Changing fuse for new consumer unit

[pilsbury]

currently have an old Bakelite fuse box - the ones with wired fuses. Now my kitchen extension is coming along and will need a sparky to wire that up, I’m gonna get him to install a new consumer unit. Is it a fairly simple affair to swap for a sparky? Connecting existing circuits to the new board?

 

[Fred61]

Yes it is normally straight forward. But can be time consuming have him fit a 17th addition compliant board. This will be a metal box cu with separate rcbo’s for each circuit. Not a plastic split bar which some like to sell. Fred.

 

[JohnW2]

This will be a metal box cu with separate rcbo’s for each circuit.

'Metal box', yes, but not necessarily all RCBOs.

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

I’m gonna get him to install a new consumer unit. Is it a fairly simple affair to swap for a sparky? Connecting existing circuits to the new board?

It could be straightforward. Any half-decent electrician will inspect and test your installation before he/she installs a new CU, and it's not impossible that that will reveal issues with your installation that need to be resolved before a new CU can (or should) be installed. That could make it less 'straightforward'.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Iggifer]

Definitely no need for all RCBOs. It’s nice and it’s what I’d install for myself but it’s also considerably more expensive for say 10 circuits than a standard 5+5 board.

I can get a 5+5 Hager for £80+VAT all in. For RCBOs you’re looking at £350 ish. Big difference when you factor in labour

 

[Fred61]

There are few domestic circuits that don’t need an rcbo however all circuits would benefit from them. The post says he is extending the house so whe wouldn’t you install the best cu you can. Split bar boxes don’t meet the regs any more so why would you fit them. Equally I don’t spend any near £350 on a full loaded metal box with all rcbo.

 

[SimonH2]

Split bar boxes don’t meet the regs any more ...

Really ? Which reg is that, I've not seen it mentioned before ?

 

[JohnW2]

There are few domestic circuits that don’t need an rcbo however all circuits would benefit from them.

It can be argued that any circuit 'benefits from' and RCBO, but I would not say that any circuits actually 'need' them (rather than having an MCB+RCD).

The post says he is extending the house so whe wouldn’t you install the best cu you can.

That's for the OP to decide, once he is aware of the pros and cons (including costs).

Split bar boxes don’t meet the regs any more so why would you fit them.

What regulation(s) do you feel that a dual-RCD CU would not comply with?

Kind Regards, John

 

[scousespark]

There are few domestic circuits that don’t need an rcbo however all circuits would benefit from them. The post says he is extending the house so whe wouldn’t you install the best cu you can. Split bar boxes don’t meet the regs any more so why would you fit them. Equally I don’t spend any near £350 on a full loaded metal box with all rcbo.

Care to quote the reg(s)? If you were correct, do you not ask why split boards are manufactured?

 

[Iggifer]

Equally I don’t spend any near £350 on a full loaded metal box with all rcbo.

What brand's that?

 

[EFLImpudence]

There are few domestic circuits that don’t need an rcbo

Please name them.

The post says he is extending the house so whe wouldn’t you install the best cu you can.

Cost - that's all most people care about - the cheapest compliant.

Split bar boxes don’t meet the regs any more so why would you fit them.

Because they do.

Equally I don’t spend any near £350 on a full loaded metal box with all rcbo.

Please give an example of ten RCBOs (as the example) with metall CU.

 

[Iggifer]

Please give an example of ten RCBOs (as the example) with metall CU.

That's what my price was based on.

10 x RCBO @ £25
1 x 14 Way Main Switch CU @ £70-80

Obviously not quite £350 but close enough

 

[John D v2.0]

To be honest i found the best way to comply is by having a single RCD protecting the whole house and getting the butler to come with a candle and a book of the power goes off.
Even works if the whole street is out!
The whole minimise inconvenience thing is funny because by that logic your boiler would have to be on its own RCBO or beside two sockets on difference RCDs

 

[JohnW2]

The whole minimise inconvenience thing is funny because by that logic your boiler would have to be on its own RCBO or beside two sockets on difference RCDs

It's also 'funny' (rather daft) in as much as it is not associated with requirements for battery backed-up emergency lighting. If it's 'inconvenient' (or even dangerous) to be plunged into darkness because your cooker has developed a fault, is it not equally 'inconvenient' (or even dangerous) to be plunged into darkness because of a supply network problem, or because one has forgotten to 'pay' one's pre-payment meter?

Since one man's "inconvenient" is one man's idea of a catastrophe, another's view as being "one of those things" and yet another man's welcome excuse to go to the pub, or take his woman to bed, I'm not sure that a regulation which uses such language is really capable of any sort of generalised interpretation!

Kind Regards, John

 

[sparkwright]

QFS/Lewden consumer units with all RCBOs make economic sense.