Can a Smart meter be installed flat (horizontally)?

Scot_39

prowla said:

I don't think that there is anything in the functional components of an electrical meter which should affect its orientation.

The point about condensation may be relevant, but I would be disturbed if I found any form of liquid coming from or in the vicinity of an electricity meter whether it were mounted vertical or flat.

Have you never seen an external meter cupboard with a faulty open or even completely absent door ?

People often seem in no rush to fix.

And even internally their is the risk of heavy condensation e.g. in cellar or simply a plumbing or building e.g. roof leak.

My CU is mounted directly below the tap end of my bath - which I have at times also find a little worrying.

Phones4Chris

@Reaper A photo of the existing setup could be helpful, along with the dimensions of the current meter.
I've just measured 4 standard 4-port meters and comms units (ie. single rate tariff, not the 5 port ones used on E7).
All measurements fractionally rounded up, All were 130mm wide.
!st was 180mm high, 2nd & 3rd were 190mm, 4th was 170mm high. It all depends on make and model.
You could really do with 50mm below the ports to allow for tails to be suitably bent where needed.

Reaper

Torry_Quine said:

How do you know it won't fit? Has someone been to your home and told you 

Yes they said theirs was the smallest meter available and it would just fit but it would leave no space for the wires underneath, however they were only thinking about a vertical mount. The box is a wooden thing the previous owners had custom made to it could easily be extended outwards.

Under the meter is stone and the units above would cost £600+ to move. So flat (or maybe tilted) seems to better option. The vertical space is 22cm.

Thanks for all your responses. The Here are some pics:

MWT

Reaper said:

Under the meter is stone and the units above would cost £600+ to move...

Based on that photo I'd say you are going to be spending £600+ then unfortunately...

Phones4Chris

Well I think DW Electrical fitting that CU so close to the meter is such bad practice. Anyway.

Reaper said:

Under the meter is stone and the units above would cost £600+ to move. So flat (or maybe tilted) seems to better option. The vertical space is 22cm.
..........

Well if the space is 22cm, the smallest I measured was 170mm high + 50mm == 220mm, so one should fit!!
With the most flexible tails you might get away with slightly less than 50mm below.

Phones4Chris

Out of curiosity, what is there (space etc) immediately above that CU? Picture?

SAC2334

20 years reading hundreds of thousands of meters and I ve never seen a horizontal one , except the few when the backboard had come off the wall and they were  dangling downwards , so no you cannot have a horizontal mounted  electric meter.

Reaper

Phones4Chris said:

Out of curiosity, what is there (space etc) immediately above that CU? Picture?

No space. The only other option is to move a CU right out and above the box to the wall above, then extend the box upwards. That's not particularly desirable and expensive.

gm0

Throwing out an idea - from the picture it looks like the 2nd Wylex is a circa  ~6 way (if it's full of circuits)

Find lowest height CUs. Move to current Part P - dumping the pooled RCD (that frees up 2 slots on its own).

Is there any lighting where adjacent room circuits can legitimately become "one" circuit.  To free up some more.
i.e. see if a sparky can spec you a single row CU and then do the reconnect and the full wiring retest.  Bang up to date. With all RCBO.

Maybe a revised earth solution but only if needed.  

With the 2nd Wylex gone there is probably room for a smart meter and comms unit. 
Just the tail and fairly tight refit

But a lot of bother and the full CU refresh cost for keeping it in the current space
If the sparky is allowed to spec the single CU.

BTW I thought GEC stopped making those no later than ~1996 when ABB took over at Stone.  Vintage meter.

Reaper

I

I have a new plan!

At the front of the box there is a trench, as shown. Could I simply get the new Smart Meter brought forward such that the tails go through the trench, allowing the meter to be lowered?