fitting a consumer unit?

[hughesey]

i havent rang anywhere yet, but any idea of prices to install a consumer unit, the thing we have currently have is getting old now and everytime it blows we have to buy separate little fuses.

we want a switch consumer unit.

house is only small, 2 up 2 down.

anyone have a basic guide of how long it will take/ costs?

 

[megawatt]

Not really straight forward to answer as the condition of the rest of your house wiring etc would come into play ... It's not generally just a case of taking down your existing CU and fitting a more modern one in its place.

In my experience the condition of the CU generally reflects the condition of the rest of the wiring

 

[GaryMo]

Depends on the state of your current installation.
Main equipotential bonding and supplementary bonding (if required) in place?
Age of current installation?
A Periodic Inspection Report would highlight any potential defects, these need to be rectified before carrying out a consumer unit change then a full Electrical Installation Certificate would need to be completed.

Expect prices to range from £500 - £800 excluding rewiring of any circuits.

 

[Steve]

i havent rang anywhere yet, but any idea of prices to install a consumer unit, the thing we have currently have is getting old now and everytime it blows we have to buy separate little fuses.

The way you say this indicates it blows quite often.

This isn't a fault with the consumer unit, its a fault with the design or condition of your circuits or appliances. Installing a new consumer unit wont solve the problem, it will simply make it easier to restore power to the circuits. In some cases it will trip more frequently than a fuse would blow. I urge you to get a periodic inspection done before the CU is replaced (though a good spark will do this anyway), in case more work is required to bring the circuits up to scratch.

 

[nozspark]

I went to a call out with a similar problem the other day and found that most of the house was wired in VIR, but on the particular circuit in question I found that it had a 1 1/2 meter section of VIR (god knows why the lazy barstewards didn't replace that section when the replaced most of the rest of it).

Ended up recommending and pricing for a full rewire!!