Fuse Box in the Living Room

HungryHippos

HungryHippos

HungryHippos

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Hello,

I'm currently buying a new build property, a Coach House to be specific. I wanted to seek some opinions from others on a problem I have with the build.

Early on in the process I questioned why the Fuse Box was in the Living Room, this was noted when I had a visit to a different plot that was a few months ahead of mine.

I asked for it to be moved on my plot, which was still at Foundation levels at the time, and was promised that it would be moved into the Hallway. Today I went to visit the plot to find that it's not been moved and it's right in the Living Room where I didn't want it to be.

I've emailed the Sales Manager asking them if there is anything they can do about it, but wanted some opinions on this. It's annoyed me somewhat, but am I right to be annoyed at this? Is there grounds for asking for something in compensation from the builder for the mistake?

Thanks!
 
apeksdiver said:
Did you get anything in writing? I would think it could be moved how far along is the build now?
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Unfortunately not, they don't seem to give anything in writing.

Currently it's at the first fix stage, so I can walk around inside, ceilings on etc., but none of the units are in, and the walls aren't painted yet.

I understand there are some building regulations around moving the unit (and the lengths of the cables), even so I was told it was being moved!
 
Any response from the sales manager? Are they a big building firm? Contact head office and complain if he doesn't get back to you.
 
What wall is it on? if it's an internal wall then should be fairly easy to spin around without any grief but then it might be right in your eye when you open the front door.

You could ask for a recessed one to be used, it won't hide it but it'll be less intrusive.
 
apeksdiver said:
Any response from the sales manager? Are they a big building firm? Contact head office and complain if he doesn't get back to you.
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Sales Manager has asked me to leave it with them until the middle of next week so they can investigate the issue fully. Yes they are also a big/nation wide building firm so I could go uo the chain if I need to. I won't name drop on them just yet as I'd prefer to give them the chance to resolve the problem first.

maccapacca said:
What wall is it on? if it's an internal wall then should be fairly easy to spin around without any grief but then it might be right in your eye when you open the front door.

You could ask for a recessed one to be used, it won't hide it but it'll be less intrusive.
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I've gone into Ms Paint to draw it a little better for you. The Living Room is on the opposite end of the House than the Doorway/Hallway, and the Doorway into the Room is at the end of the hallway.

The Unit itself is pretty near the ceiling, quite high up.

i9I9znb.png
 
maccapacca said:
What do you mean by old fashioned? not a dig btw ;), we instal usually behind the front door using the recessed ones, usually but sometimes with party walls they end up in odd places.
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Nothing wrong with it behind a front door very sensible location, as long as it's about waist height, looked at some new builds last year, fuse box was in front room, right up against the ceiling, much higher & it would have been on the bedroom floor above.

No thought is given to fuse box location in houses today.

EDIT: Eulogy: sketch is a classic example of what I mean.:(

I went to a house in Bath a few years ago, the rooms have very high ceilings, the fuse board was in the kitchen, level with the ceiling, a good 12' or so off the ground.:eek:
 
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I'd be very surprised if they are able to move that now, I reckon the sales folk were telling you what you wanted to hear when you were buying, was it at foundation level or floor slab level when you were looking?? as most new builds are going for solid floor construction therefore moving ducts for plumbing/electric after the slab is in, is pretty much not happening
 
the_r_sole said:
I'd be very surprised if they are able to move that now, I reckon the sales folk were telling you what you wanted to hear when you were buying, was it at foundation level or floor slab level when you were looking?? as most new builds are going for solid floor construction therefore moving ducts for plumbing/electric after the slab is in, is pretty much not happening
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The foundations were down, but just the brick work, and you're right they might not be able to move it too much anymore, but maybe they could move it vertically.

As it's a Coach House the ground floor is just car ports for parking, theoretically the Consumer Unit could sit inside the car port below instead of in my front room? Was thinking it could go into a lockable cabinet or something as it would be outside (but under the cover of the Living Room floor above)?

Alternatively, as someone else suggested, if they could put it lower down near ground level and within an inset space then I could simply put the sofa in front of it, and at least it would be out of the way.

Just trying to think of better ways than what they've done with it really. The unit itself is not yet on the wall, just the cables where it's set to go I guess.
 
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Probably where the main intake supply is coming in. Seems a strange place to put it but there's nothing against regulations about it.

If the cables are running ground up you can easily move it down, otherway is a bit trickier. Where is your electricity meter and isolator?
 
lewism said:
Probably where the main intake supply is coming in. Seems a strange place to put it but there's nothing against regulations about it.

If the cables are running ground up you can easily move it down, otherway is a bit trickier. Where is your electricity meter and isolator?
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Pass on that question I'm afraid, it's still a building site there generally, didn't get time to wander around outside in the end today as we spent so much time talking about the Consumer Unit!

Yeah agree nothing on regs says not to put it in the Living Room, just you and I know it's a daft place to put it. wouldn't be so bad if it was up high in the Kitchen for example, out of the way or something.

The sales girls have been pretty good at not lying about things to me, so not sure if that was the case myself, but some info wasn't disclosed to me at the point of sale which probably should have been.
 
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Aside from your personal choice of not wanting it in the living room, what is the issue of it being there? Mine is in a living room cupboard.
 
It wouldn't be so bad if it was in a cupboard space, but it's just smack bang on the wall in the most visible place possible in the Living Room. All I really want is for it to be out of the way :)
 
I didn't say otherwise.

I was asking what OTHER reasons there might be for not wanting it in the living room e.g. safety etc. I said "aside from personal choice" as its quite obvious that point is covered already in this thread i.e. the OP doesn't want it in there so this was not needing to be stated again.

I thought my question was quite clear myself.... The OP realised this going by his response to my post.
 
It is a pretty damn ugly thing to have in your main room of the most expensive thing you will ever purchase, almost like buying an expensive shirt and the manufacturer putting their brand logo all over it......oh wait! :p
 
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