16.5kw Electric Cooker, What size Breaker? Pictures added

[JohnW2]

Yep I asked him about RCBO and he said nope just RCD, which to be honest for £174 I was a tad disappointed.

Well, he's telling you the exact truth in terms of TLC individual component prices ...

1 main switch (£9.10) plus two 63A RCDs (£74.00 total) plus 15 MCBs (£42.00 total) plus an empty 21-way case (£19.60) adds up to £144.70, which with VAT comes to £173.64 - so he was planning to overcharge you by 36p . However, as said, although TLC don't offer them, I'm sure you could find a 21-way MK with all those components already in it for a good deal less that £174.

In contrast, TLC prices for MK RCBOs are £22.70 +VAT (i.e. £27.24) each - so that would soon add up. If you had 15 of those (not that you'd need 15), that would be £408.16 for the RCBOs, but you would save by not needing the two RCDs (£88.80,including VAT).

Kind Regards, John

 

[Taylortwocities]

But I doubt that you'll ever need anything like a 21-way board. You only have 6 fuses in the existing set-up!

Screwfix are currently selling an 18-way MK CU complete with 2 RCDs and 12 MCBs for £80 (including VAT & delivery).
CLICK ME, BABY, ONE MORE TIME

 

[JohnW2]

But I doubt that you'll ever need anything like a 21-way board. You only have 6 fuses in the existing set-up!

Quite so.

Screwfix are currently selling an 18-way MK CU complete with 2 RCDs and 12 MCBs for £80 (including VAT & delivery).

That's more like it - and he almost certainly will never need even all the ways in that one, either.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Barney1686]

I will find out why I do need as many as he stated, will have a chat with him about it.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

But I doubt that you'll ever need anything like a 21-way board. You only have 6 fuses in the existing set-up!

He wants to replace my current 6 way consumer unit for a 21 way consumer unit, but im only adding 7 more circuits.

6 + 7 = 13.

A "21-way " MK CU will have 15 ways left once a main switch and a couple of RCDs have been installed.

2 spare ways doesn't seem OTT.

Screwfix are currently selling an 18-way MK CU complete with 2 RCDs and 12 MCBs for £80 (including VAT & delivery).
CLICK ME, BABY, ONE MORE TIME

That has 12 ways available for circuits.

1 fewer than he needs.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

[In contrast, TLC prices for MK RCBOs are £22.70 +VAT (i.e. £27.24) each - so that would soon add up. If you had 15 of those (not that you'd need 15), that would be £408.16 for the RCBOs, but you would save by not needing the two RCDs (£88.80,including VAT).

And he'd "save" another £50.40 from the MCBs.

But it's still going to cost a few hundred more. An all-RCBO setup would be better though, and what appears to have been overlooked is how significant would the extra cost be?

The house has 6 circuits, and the OP is planning to more than double it. That must mean a major rewire, so as a percentage of the cost of that what is a few hundred for RCBOs?

 

[JohnW2]

[In contrast, TLC prices for MK RCBOs are £22.70 +VAT (i.e. £27.24) each - so that would soon add up. If you had 15 of those (not that you'd need 15), that would be £408.16 for the RCBOs, but you would save by not needing the two RCDs (£88.80,including VAT).

And he'd "save" another £50.40 from the MCBs.

Indeed.

But it's still going to cost a few hundred more. An all-RCBO setup would be better though, and what appears to have been overlooked is how significant would the extra cost be? ... The house has 6 circuits, and the OP is planning to more than double it. That must mean a major rewire, so as a percentage of the cost of that what is a few hundred for RCBOs?

All true - although I do wonder whether he really needs as many circuits as is being suggested. One of the nuisances is that, AFAIAA, no-one is currently offering ready-populated all-RCBO CUs. If they did then maybe, like the RCD/MCB ones, they would be available at about half the price of individual component prices. As all-RCBO becomes more popular, one would hope that we will eventually start seeing such deals.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Barney1686]

*UPDATE*

We have now had the work done, it was done by a different person in the end as the quote for the work to be done by the original electrician was a bit over the top. 4 days to fit a new Consumer unit????

Anyway, really happy with the job he has done and all is well, well that should read was.

First day the new oven worked great, we turned everything on and all was fine. Today has been a different story though, the wife went to use the Grill on one of the ovens and after 60 seconds it tripped the new RCD.

I thought we may have a bit too much on so I turned off all appliances then tried it again, Instant trip, everything else works fine so im guessing it is a bad element maybe?, just wanted to get some advice from you guys before I start phoning people to come out.

Cheers all.

P.S He used a 15 way MK in the end, very nice board.

 

[flameport]

Grill element is defective, needs to be replaced. It's a common problem with ovens.

The new RCD will mean it will trip much sooner, however it would have eventually failed anyway, typically with a big bang and the element splitting open somewhere along it's length.

 

[AndyPRK]

although if the oven / element is new it may just need baking out.

i.e put the element in a working hot oven for a while.

or if the area the grill is in has an oven too, just turn the oven on with the door shut for a few hours.

 

[Barney1686]

Thanks Andy I will try that, will be pretty peed off if its gone wrong already, you could buy a small car for what that cost and at 1 day old I was hoping for it to last a bit longer.

Although what is strange is how it is doing it.

It is a oven/grill and has the option of putting the top element on, bottom element on or both together, then you get the fan options, fan on fan off etc etc, Top element works fine when in fan mode but as soon as you turn the fan off it trips.

 

[Barney1686]

Thought I would update one last time, AndyPRK was spot on. We left it on for a few hours and it has been fine since, thanks mate.