Fuse box replacement - is it necessary

[sparksneedshelp]

My house is 16 years old, and i have just had a wall taken down. There was a light switch and two plug sockets on the wall that has gone, so the electrician moved these a few feet to a different wall. I am now told that I need a new fusebox installed at £400 - Can this be right? - No additional sockets etc....

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Is your fuse box safe?
what reason did they give for a replacement?
If it's just to upgrade to the current standards, he's trying to get in your pocket!

 

[LoveRocket]

Almost certainly not.

Post pics of your consumer unit and meter board, and you'll get a better response.

 

[ricicle]

Sounds like somebody hasn't got a lot of work on.......

 

[sparksneedshelp]

My house is 16 years old, and i have just had a wall taken down. There was a light switch and two plug sockets on the wall that has gone, so the electrician moved these a few feet to a different wall. I am now told that I need a new fusebox installed at £400 - Can this be right? - No additional sockets etc....

I understand now that the new NIC regs (2 years old) require that all fuse boards need to be RCD Protected - So no certificate will be issued to me as the work does not now comply with current regulations..........However, having challenged it, I am told the decision is mine as to whether to have it done.... £400 still in my pocket thank you very much......

 

[ricicle]

now that the new NIC regs (2 years old) require that all fuse boards need to be RCD Protected - So no certificate will be issued to me as the work does not now comply with current regulations..........However, having challenged it, I am told the decision is mine as to whether to have it done.... £400 still in my pocket thank you very much......

Lets get one thing clear - NIC do not write the regulations (although they would like to fog homeowners into thinking they do)
Basically almost all circuits in new installations will require 30mA RCD protection, but if there is only work going on on certain circuits in an existing install then only these will need uprating.
There are other options if it only affects one or two circuits.....

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If it's just to upgrade to the current standards, he's trying to get in your pocket!

Be fair - he might just be stupid.

 

[nozspark]

It's not a NICEIC reg it's a IET reg.. namely BS7671:2008

the reg that you are refering to is about burried cables <50mm without mechanical protection --- they are required to have RCD protection!

SO any cable that your electrician worked on that is burried <50mm and isn't mechanically protected will require RCD protection.

This can be done in several ways:-
a) replace the consumer unit
b) replace the affected circuits MCB's(?) with RCBO's (if you can get them for your CU)
c) add RCD protection in a seperate encosure adjacent to your CU for the affected circuits

also your electrician would have to make sure that your main earth and Protective Earth Bonding is upto current standards...

If your current CU does not have any RCD protection then it may be advisable to have it replaced, but it is certainally not a requirement.

 

[spark1]

Not knowing the condition and Specification of your existing fusebox makes it impossible to supply you with a definitive answer to your question.
What can be said,however is if your existing fusebox is not providing the necessary protection for the new alterations then some updating or additional protection will have to be completed. In fairness your Electrician should have advised you of the requirement for this prior to commencing the work. If his work is to comply with the Regulations now in force he is under the obligation to issue you with Eklectrical Certification on completion...all of his work therefore must comply with these regs..the option not to does not exist.

One additional point is if this work is in a Bathroom or Kitchen then further Certification in line wth Part P of the Building Regs will need to be provided to you.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

My house is 16 years old, and i have just had a wall taken down. There was a light switch and two plug sockets on the wall that has gone, so the electrician moved these a few feet to a different wall. I am now told that I need a new fusebox installed at £400 - Can this be right? - No additional sockets etc....

If you're a sparks, why do you need to ask this question?

 

[securespark]

He's either not one, or is one, but not a very good one.

 

[JohnD]

I read it as "Sparks, I need your help"

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Sparks needs help....

 

[ColJack]

I wrote a long winded reply about how the regs aren't statutory and that the olde regs don't make the install automatically unsafe, and then went on to voice my own opinion about ignoring rcd requirement for concealed cables when moving a few things on what was previouly considered a safe install ( which boils down to I wouldn't bother for moving a few things, but would for new circuits or for essential safety ( TT install, outdoor sockets etc ))..
but then I didn't post it..

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If you're responsible for concealing a cable in a wall because you've moved an accessory then, if you want to comply with BS 7671:2008, you have to RCD protect it. (Or use steel conduit etc)