). 
 

Both are being done by the relevant DNO so no issues as to if they are competent I’d hope 😂 but both said I can do the box installs as they won’t.

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14 hours ago, Del-inquent said:

I need to move both my electric supply and gas supply. I only need them moved a few inches, but both DNO’s have said they can’t be, both have suggested best solution is flush fit boxes on external wall.

 

they are giving conflicting info on mounting them though, and it is something I’ve never done before so looking for suggestions on best practice. They need to be as close to each other as can be safely and acceptably done. Any tips and rules to stick to appreciated!

 

one particular question I have is regarding fitment. We have 100mm external skin and 60mm cavity. The boxes I’ve looked at require 150mm from outer face so whilst we have that, there is only 10mm to spare. Is that enough? Can the box be spaced off the wall a little to increase that? I know my parents had a flush fit box fitted and they also have 60mm cavity but theirs was done some years ago.

 

basically any info past “chop out bricks, screw in boxes” appreciated 😂

 

 

Yes. Two options. Cut the hole and fit the meter box and see how it goes. You might need to scrab away some mortar in the cavity to make it work. If it's sitting a few mm proud, then a bit of sealant will do the job.

 

If it's sitting out a fair bit, you can build a brick surround up against the face of the wall where the meter boxes are, then you'll have plenty of depth. You'll need to do some flashing at the top to keep water away, and make sure dpc is not bridged, otherwise simple job.

 

From memory it's your responsibility to fit the meter boxes in accordance with their spec, along with any customer side works, then your supplier will arrange via the DNO to move the apparatus. The guys installing the meter and moving bits around won't care as long as they can do their job.

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Do you really want them moved a few inches, or a lot further?  If the supply head is mounted on a board and there is slack in the cable an understanding electrician might move it, you have already sad the gas people would move there's a few inches as well.

 

The problem with moving the whole lot is the DNO have to move the supply head then the energy provider has to move the meter.  In between those you are without power.  Best of luck coordinating that to happen the same day.

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  • 1 month later...

Follow up to this one... I've cut the holes, test fitted the electricity box, got lucky, the cavity is wider on that wall than on the others I've had to do anything to do, so just slotted straight in.

I'd like to get some third / forth opinions though... 

Cavity tray. Is there any need as the box isn't bridging the cavity? Space between back of box and internal leaf is 15-20mm. Seems a bit of a waste of time and effort to pull out another couple of rows of bricks above the hole to fit one. I know they fit them on new builds but would you bother on a retrofit with no bridging?

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1 hour ago, Del-inquent said:

Follow up to this one... I've cut the holes, test fitted the electricity box, got lucky, the cavity is wider on that wall than on the others I've had to do anything to do, so just slotted straight in.

I'd like to get some third / forth opinions though... 

Cavity tray. Is there any need as the box isn't bridging the cavity? Space between back of box and internal leaf is 15-20mm. Seems a bit of a waste of time and effort to pull out another couple of rows of bricks above the hole to fit one. I know they fit them on new builds but would you bother on a retrofit with no bridging?

A cavity tray is there to. Force any water collecting on a cavity bridge outwards away from the inner skin, if your cavity is deep enough for the box not to reach the inner skin it shouldn’t be needed, but, boxes taper towards the back so any condensate or water running off the top of the box would be directed towards the inner leaf and the wrong side of any insulation. 

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1 hour ago, markc said:

A cavity tray is there to. Force any water collecting on a cavity bridge outwards away from the inner skin, if your cavity is deep enough for the box not to reach the inner skin it shouldn’t be needed, but, boxes taper towards the back so any condensate or water running off the top of the box would be directed towards the inner leaf and the wrong side of any insulation. 

I thought about that but then realised any condensate will do that anyway as the cavity tray is above the top of the slope, so if it’s condensing on the top of the box it’s already past the tray!

Edited by Del-inquent
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