Fitting a New Consumer Unit

[lmanning]

I Have an old wire fuse box and need to add a cooker supply. Unfortuately its full so I have decided to replace the unit with new one with RCD and MCB's.

The question is, who can I get to uncouple the incoming mains from the supply which has lead sealed fasters on the fuse. Is this the local electicity supplier. If so, how much do the buggers roughly charge?

How do electricians normally get round this problem without breaking the seals and I suppose, some law.

Thanks

 

[Adam_151]

The first thing, is are you upto the job of a CU change?, do you have access to the neccessary test equipment and know how to use it? Have you spoken to your local building control and asked about their procedure for accepting notifications for DIY work?

As for the tails, the correct way is to have the supplier pull the fuse and re-insert it when required, or to have them install an isolator (procedure varies depending on which area you are in) though most of the time when an electrician rolls up to do a CU change the last guy there has already cut the seals, weird that, they never come across sealed ones (electricians do however know how to remove the fuse in a safe manner... not particulaly complicated, but something that you can't afford to make mistakes on)

 

[RF Lighting]

Why not get an electrician to fit an isolator to the supply then you will be able to fully isolate your consumer unit from the supply without the need to interfere with any of the REC's equipment. Also like adam said replacing a CCU is not as easy as you might think and must be done right. The safety of your whole installation depends on your CCU.

Rob

 

[Steve]

The safety of your whole installation depends on your CCU.

Rob

why? the Cooker Control Unit only controls the cooker surely?

What did you think CCU stood for?

 

[securespark]

Methinks he meant CU?

That's how I read it, anyway.

 

[Steve]

Methinks he meant CU?

That's how I read it, anyway.

i know, but i have noticed him using CCU instead of CU for a while now.

 

[RF Lighting]

Sorry I have been taught it meant Consumers Control Unit, but it would appear I stand corrected C.U. is it from now on then

 

[lmanning]

(electricians do however know how to remove the fuse in a safe manner... not particulaly complicated, but something that you can't afford to make mistakes on)

What is the safe way to remove the fuse? I always assume that it would be a case of powering down all on the equipment in the house (or switching the fuse switch to off) removing the fuse, and then checking with the multimeter that the 240V was no longer supplied to the CU.

Is there another procedure? Please advise.

Anyway anyone know how much the Electricity Supplier charges for removing/refitting the fuse?

Have you spoken to your local building control and asked about their procedure for accepting notifications for DIY work?

Do people really do this? Does a Sparky have to if he is changing a CU?

 

[Adam_151]

What is the safe way to remove the fuse? I always assume that it would be a case of powering down all on the equipment in the house (or switching the fuse switch to off)

Yes, you have to kill all the load with the CU isolator (the less said about the cloth cap approach, the better )

removing the fuse

but first verifying it is in a safe condition to be pulled (some of the older ones can break up as they are pulled), then pulling it, being very careful where fingers are put, because there are live terminals exposed, then putting some kind over cover over the terminals while work is done

and then checking with the multimeter that the 240V was no longer supplied to the CU.

I believe an 'approved voltage indicating device' is preferred to a multimeter as a means of proving dead

Anyway anyone know how much the Electricity Supplier charges for removing/refitting the fuse?

That will depend on where you are, best ring your local one up and ask

Have you spoken to your local building control and asked about their procedure for accepting notifications for DIY work?

Do people really do this? Does a Sparky have to if he is changing a CU?

A lot of them are enrolled on schemes where they have been tested and can notify by filling out a web form with the address and description of the work, for a small charge, some of the others notify building control directly and it costs quite a bit more, and some of them break the law