Consumer unit to replace old fuse box.
- Thread starter Gordonwon
- Start date
Sponsored Links
- Joined
- 27 Jan 2008
- Messages
- 23,671
- Reaction score
- 2,668
- Location
- Llanfair Caereinion, Nr Welshpool
- Country
No often you can just swap fuse box for a consumer unit, pre 1966 often rubber cables and no earth post 1966 normally OK, there was a short time when Ian Smith was in power we had Ali cables, but need as said some form of inspection first.
Sponsored Links
In general there are several reasons why wiring may need to be replaced.
1. The house is wired in old rubber, old rubber cabling is way past it's safe lifespan at this point.
2. The house was wired with cable from a bad batch. Most plastic-insulated cable lasts a very long time, but there have been bad batches that have not stood the test of time.
3. The wiring was horribly bodged and was never fit for purpose.
4. The usage of the installation has changed and the provision is no longer appropriate.
If one of these problems is happening on a localised basis then a localised fix is likely to be appropriate, but if they permeate the entire installation then there comes a point at which it's easier to just start again.
On the other hand, there are still plenty of properties wired with plastic-insulated wiring in the 1980s, 1970s and perhaps even 1960s where the wiring is still in a perfectly serviceable condition to this day and with a new fusebox and potentially a few other minor fixes they can continue to give many more years of service.
While there are potentially ways to add enough RCD protection to scrape a "satisfactory" without replacing the CU doing so is unlikely to be a sensible way forward.
1. The house is wired in old rubber, old rubber cabling is way past it's safe lifespan at this point.
2. The house was wired with cable from a bad batch. Most plastic-insulated cable lasts a very long time, but there have been bad batches that have not stood the test of time.
3. The wiring was horribly bodged and was never fit for purpose.
4. The usage of the installation has changed and the provision is no longer appropriate.
If one of these problems is happening on a localised basis then a localised fix is likely to be appropriate, but if they permeate the entire installation then there comes a point at which it's easier to just start again.
On the other hand, there are still plenty of properties wired with plastic-insulated wiring in the 1980s, 1970s and perhaps even 1960s where the wiring is still in a perfectly serviceable condition to this day and with a new fusebox and potentially a few other minor fixes they can continue to give many more years of service.
The aren't banned per-se, however they don't provide RCD protection and with the possible exception of upper floor flats lack of any RCD protection for sockets will almost certainly get you an "unsatisfactory" on an EICR.
While there are potentially ways to add enough RCD protection to scrape a "satisfactory" without replacing the CU doing so is unlikely to be a sensible way forward.
Sell it.
House prices are not going to be increasing, you don't need the property, and remedials to meet rental standards will cost a non-trivial amount.
Then there's the possibility of tenants causing damage, problems and so on.
Slightly blinkered comment I feel.
Surely that is the best time to rent out.
Make a profit on the rent for 5/10 years or so then sell when the price shoots up beyond inflation next time.
Or sell now before the dip in both prices and rents. Long term, property is always a good investment but I fear a significant short term dip is somewhat imminant, and the OP would be forced to either sell lower or ride out what could be a difficult rental market for the best part of a decade.
I'm with @flameport market seems to be somewhere near peak, its a good time to sell unless you want to be in it long term
I'm with @flameport market seems to be somewhere near peak, its a good time to sell unless you want to be in it long term
- Joined
- 27 Jan 2008
- Messages
- 23,671
- Reaction score
- 2,668
- Location
- Llanfair Caereinion, Nr Welshpool
- Country
My fuse boxes (Wylex) were fed from 30 mA RCD's and all fuses swapped for MCB's so see no reason why it should fail.
I looked at all the exams, rules and regulations and decided it was not worth the hassle. The third option was to use a letting agent, so I did not need to take course and pass exams, but when the letting agent visited the list of items they wanted correcting was silly, for example rip out the two pan hob and fit a four pan hob, which would then be too close to oven or boiler, and move all work tops up to standard height all were lowered for disabled mother, so in essence they wanted a new kitchen fitted.
The list went on, some items I did do, like remove the concrete asbestos sheets on the garage, which in turn caused a load of damage due to builders not returning on time, and water getting in, they wanted the house like a show house, but built 1954, the electrics were done, as we thought we may have needed to rent out the house to pay for mothers care, but once she died knowing how much needed doing it was simply not worth it.
Even the re-wire, we were asked about smoke alarms, but we already had them linked to a call centre, but when social services killed my mother off, by insisting she when in a care home which did not monitor liquid levels, they also ripped out all the smoke alarms, so then to rent also needed them it seems. So we simply sold it, just too much hassle to rent, hence why around here there is a lack of homes to rent, landlords are moving to mobile homes where the rules are not so strict.
more than slightly realistic opinion I feel, yes sell it
Keep it if you possibly can, property is still the best long term investment, you will not regret it in 10 years time when the price has doubled .
Blup
Absolutely the best comment on here whether you decide to rent OR sell
Just make sure it’s done thoroughly
How would the OP be able to tell if it’s been done properly?
DIYnot Local
Staff member
If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.
Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.
Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local
Sponsored Links
