Fuse Board to Consumer Unit?

[dpm_dpmartin]

...this is not like comparing the difference between two alarm boxes in my opinion

I'll put this down as "fair comment" as you are the expert and I am the layman. But rest assured I'm not going to fit this myself, I just wanted to hear recommendations about good Consumer Units and I gave the example I gave as a starting point, really. My persistence was only due to me not getting any opinions in, but I have now.

 

[Iggifer]

@RF Lighting posted this video a while ago, think you'll be surprised.

 

[dpm_dpmartin]

Oh, crap. Thanks.

 

[dpm_dpmartin]

The Electrician I use thinks he can get to me sometime in September. He has set my expectations at "around £350" for a new Consumer Unit, but caveated by saying he wants to have a good at it all first. He's also stated that any new sockets I might want will come under minor works but the new Consumer Unit requires an installation certificate... also he wants to check the position regarding hard-wired smoke alarms, so it's good he's thinking along those lines... I have seen a smoke alarm in the property, but I think only 1 and I'm not sure what kind it was.

 

[EFLImpudence]

The type of certificate is irrelevant.

What he likely means is the CU replacement is notifiable which, if he is registered, makes no difference to him nor you.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I want to know whether this, or anything else, is a good Consumer Unit because I can then specify what I want to the Electrician.

Which will risk getting off on a bad foot with him. It's saying you don't trust him to use products and materials which are any good. Not a good way to carry on.

If the electrician is any good, he will know which CUs etc he finds good, good value, easy to work with etc. If he's not any good, don't use him.

 

[dpm_dpmartin]

I've used him plenty of times in the past, he used to go to my same school... he wanted to put ES light fittings in my garage, but I told him I'd actually prefer BC ones instead (shoot me!). He was OK with it. He's not precious.

 

[jedi]

show us a meter pic!

 

[flameport]

Good morning all, is the replacement of the thing that I see in the picture with something like ToolStation item #50454 the way to go (obviously by a professional, this is certainly not a job for me)?
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Ele...ex+17th+Edition+Dual+RCD+Consumer+Unit/p50454

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Ele...ex+17th+Edition+Dual+RCD+Consumer+Unit/p50454
That consumer unit is junk, as it contains dual RCDs, is prefilled with a selection of MCBs which almost certainly will not be the ones required, and it's made of plastic.
In theory a plastic one could be fitted now as the new regulation is not applicable until January 1st, but that would be a very poor choice.

If you want a Wylex one, then this: https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/WYNM1106.html and some of these: https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/WYNHXSBS6B.html in various ratings as required.
Other manufacturers are available but it's the same same type of items.

My second question is this... while I'm working on getting this property back into shape, I think there might be rooms where I consider extra sockets or light fittings would be very useful... is that kind of job a relatively simple thing to do when you're gutting a place, or does it really come under the remit of a "full rewire" and it be likely to cost several thousands of Pounds?

No way to know without looking at what is already there. In some cases existing wiring can be used, in others it cannot either due to it being unsafe or often there is so little of it (such as 1 socket per room) that there is no point - quicker to just install new.

 

[AndyPRK]

I wouldn't call that cu junk.

And lots of the mcbs will be useful.

But it is scary that they aren't fire retardant.

 

[Iggifer]

I wouldn't call that cu junk.

And lots of the mcbs will be useful

No, it's no Protek!

And I checked, and that kit would do my house fine, cover every circuit if you swap the boiler from existing 16 to 6 (on a 3a FCU anyway) and all I'd be left with would be a 40A MCB. YMMV but it wouldn't be too bad for me

 

[kai]

@RF Lighting posted this video a while ago, think you'll be surprised.

Surprisingly, the wooden old type Wylex withstood the flammability test well, perhaps the wood backing was vacuum impregnated with fire retardant under pressure?

 

[JohnW2]

Surprisingly, the wooden old type Wylex withstood the flammability test well, perhaps the wood backing was vacuum impregnated with fire retardant under pressure?

Maybe, but despite what many/most people might think even 'untreated' wood is not very easy to set alight, and doesn't burn away too quickly. It can actually do better, as a structural component, in a burning building than steel (which buckles).

Kind Regards, John

 

[Iggifer]

The thing that surprised me the most, was how well the 'paint' on the metal clad stood up to the flames. I would have excepted at least a little bubbling/scorching, but it was as if it wasn't touched - obviously I expected this from the metal itself.

I found the same thing with a metal P(yro) clip recently, tried to burn the epoxy or whatever it is on those, nada.

 

[dpm_dpmartin]

Good morning all, is the replacement of the thing that I see in the picture with something like ToolStation item #50454 the way to go (obviously by a professional, this is certainly not a job for me)?
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Ele...ex+17th+Edition+Dual+RCD+Consumer+Unit/p50454

That consumer unit is junk, as it contains dual RCDs, is prefilled with a selection of MCBs which almost certainly will not be the ones required, and it's made of plastic.
In theory a plastic one could be fitted now as the new regulation is not applicable until January 1st, but that would be a very poor choice.

I have ordered things from TLC Direct before and I had seen this earlier this evening, after feedback from here earlier... https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/HGVC766H1X.html ...but that's plastic again.

I also popped into a shop this afternoon (was actually looking for granite worktops but there's some kind of shared space thing going on) and talked to an Electrician who says he'll come out for free to assess things, but will charge a static rate of £350 to transition the house from a fuse board to Consumer Unit. I think the one he was showing me was made by BG or DG? I don't think I would get a choice at all there. He did talk about 2016 but said the metal thing wasn't that important... like you guys, he looked at the picture I provided (on my phone) and said that it looked "interesting", made comments about the "incomer" and "meter" and suspected some of "it" was likely to be redundant.

Anyway, on TLC Direct... the Consumer Unit itself in metal doesn't appear to be massively more expensive, am I missing something? I guess it gets much more expensive as you add £25 RCBOs. Does a normal install need RCBOs?