Smoking consumer unit

[Flybywyre]

I had a new consumer unit fitted in my flat 13 months ago.
On Saturday as I was about to go out I thought I could smell smoke, thought it must be something outside and left the flat. I only got as far as the end of my path when I decided to go back and check, as I could not smell smoke outside. When I opened the front door not only could I definitely smell some I could see smoke in the air. I opened a walk in type wardrobe where the electrics are situated and could see white smoke coming from the consumer unit.
The area on the unit where the smoke was coming from was labelled "Spare. Cooker. Immersion. Sockets kitchen" I think it was the Immersion that had tripped, which was the only thing on, yet smoke was still coming from it. The RCD for that bank had not tripped. The only way I could stop the smoke was to turn the master switch off. Presumably if I had not have gone back in this would have ignited and burnt the place down?
I also pressume that consumer units going up in smoke like this is very rare.
Two questions please.
Firstly How could this happen ? I thought that the idea of the individual trips and the bank RCD were there to specifically to stop this sort of thing happening.
Secondly can I expect the consumer unit (not the labour) to be replaced free of charge?
The electrician who installed it is coming tomorrow to replace it.
Thanks in anticipation of any replies,
FBW

 

[londonboy]

Either; 1. Your electrician doesn't tighten terminals up (likely), or
2. A fault with part of the switch gear (unlikely).

 

[ricicle]

Poor or loose termination. No protective device will usually operate under those circumstances until it's possibly too late.

 

[Chri5]

I'd have thought a loose neutral, maybe the main tail is a likley candidate.

If so it shouldn't have worked loose in 13 months. I'd suggest you stand over the guy and take photo's of the board minus cover BEFORE he does any replacing.

If the fault is his error then the work should be done as a freebie and a further warranty period agreed.

Also insist on a new cert since everything should be retested, also make sure any burn't wiring is replaced or at least cut back to clear sheath and shiny copper.

Please let us know the cause when investigated.

 

[electronicsuk]

Poor or loose termination. No protective device will usually operate under those circumstances until it's possibly too late.

Perhaps an AFCI as used in America might have...?

 

[Adam_151]

Though I do remember an instance where the fault was on the outgoing terminal of the MCB and teh ehat generated by the fault traveled back into the MCB and tripped it on the thermal element of the device... also managed to cause the adjacent MCB to trip as well, IIRC

 

[RF Lighting]

Wasn't a wylex/crabtree/volex/newlec consumer unit was it?

 

[Taylortwocities]

I hope he was registered with one of the "Part P" organistaions.

If not, he has broken the law. (as well as putting you and your house at risk).
I would seriously advise you to check who he is a memberof (NICEIC, NAPIT, etc) and ask to see a copy of his public liability insurance.

PS Did the report that he wrote before changing the consumer unit raise any issues?

 

[Flybywyre]

The electician said he had not seen anything like it before.
This particular model was not included in last years recall, perhaps it should be recalled now?
Here are the offending items:

 

[electronicsuk]

Hard to say for sure, but looks like the MCB in the centre of the bottom picture may not have been tightened onto the busbar properly, and the heat has damaged the adjacent breakers. That is, assuming your CU uses the slotted style busbar, rather than the type with prongs.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Flyby

Go here //www.diynot.com/forums/viewto...ghlight=&sid=a38fe653208e7a6428f004796158c967
scroll to bottom and view info re recall of some Wylex MCBs.

May be relavent

 

[cumbriahandyman]

Have tried enlarging the pictures but as I do they just get more fuzzy. The question is, are you sure these are genuine parts and not Chinese poor copies?

 

[AndyPRK]

The one in the first picture was subject to recall. It is marked :

RTRGRA

 

[AndyPRK]

If he did not change other ones in there marked B6, B10, B16 these also could be/likely to be at risk of the same problem.

I would get him back. You had one lucky escape.

 

[RF Lighting]

Wasn't a wylex/crabtree/volex/newlec consumer unit was it?