Power point in fuse box, allowed?

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › Power point in fuse box, allowed?

Ob1kxb

11 posts

Geek

#274436 22-Aug-2020 10:38

G’day all,

I want to install a smart home camera inside my fuse box outside the house. This will keep it nice and dry as it’s not rated for outdoors but just one (an Aqara G2) I have spare.

Is it allowed and can I ask an electrician to install a power point in the fuse box to plug in the 5w adapter.

Advise appreciated.

Cheers

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1014 posts

Uber Geek

#2547554 22-Aug-2020 11:18

Who owns the meter box?

5w power adapter lead are thin enough Maybe ask the Sparkie to install an external power point?

k1w1k1d

1519 posts

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#2547558 22-Aug-2020 11:21

I always assumed that I owned the box, but the power company owned the meter?

K8Toledo

1014 posts

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#2547563 22-Aug-2020 11:28

You could be right...

itxtme

2102 posts

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#2547899 22-Aug-2020 22:50

Is it to record the meter or record outside? If outside the IR reflection through the glass of the meter will stop ability to see night shots

gregmcc

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#2547922 23-Aug-2020 07:35

Ob1kxb: G’day all,

I want to install a smart home camera inside my fuse box outside the house. This will keep it nice and dry as it’s not rated for outdoors but just one (an Aqara G2) I have spare.

Is it allowed and can I ask an electrician to install a power point in the fuse box to plug in the 5w adapter.

Advise appreciated.

Cheers

You may want to clarify, the the out side box a "Meter box ie. meters, isolating switch and hot water fuse" or is it a full meter/fuse board combo with no fuse board inside, most people don't know the difference.

anyway if it's just a meter board it can be done, but a little harder, if it's a combo unit then it's easy, both are electrician jobs

raytaylor

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#2548052 23-Aug-2020 11:39

Yes inside your fuse box is no problem.

Ray Taylor

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Daynger

435 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2548111 23-Aug-2020 12:47

gregmcc:

You may want to clarify, the the out side box a "Meter box ie. meters, isolating switch and hot water fuse" or is it a full meter/fuse board combo with no fuse board inside, most people don't know the difference.

anyway if it's just a meter board it can be done, but a little harder, if it's a combo unit then it's easy, both are electrician jobs

This is the correct advice to follow.

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Ob1kxb

11 posts

Geek

#2548200 23-Aug-2020 14:15

Thanks for the advise everyone. Its the outside box.

Daynger

435 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2548225 23-Aug-2020 15:20

That is a combined meterbox switchboard, so yes an electrician can add a power point in there fairly easily.

neb

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#2548272 23-Aug-2020 17:08

If you only care about the 5V then you'd probably be better off adding a DIN-rail 5V power supply. I realise that's a pre-DIN-rail switchboard, but there may be equivalent plug-in power supplies available as well.

gregmcc

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#2548361 23-Aug-2020 18:32

Daynger:

That is a combined meterbox switchboard, so yes an electrician can add a power point in there fairly easily.

It's not quite that straight forward, you as the homeowner can't put the power point in as it's a switchboard. No RCD's there so the outlet will need to be protected by an RCD circuit breaker - you can't just put in an RCD power point as the RCD has to be where the newly added wiring starts which would be at an existing circuit breaker or a new circuit breaker.

SomeoneSomewhere

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#2548432 23-Aug-2020 22:11

gregmcc:

Daynger:

That is a combined meterbox switchboard, so yes an electrician can add a power point in there fairly easily.

It's not quite that straight forward, you as the homeowner can't put the power point in as it's a switchboard. No RCD's there so the outlet will need to be protected by an RCD circuit breaker - you can't just put in an RCD power point as the RCD has to be where the newly added wiring starts which would be at an existing circuit breaker or a new circuit breaker.

That's why the person you're quoting said an electrician can add a power point.

The exact wording in this case is that "Where protection of final subcircuits is required, RCDs shall be installed at the switchboard at which the final subcircuit originates". I think it could be argued that an SRCD located in the switchboard is installed 'at the switchboard'. Certainly there is no additional cable outside the switchboard that is no longer protected. No more questionable than locating an RCCB after the MCB rather than before it.

It's easy enough to put an RCBO in a DIN box, too, if you want to go that route.

Yoban

447 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2548511 24-Aug-2020 09:26

Ob1kxb: Thanks for the advise everyone. Its the outside box.

Could have done with this when a prowler unscrewed my meter box and turned off my power earlier this year....hoping to go undetected traversing my property.

What's the rational for hiding it in there?

Ob1kxb

11 posts

Geek

#2548569 24-Aug-2020 11:05

It has a nice view on my driveway, dry, power close by (that’s the reason of this post) and indeed can send last-second-photo if power goes down.

I’m amazed by the professional answers. Thanks team

Daynger

435 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2549621 25-Aug-2020 18:11

gregmcc:

It's not quite that straight forward, you as the homeowner can't put the power point in as it's a switchboard. No RCD's there so the outlet will need to be protected by an RCD circuit breaker - you can't just put in an RCD power point as the RCD has to be where the newly added wiring starts which would be at an existing circuit breaker or a new circuit breaker.

I as a homeowner can put power points wherever i like, add things to switchboards, new main earth, new mains if i want to.

I do things like that for friends, family and friends of friends all the time, its only three wires, what could possibly go wrong.

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