Consumer Unit

[Wac]

I've just recieved the survey report for the house we are buying, it states that the consumer unit that has cartridge fuses should be upgraded under category 3. I mentioned this to the vendor and he said he would change the cartridge fuses for replacement MCB's. Will this be ok or should the whole consumer unit be replaced ?. Any advice would be appreciated.



Wac

 

[Adam_151]

Whats wrong with cartridge fuses?

If you actually mean semi-enclosed re-wireable fuses, then yes they have several downsides but are still recognised by BS7671 (thus you could still install them today if you wanted... you'd have to be a tad eccentric IMHO, but you could...)

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/WYC30.html - Cartridge fuse and carrier for wylex standard board


http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/WYCFL30.html - cartridge fuse outside of carrier

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/WYNSC30.html - carrier for cartridge fuse for modern wylex board


http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/WYR30.html - semi enclosed rewireable for wylex standard board

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/TLFCARD.html - replacement wire for semi enclosed re-wireable

If you have re-wireables then you probably have issues like lack of RCD protection and undersized main bonding, suggest you have a competant electrician do a periodic inspection report rather than vague advice from a house surveyour who has probably had half an afternoon on an electrical unit of his course...

 

[Wac]

Thanks for the quick reply Adam. They were not the Re-wireable type but the one's were you replace the fuse.

Wac

 

[Adam_151]

MCBs are generally the prefered option for houses, low-ish fault levels and ease of resetability by the end user make it so, however there is nothing wrong with cartridge fuses and they are still used in many non-domestic situations.

Thats not to say that there isn't anything wrong with the installation, there could well be, if its a wylex stanard board then lack of RCD protection and quite likely inadequate circuits for todays loads are possible things that may be wrong, but the overcurrent devices being cartridge fuses isn't one of them.

Replacing them with MCBs is likely to be akin to tilting at windmills, and in some cases could make things worse, I repeat my advice to have a competant electrician carry out a periodic inspection report and disregard the comments of the inspector who in all likely hood has sat in on a short lecture of "fuse=bad, breaker=good"

 

[Wac]

Cheers Adam, I'll get a qualified sparky to check it out for me.


Wac