# Interest group forums > Electrical Contracting Industry Forum >  Replacing metal DBs with plastic

## ians

I watch a few UK sparkies ... edition 18 states that a plastic DB must be replaced with a metal DB ... wow.

I havent installed a metal DB since the 1900s ... maybe we should get them to ship container loads of all their plastic DBs to SA ... mind you at R450 for a complete wired plastic DB ... you not gonna get cheaper than that ... never say never ... i found what use to be a good quality brand of electrical PVC components ... i nearly crapped myself when i saw how they have reduced the standard to compete with chinas junk ... i had to use a remeamer to clean the inside of the box and sand the outside to get the cover to secure on an an elbow. 

My step bit works way better on plastic enclosures  :Wink:  

Lets hope the SANS dont hear about this dangerous environment plastic enclosures create ... we have the DOL ... it would mean they would have to roll out from under their shell and start checking ... so we are in the clear.

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## Justloadit

One requirement of all plastic components used in electrical systems, is that they are to be manufactured with fire retardant in it, and can not be made from PVC due to the gas it releases under fire conditions.

They must all pass the "Hot Wire" test to be SABS approved.

Also not all types of fire retardant are usable, due to the gas they release during the manufacture of the plastic components.

But I am sure that they follow these recommendations  :Smile:

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## ians

> One requirement of all plastic components used in electrical systems, is that they are to be manufactured with fire retardant in it, and can not be made from PVC due to the gas it releases under fire conditions.
> 
> They must all pass the "Hot Wire" test to be SABS approved.
> 
> Also not all types of fire retardant are usable, due to the gas they release during the manufacture of the plastic components.
> 
> But I am sure that they follow these recommendations


In the UK plastic DBs are not allowed ... from what i understand.

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## AndyD

I suspect their deskilling of the industry in the UK with the introduction of 'Part P' resulted in an increase of consumer unit fires. Legislating that steel CU's be used is treating the symptoms, not the cause of the problem.

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## ians

> I suspect their deskilling of the industry in the UK with the introduction of 'Part P' resulted in an increase of consumer unit fires. Legislating that steel CU's be used is treating the symptoms, not the cause of the problem.


I dont see how that could be the cause ... if you look at the electrics in SA (especially the ones hanging from bare overhead lines) we dont seem to have that many fires ?

One thing that blows my mind about the UK electrics ... they seem to have way more rules and regs ... they shyte themselves about silly things like maintenance free junction boxes and vibration ...steel enclosures ... yet you can install a wire from the meter to the main DB without a conduit or any form of protection ... i dont get it.

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## AndyD

> I dont see how that could be the cause ... if you look at the electrics in SA (especially the ones hanging from bare overhead lines) we dont seem to have that many fires ?........


 Not sure about the SA stats but these are from London Fire Brigade;



> In 2012/4 253 LFB recorded fires where a consumer unit was identified as the source of ignition.
> 
>  Number of fires
> 
>     2005/06 - 27
>     2006/07 - 28
>     2007/08 - 33
>     2008/09 - 21
>     2009/10  54
> ...


Source

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