Implications of replacing Consumer Unit?

Roger465 · 6 Mar 2021

This house was built in the 90’s, and I assume the consumer unit(s) to be original – they have little pull-out fuse holders. I thought it might be a good plan to have it replaced with a modern RCD type, but wondered if this has any other implications, eg for the house wiring?

Somebody told me a horror story from years ago about having to have the entire house rewired when one of these was fitted… obviously, I have no idea what I’m talking about here, so would welcome any advice.

Also I’m retired, so on a fairly tight budget – is it a big/expensive job for an electrician?

Thanks

chivers67 · 6 Mar 2021

Get an EICR of your House done, this should provide you with a fairly comprehension list of test result that will determine if a New board will have any issues and what wiring will perhaps need replacing.

Adam_151 · 6 Mar 2021

Roger465 said:
Somebody told me a horror story from years ago about having to have the entire house rewired when one of these was fitted… obviously, I have no idea what I’m talking about here, so would welcome any advice.

A 90s house should not need re-wireing unless it has been subject to serious damage or bodging etc. However it is quite likely that a house in need of re-wiring would have had a board with 'pull out fuses' although usually of the re-wireable type* (yours are cartridge fuses)

*Which were commonly used right from the uptill about the mid 80s, of course the boards varried over that time, but one style did persist from the 60s until the late 90s with only minor changes (it could take cartridge fuses as well as MCBs)

Its akin to people saying they had an old car without ABS was not worth repairing and needed to be scrapped, likely completely true, but does not mean that the same is true of every car without ABS

chivers67 · 6 Mar 2021

Has that Bottom board got RCD/RCBO protection it's hard to make out the Two central MCBs? The Tails look quite neat so you'd hope the installer had pride in their work.

SUNRAY · 6 Mar 2021

Roger465 said:
This house was built in the 90’s, and I assume the consumer unit(s) to be original – they have little pull-out fuse holders. I thought it might be a good plan to have it replaced with a modern RCD type, but wondered if this has any other implications, eg for the house wiring?

Somebody told me a horror story from years ago about having to have the entire house rewired when one of these was fitted… obviously, I have no idea what I’m talking about here, so would welcome any advice.

Also I’m retired, so on a fairly tight budget – is it a big/expensive job for an electrician?

Thanks

View attachment 225443

Those boards were designed for both cartridge fuses and MCB/RCBO, the company has been taken over by ETON who have continued the range and parts under that name.

The sad part of course is any new boards fitted are required to be fire resistant which currently means metal.

The sad part is a local church hall has several of those fitted [with RCD/MCB's] and would love the opportunity to take them off you hands (only to look the same) for some building alterations due this year, however from the other end of the country it's not worth considering.

SUNRAY · 6 Mar 2021

chivers67 said:
Has that Bottom board got RCD/RCBO protection it's hard to make out the Two central MCBs? The Tails look quite neat so you'd hope the installer had pride in their work.

Oh yes it does look like MCB's, I'd not really looked at the bottom box and yes I agree it does look neatly done and those boxes were not in the 'cheap ranges' which tends to mean the job was not done by a 'lesser' installer.

Roger465 · 6 Mar 2021

chivers67 said:
Has that Bottom board got RCD/RCBO protection it's hard to make out the Two central MCBs? The Tails look quite neat so you'd hope the installer had pride in their work.

I'll try and take a couple of better pics - sorry, phone camera is crap:

SUNRAY said:
Those boards were designed for both cartridge fuses and MCB/RCBO, the company has been taken over by ETON who have continued the range and parts under that name.

Ummm... please treat me like a child here... are you saying that RCD-type-things could be put in the slots where the fuse cartridges go? Thanks...

chivers67 · 6 Mar 2021

I quite like Eaton Memshield, they're used quite a bit in Telecomms Boards I maintain.

chivers67 · 6 Mar 2021

How comfortable are you taking the cover off? Smoke Detector in there too someone's done a a good job of your install by the looks of things!

Looks like the Bathroom and shower have RCD protection to me.

Roger465 · 6 Mar 2021

chivers67 said:
How comfortable are you taking the cover off? Smoke Detector in there too someone's done a a good job of your install by the looks of things!

Yes there are mains-powered smoke detectors in the house

Ummm... taking the cover off? Guess I could if I was careful and wore rubber shoes

what would I be trying to achieve?

JohnD · 6 Mar 2021

Roger465 said:
are you saying that RCD-type-things could be put in the slots where the fuse cartridges go? Thanks...

Memshield 2 RCBOs can be fitted to a Memera 2000 CU like yours, also in Memera 2000 AD.

I have something similar

the quality is high, sadly this is reflected in the price. They are very widely used in industrial and commercial installations, where reliability is paramount.

you can also fit the MCBs and RCDs, which are nearer the common price.

I see your existing devices are cream with red print, this is an older version, but newer ones are compatible.

RF Lighting · 6 Mar 2021

This looks like a standard 16th edition install with RCD protection to the sockets and showers.

Not compliant with current regulations but not unsafe.

Are we really encouraging DIYers to take consumer units in bits now? I’m not sure that’s a route I’m particularly happy about taking.

JohnW2 · 6 Mar 2021

RF Lighting said:
Are we really encouraging DIYers to take consumer units in bits now? I’m not sure that’s a route I’m particularly happy about taking.

I agree with your sentiment, but it doesn't look (to me) as if the OP has the slightest intention of going down that route (even though some of the responses have gone way beyond answering the OP's actual questions)...

Roger465 said:
.... I thought it might be a good plan to have it replaced with a modern RCD type, but wondered if this has any other implications, eg for the house wiring? ... obviously, I have no idea what I’m talking about here, so would welcome any advice.
Also I’m retired, so on a fairly tight budget – is it a big/expensive job for an electrician?]

Roger465 said:
Ummm... taking the cover off? Guess I could if I was careful and wore rubber shoes what would I be trying to achieve?

I don't think that someone asking what it would cost to have an electrician replace the CU and is clearly nervous about even taking the cover off his existing one would be contemplating any 'DIY' solution!

Kind Regards, John

chivers67 · 6 Mar 2021

Roger465 said:
Yes there are mains-powered smoke detectors in the house

Ummm... taking the cover off? Guess I could if I was careful and wore rubber shoes what would I be trying to achieve?

Not to worry Roger - it would just confirm a few things. I don't think you have much to worry about tbh.

Roger465 · 10 Mar 2021

Thanks for all the kind input chaps – so as not to give anybody sleepless nights, like Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry I know my limitations, so I won’t be poking around inside the CU with my metal-handled screwdriver

Anyway, there were kind of two reasons for my original question – (1) I suppose in general I feel it would be better to have a modern CU with RCD trips on every circuit; (2) I have some underground wiring in my garden, which used to go to a pedestal lamp (which I guess must have rotted away with a previous owner, leaving live wires sticking out of the ground

)

I’d like to extend the cable a few yards to my pond, to power a pump. I have another thread here about types of cable etc, and am fairly confident now in how to join the cable using resin-filled joints, what kind of cable it’s safe to use etc – but of course I’d like RCD on the circuit.

The existing underground cable is actually switched on by one of the switches in a 3-gang light switch in my dining room, so I can’t put eg an RCD plug in a socket or something. But I can identify which of the little cartridges in the CU supplies it – I guess I could replace that with an RCD cartridge maybe?

What sort of cost are we talking about to have somebody replace the 2 complete CU’s? Very roughly?

Thanks again

diynot

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Implications of replacing Consumer Unit?

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