overloaded consumer unit?

[simon_1975]

Hello

I was looking for some advice regarding my consumer unit. It looks to be the original unit from when the house was built in 1984, it contains the ‘rewireable’ type fuses, plus a 45A cartridge fuse for the 8.5kW shower. My concern is that I believe that this CU is only rated to 60A (a small sticker on the CU states that “max load should not exceed 60A").

With the shower fuse plus the remaining fuses to supply the rest of the house (ie ring main, immersion heater, garage etc), the total load could exceed 60A…

The shower was fitted by the last owner around 1992, it looks like it was fitted by the professionals as there is a 32mA RCCB fitted next to the CU plus the pull-cord isolation switch in the bathroom. However, the load in the CU is what concerns me. I have since removed the 45A cartridge fuse from the CU so the shower can’t be used until I get some further advice on this issue…. Can anyone advise, is a new CU needed here?

Thanks in advance!
Simon

 

[JohnD]

Yes, and it needs to be professionally fitted by a qualified electrician who can issue a certificate when done (if not you will have to go through Building Control at your local council, which is more work and probably no cheaper).

If cost is a worry you could just have a new CU fitted to run the shower, and keep your lights and sockets connected to the old one. If you are doing this, have a largish split-load one fitted, with enough room for future expansion, and the unused ways blanked off.

Is your old CU a cream-coloured Wylex, with 4 or 6 fuses?

 

[simon_1975]

Thanks for the quick reply...

Yes - the CU is a Wylex cream model with 6 fuses.

Thanks again for the advice, I will certainly get an electrician in to update the CU as I am looking to sell the house in the near future....

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Let the new owners do it...

 

[JohnD]

Good move. If he replaces the entire CU, get him to issue a Periodic Inspection Report saying how the whole installation is in a really good condition - this will do your sale nothing but good. (He may need to do some upgrading of old stuff to be able to say this, and will protect your garage and downstairs sockets with an RCD.