Cosumer unit reccomendation request

[Craggy]

Hi,

I have just got a flat and think i want to have the consumer unit replaced, purely owing that it appears quite dated. the wiring was installed in 1987 ish, everything works fine. Is it good practice to replace this unit below?, and if so I wanted some advice on what consumer unit type I ought to have someone fit in advance of contacting an electrician to do it, as i understand there are various types of circuit protection devices?

thanks for any help

 

[winston1]

I've got one of those in a holiday home. It does the job and I see no reason to replace it. I did however fit an upfront stand alone RCD a few years ago.

 

[blup]

You should upgrade to get rcd protection, what you have appears just to be circuit breakers. Get the best you can, Hager or Wylex with individual rcbo's, if a circuit fails the rest of the circuits are not also tripped, and can still be used pending repair or replacement of the circuit/breaker affected. Take your electricians advice but be aware competition might lead some to price on the basis of the cheapest components. A good electrician will give you prices/options. So get three quotes. Many sparkies do smaller jobs and won't do a lot of consumer unit replacements so be sure to check their experience in this area. You might also want to have an EICR done first to identify any issues before the change.

Blup

 

[chivers67]

I'd perhaps go for this https://www.screwfix.com/p/wylex-7-...it/1460j#product_additional_details_container.

You're Electrician is going to either have to chase the wall a bit more whatever you get or surface mount it.

 

[ericmark]

There are in a consumer unit.
Either MCB's and a RCD or RCBO's or a mixture, the cost of two RCD's and four MCB's is likely more than using RCBO's, depending on the make, so seems pointless to use MCB + RCD.

I fitted a SPD (surge protection device) it is unclear if really needed, in the main to protect my LED lighting, but price varies a lot make to make, so using likes of fusebox likely around £35 but Wylex more like £100, as a result make to make the price can almost double.

RCBO's come as two types, I made an error and got type AC, but you need type A for EV charging and solar panels so for the little extra better fitting type A.

Cheaper makes like fusebox don't tend to make so many flush units, Contactum do however, this one £60.60 and type A RCBO's £17.10 each, SPU £45 so £174 for the box, plus glands and grommets etc. With one spare way.

Personally I would want 8 way and have some room for more. Quoted TLC prices. Dimensions: 6 way.
Width: 299mm.
Height: 262mm.
Depth: 100mm.
Will depend if it can physically fit.

 

[plugwash]

The consumer unit pictured is a "wylex standard", very common for many years and Wylex coninued to support the range even many years after it was effectively obsolete. Even today you can still buy replacement MCBs.

The main problem with it when judged in the context of current editions of BS7671, is it has no provision for RCD protection. Current editions of BS7671 require RCD protection for nearly all domestic circuits. You could potentially add RCD protection upstream, but that leaves you will the whole property on a single RCD which is considered undesirable.

If you are planning to live in the property yourself then there is nothing forcing you to update your installation, however you are likely to find it difficult to find electricians willing to work on a circuit without first bringing said circuit up to current standards in terms of RCD protection.

If you are planning to rent out the property, then you are subject to the newish laws on landlord electrical inspections. The law itself is not super-clear but the common interpretation is that a "satisfactory" EICR is needed. For an EICR to be "satisfactory" it must have no C1 or C2 coded defects. BS7671 doesn't specify what code to give to any particular defect, but guidance from the electrical safety council is that lack of RCD protection for sockets that can reasonably be expected to supply equipment outside the equipotential zone (i.e. outdoors) should be coded C2. For an upper floor flat it could be argued that no sockets are reasonably expected to supply equipment outside the equipoential zone, but for a house or ground floor flat I don't think that argument can reasonably be made.

As for what to replace with, that is a tricky decision with several sub-choices including (but possiblly not limited to).

1. do you go for a cheap brand and accept that you may need to replace it again in 10 years time because requirements (either of the regs or your use of the property) have changed and you can't get parts. Or do you go for a brand like Hager or maybe Wylex who are substantially more expensive but are far more likely to still have suitable parts available in the future.
2. What do you do about RCD protection? generally there are two main options dual-RCD or RCBOs, the dual-RCD option is often cheaper, but with a small number of circuits that may not be the case. The RCBO option is generally regarded as better because it reduces the amount of stuff that loses power in a RCD trip.
3. Flush or surface? most consumer units in the UK are surface mounted, flush mount options do exist but there is not so much choice. Any new CU will likely be bigger than the existing one, so a new flush unit will likely require a bigger hole in the wall. OTOH a surface unit may have issues with cable lengths.
4. How many spare ways to allow? and whether to pre-populate those spare ways with breakers?

 

[Craggy]

Hello,

thankyou so much for all of the replies, this has really helped understand what the requirements are and consider what i should buy. I've decided to purchase the item myself from TLC and will take the cost of the units out of the equation.

i went for a flush 10way, with SPD, and have populated the two spares that will exist with a 32amp and 16 amp RCBO. it was 226.77 all in delivered. the unit is around 50% bigger than the old one but its a stud wall so should be ok to fit in, look ok and and make good afterwards.

great result and thankyou all again, i came close to getting the wylex but its tall and i figured the majority of existing cables will come from the bottom in this instance so wanted to expand horizontally moreso than vertically.




