Fused consumer unit v MCB unit
- Thread starter akmcinnes
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breezer
wasn't an "electrician" that told you that was it? and did he give you an "instant quote?
fuses are ok but mcbs are better, it is possible (especially for a wylex consumers unit) that you can get plug in mcb's no need to change the consumers unit
fuses are ok but mcbs are better, it is possible (especially for a wylex consumers unit) that you can get plug in mcb's no need to change the consumers unit
breezers right, nowt wrong with a fused unit or half the country plus would be breaking the law. I believe mem can be a straight swap as well, depending on age/model of con unit.
If you do decide to go for the MCB set up, you might want to consider a split RCD fusebox.
RCD stands for residual current device and detects earth leakage. Basically it trips a lot quicker than your basic MCB fuse and is normally used to protect socket circuits, cookers, electric showers and the like.
A split RCD fusebox allows some of the circuits to be protected by just MCBs (say the lighting circuits) and others to be protected by MCBs but backed up by an RCD.
It makes a lot more sense when you see the box - not as complicated as it might sound and with so many high current appliances in the home, it makes a lot of sense.
Tin.
RCD stands for residual current device and detects earth leakage. Basically it trips a lot quicker than your basic MCB fuse and is normally used to protect socket circuits, cookers, electric showers and the like.
A split RCD fusebox allows some of the circuits to be protected by just MCBs (say the lighting circuits) and others to be protected by MCBs but backed up by an RCD.
It makes a lot more sense when you see the box - not as complicated as it might sound and with so many high current appliances in the home, it makes a lot of sense.
Tin.
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breezer
that's not strictly true, akmcinnes is only asking should he have a new consumers unit, to which Scoby_Beasley and myself suggest that certain consumers units can have their fuses replaced by mcb's, so to mention the option of an RCD only confuses things, since you can not plug an RCD into an existing consumers unit like you can RCD's
You are also not quite right with your description of an RCD, as you said it detects and trips when there is an earth leakage (? to the non understanding) the only reason it as you said "trips quicker than an rcd" is because mcb (miniature Circuit Breaker) is designed to do just that, break a circuit (due to too much current being drawn than it is rated for, ie if 7.5 ams goes through a 5 amp mcb it will trip) but an RCD would never notice this because it is only "monitoring" any current that is drawn too much on one side, i. e gone down to earth.
for a more detailed explanation of how an RCD works (in plain English) see
this
You are also not quite right with your description of an RCD, as you said it detects and trips when there is an earth leakage (? to the non understanding) the only reason it as you said "trips quicker than an rcd" is because mcb (miniature Circuit Breaker) is designed to do just that, break a circuit (due to too much current being drawn than it is rated for, ie if 7.5 ams goes through a 5 amp mcb it will trip) but an RCD would never notice this because it is only "monitoring" any current that is drawn too much on one side, i. e gone down to earth.
for a more detailed explanation of how an RCD works (in plain English) see
this
B
breezer
my pleasure, i only wish we had an auto spell checker (i know there is no pleasing some of us)
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