Does anyone recognise this type of consumer unit?

[Mmcgar]

Hi all

I am putting in a bid on a house. My wife was down this morning and I got her to take a picture of the consumer unit so I could find out how modern it is.
It looks old fashioned, I don't recognise this type but it looks like it's old style fuses? Iv never had a house with a fused board, is it fuse wire or cartridge fuses it takes? Also I'm assuming there's no RCD.

In terms of replacing this with a modern board, are there any potential complications to this other than just having the board swapped?

I apologise that the pics aren't the best views it was the Mrs that tool them!
Thanks

 

[Robin0577]

Looks like a Wylex standard range. Can't see properly in the photo but it looks like it might be one of the later models with an RCD as the main switch. Most likely it will have BS3036 rewireable fuses except for that one MCB at the left hand side. Probably dates from the 1980s, and unless you need to upgrade the wiring for other reasons and therefore need a bigger unit, or there is some actual fault with it then there is no real compelling need to replace it.
However, it does a appear that somebody has added a high current MCB on the left, probably for a shower, which may have caused some overheating damage. Not all of those boards were intended to take >30A MCBs, and those that were, should have had the high current circuit fitted nearest the main switch.

 

[Mmcgar]

Cheers mate. My big worry was putting on q 17th edition board and the rcd constantly tripping due to existing, undetected earth faults. I assume then that it wouldn't (or shouldn't is probably a better word) be too problematic to replace this with a 17th edition unit?
Thanks again

 

[Robin0577]

Assuming that is the RCD version you have there, and the RCD works, then there shouldn't be any undetected earth faults to worry about. There is still the possibility that splitting the lighting circuits across 2 RCDs may reveal a "borrowed neutral" problem though.

 

[Taylortwocities]

My big worry was putting on q 17th edition board and the rcd constantly tripping due to existing, undetected earth faults.

That should not happen, as the process is (should be) for the electrician doing the work to test the installation for any insulation resistance anologies, before changing the board.

In any event, if you have faults with your installation, surely you would want them fixed??

 

[Mmcgar]

I mentioned this to the brother in law who's a domestic spark, he's said it's likely cables run in conduit, with no copper earth conductor. I'm not sure if there's anything in the picture that suggests this, my old house was all done in conduit and I hated it when it came to any rework, I'm not sure I want another house that isn't standard T&E. Is there anything to suggest that this is all ran in conduit with earth binding?
Thanks

 

[Iggifer]

Hard to tell from two photos! There is a piece of twin and earth above the fuseboard though.

 

[Mmcgar]

Hard to tell from two photos! There is a piece of twin and earth above the fuseboard though.

Yeah I noticed that aswell I'm wondering if that's from a shower that has been fitted.
I'm more just wondering why someone would say it's likely that it's conduited? There was nothing that jumped out to me to suggest that but I don't have much experience with domestic wiring

 

[Iggifer]

Literally not enough information to make an educated guess. I know which way I'd lean, but it's pointless even offering the opinion

 

[Taylortwocities]

Look behind a couple of sockets and switches. Thats a good starting place.

 

[Mmcgar]

Look behind a couple of sockets and switches. Thats a good starting place.

Ha , wish I could but I can't get back in for another month when everything's concluded. Like I said, my old house was all done in single core black wire with conduit boxes and I absolutely hated it it'd seriously put me off buying it if that was the case. I'd asked my sis to ask her husband if he'd come round n swap this over to a 17th edition unit but he's told her it's likely all conduited so putting an rcd in could be a total nightmare, I don't know if he just doesn't want to do the job, like I said there's nothing in the (not very clear) pictures that indicated to me it would be anything other than T&E

 

[sparkwright]

Conduit in a domesic dwelling is mainly only found in old council houses until about 1960 and purpose built flats until about the 1980s.

 

[Mmcgar]

Conduit in a domesic dwelling is mainly only found in old council houses until about 1960 and purpose built flats until about the 1980s.

Cheers, the house is ex local authority built around 1975 so I suppose it's possible it could be conduited. If it was, is it generally a nightmare converting this type of system to a 17th box? I assume a full house rewire is probably the best option but would unfortunately be unaffordable at this time!

 

[sparkwright]

Usually a conduited fuse board is a nightmare to change if the box is semi-recessed into the wall, and the conduits are flushed into the wall.

However, in this kind of instance one could leave the box in the wall, remove the lid and inards, then fit some wood round the box, then fit a new consumer unit over the top of the old box.

But if there's plenty of room to work it shouldn't be a major problem really.

I wouldn't expect a 1975 house to be desperate for a re-wire - though saying that there could be some remedial work required.

Typically this could consist bonding required to services like gas and water.

A full test and inspection would highlight any other faults on the circuits.

 

[Iggifer]

So long as there is earth integrity in the conduit, there should be no issue. Whilst it is a metal board, none of the conduit entries that you can see are used. I'm not familiar enough with those boards, but I doubt there were enough knockouts on the back to do a full conduit install.