CMT2C4011KITSurge 40KA 1+1 Protection Retro Fit Kit
£37.45 each

−+
£37.45


CPFDD108MS10 Way 80A Flush Consumer Unit
£54.50 each

−+
£54.50


WKEMTFCable Entry Kit 8x20mm, 3x25mm, 3x32mm Grommets
£5.30 each

−+
£5.30


WKP32F101632mm Entry Gland for 10 & 16mm Flat T & E
£2.10 each

−+
£2.10


WKP20F11520mm Entry Gland for 1 & 1.5mm Flat T & E - IP68
£0.90 each

−+
£0.90


WKP25F2X2525mm Entry Gland for 2 x 2.5mm Flat T & E
£1.29 each

−+
£2.58


WKP20F25420mm Entry Gland for 2.5 & 4mm Flat T & E
£0.90 each

−+
£2.70


CPCBR0616AB16 Amp 30mA RCBO - Contactum 6kA - Type A - B Curve (Compact)
£14.75 each

−+
£14.75


CPCBR0640AB40 Amp 30mA RCBO - Contactum 6kA - Type A - B Curve (Compact)
£14.75 each

−+
£14.75


CPCBR0632AB32 Amp 30mA RCBO - Contactum 6kA - Type A - B Curve (Compact)
£14.25 each

−+
£42.75


CPCBR0606AB6 Amp 30mA RCBO - Contactum 6kA - Type A - B Curve (Compact)
£14.75 each

−+
£14.75

 

[ericmark]

@plugwash has given a very good account. Not sure about future support as Wylex has already left once, but still good. Your Contactum option seems good, the only question is finding an electrician to fit it. Fitting supplied parts in some ways is good, any problems and one can charge to fix it, any recalls is down to you, but too late now done.

What you now need is it all fitting and a certificate to say all complies. Rules vary country to country, but for owner occupied even if not strictly compliant, unlikely anyone will find out.

 

[JohnW2]

I fitted a SPD (surge protection device) it is unclear if really needed, in the main to protect my LED lighting, but price varies a lot make to make ...

If you're talking about 'protecting' the LED lamps/bulbs, I very much doubt that would be cost-0effective.

LED lamps/bulbs fairly rarely, and I doubt whether an appreciable proportion (if any) of the failures are due to 'surges'/'spikes', do it could well take decades for the cost of replacing lamps/bulbs that might have been 'saved' by an SPD to become greater than the initial outlay on the SPD!

Kind Regards, john

 

[Risteard]

Hi,

I have just got a flat and think i want to have the consumer unit replaced, purely owing that it appears quite dated. the wiring was installed in 1987 ish, everything works fine. Is it good practice to replace this unit below?, and if so I wanted some advice on what consumer unit type I ought to have someone fit in advance of contacting an electrician to do it, as i understand there are various types of circuit protection devices?

thanks for any help

View attachment 262553
View attachment 262554

The first step is to arrange a periodic Inspection of the electrical installation. That will tell you much more about where you stand. The Electrician will be able to advise on suitable remedial works (including which components are required, which really isn't something for you to be influencing without suitable knowledge and experience).

 

[JohnW2]

... I wanted some advice on what consumer unit type I ought to have someone fit in advance of contacting an electrician to do it ...

... I've decided to purchase the item myself from TLC and will take the cost of the units out of the equation. ... i went for a flush 10way, with SPD, and have populated the two spares that will exist with a 32amp and 16 amp RCBO. it was 226.77 all in delivered. the unit is around 50% bigger than the old one but its a stud wall so should be ok to fit in, look ok and and make good afterwards.

It sounds as if you have created somewhat of a 'fait accomplis'. Your task now will be to try to find an electrician prepared to install what you have purchased, and for a price less than he/she would have charged to supply the materials as well as installing them!

Good luck!

Kind Regards, John

 

[winston1]

It sounds as if you have created somewhat of a 'fait accomplis'. Your task now will be to try to find an electrician prepared to install what you have purchased, and for a price less than he/she would have charged to supply the materials as well as installing them!

Good luck!

Kind Regards, John

Don’t TLC have a returns policy?

 

[JohnW2]

Don’t TLC have a returns policy?

They probably do, but the OP seems to have decided that he wants (hopes) to find an electrician to install the bits he has bought, not return them.

 

[ericmark]

They probably do, but the OP seems to have decided that he wants (hopes) to find an electrician to install the bits he has bought, not return them.

I would think @Craggy intends to fit it himself, but realises the flack he would get if he admitted it.

 

[JohnW2]

I would think @Craggy intends to fit it himself, but realises the flack he would get if he admitted it.

If you read between the lines of what I wrote, I was certainly considering that possibility. However, I think we can/should only respond in terms of what we have been told, not what we guess may be the truth!

Kind Regards, John