Proteus consumer unit. Help

[Dan1589]

Would anyone know the rough age of this consumer unit? Would it need replacing?

 

[chivers67]

Not sure the age but the good news is it has RCD protection and there appears to be a double pole isolator to turn power off to it. The bad news is the RCD looks like it protects every circuit which isn't ideal if one circuit is faulty and pops the the RCD in mid winter and you're left with no lights until it's fixed.

 

[ericmark]

I think they are CEF specials, seems to be current, however having one RCD for all is not normally done any more, and we are told SPD should be fitted unless the client requests they are not fitted. The single RCD can be corrected by fitting RCBO's and an isolator the RCBO to fit them seems to cost £28.50 which is a little expensive.

Note the RCD is Hagar, and normally the board would have only one make of units inside, the name consumer unit means it is a type tested distribution unit designed to be in the control of an ordinary person, to keep the type testing it has to comply with manufacturers recommendations, it is unlikely one manufacturer will recommend the use of another's products, but it is possible Proteus is relabelled from another manufacturer so may be permitted.

It is not dangerous, so does not need changing or altering from what can be seen, but could cause problems with nuisance tripping, so if you have problems with the RCD tripping may want to fit RCBO's, but if it does not trip then no problem.

 

[Taylortwocities]

It does need the metal cover that goes on the front of the MCBs

 

[SUNRAY]

It does need the metal cover that goes on the front of the MCBs

Many of the original plastic covers lugs on these get broken, I assume that's the situation with the cover laying on the top.

I think they are CEF specials, seems to be current, however having one RCD for all is not normally done any more, and we are told SPD should be fitted unless the client requests they are not fitted. The single RCD can be corrected by fitting RCBO's and an isolator the RCBO to fit them seems to cost £28.50 which is a little expensive.

As there are 2 spare positions it may be possible to fit a second RCD.

As far as I'm aware, Proteus products are still available from CEF

 

[ericmark]

It does need the metal cover that goes on the front of the MCBs

There seems to be some debate on this, when watching the video on launch of the amendment 2 it did talk about fire precautions, and who was responsible, pointing out we are electrically trained and not trained in fire prevention, reference to BD classes has been removed. We now look at "Protected escape routes" not simply "Escape routes" and it is up to the building design team to designate protected escape routes, which should have a minimum of combustion items within them.

This is an escape route, but not a protected escape route, this shows a protected escape route where the stairs have bare concrete walls, and the stairs are clearly not made of wood.

I have not bought amendment 2 and have no intention of getting it, but the problem with regulations is not when they change, as they are not retrospective, but when they clarify.

The best practice guide says the old Wylex fuse box, well it says consumer unit, and the old Wylex is not type tested so not a consumer unit, but it says it can continue to give satisfactory service (cover removed for illustration purposes). So we assume here also cover removed for illustration purposes!

We have people on this forum who say their RCD has never tripped in normal use, personally I lost three freezers full of food, but if it does not trip, then no problem.

The curtain stops my reading the RCD type, I note with interest although type AC not banned, it says for resistive load only, which one is unlikely to get with a domestic situation so may as well be banned.

As for SPD it says default is fit, but the customer can in most situations say he does not want them, in which case it is recommended one gets this in writing. But the electrician must explain why they should be fitted.

We I am still not convinced they are needed, so how I could explain to a customer why they are required I don't know? It says it is like insurance, and no one forces people to take out insurance, so neither should they be forced to fit SPD, as it if insurance companies will insist they are fitted before considering a claim for equipment damaged by surges remains to be seen, likely same as intruder alarms, you will be asked if fitted when you take out the home insurance.

If my house likely I would fit RCBO's instead of the MCB's and swap the RCD for an isolator, but would be very low on my to do list.

 

[SUNRAY]

There seems to be some debate on this, when watching the video on launch of the amendment 2 it did talk about fire precautions, and who was responsible, pointing out we are electrically trained and not trained in fire prevention, reference to BD classes has been removed. We now look at "Protected escape routes" not simply "Escape routes" and it is up to the building design team to designate protected escape routes, which should have a minimum of combustion items within them.

This View attachment 266015 is an escape route, but not a protected escape route, this View attachment 266017 shows a protected escape route where the stairs have bare concrete walls, and the stairs are clearly not made of wood.

I have not bought amendment 2 and have no intention of getting it, but the problem with regulations is not when they change, as they are not retrospective, but when they clarify.

The best practice guide says View attachment 266023 the old Wylex fuse box, well it says consumer unit, and the old Wylex is not type tested so not a consumer unit, but it says it can continue to give satisfactory service (cover removed for illustration purposes). So we assume here also cover removed for illustration purposes!

We have people on this forum who say their RCD has never tripped in normal use, personally I lost three freezers full of food, but if it does not trip, then no problem.

The curtain stops my reading the RCD type, I note with interest although type AC not banned, it says for resistive load only, which one is unlikely to get with a domestic situation so may as well be banned.

As for SPD it says default is fit, but the customer can in most situations say he does not want them, in which case it is recommended one gets this in writing. But the electrician must explain why they should be fitted.

We I am still not convinced they are needed, so how I could explain to a customer why they are required I don't know? It says it is like insurance, and no one forces people to take out insurance, so neither should they be forced to fit SPD, as it if insurance companies will insist they are fitted before considering a claim for equipment damaged by surges remains to be seen, likely same as intruder alarms, you will be asked if fitted when you take out the home insurance.

If my house likely I would fit RCBO's instead of the MCB's and swap the RCD for an isolator, but would be very low on my to do list.

I've had RCD tripping issues, all 3 situations being correct operation so I'm perfectly happy to use them. Historically I've done a lot of temporary work, mostly with portable CU's and extention leads, and ensure adequateor extra RCD's for peace of mind.
These days RCBO is my preferred but I have nothing against split board arrangements.
As to SPD's, I still say the way they are installed makes them virtually functionless and on the offchance they do actually achieve something all that happens is they trip the MCB leaving them out of circuit for the next surge.

 

[SUNRAY]

If my house likely I would fit RCBO's instead of the MCB's and swap the RCD for an isolator, but would be very low on my to do list.

Indeed low on my list too...
My daughter moved house 2 years ago and it seems low on her electrician husbands list too and the only circuit RCD protected there is the hot tub.

 

[sparkwright]

Indeed low on my list too...
My daughter moved house 2 years ago and it seems low on her electrician husbands list too and the only circuit RCD protected there is the hot tub.

Being his father-in-law, I suppose you could threaten to break his fingers one by one until he fits some more RCD protection.

 

[333rocky333]

When did 0345 numbers start, 2007 maybe

 

[oceansoul]

Given the look of the printed on customer details, I took that 0345 to be pre 1995 phONEday, and the area code is now 01345. An 0345 number nowadays would be 0345 xxx xxxx

 

[flameport]

The circuit breakers in it are marked Type 2, which makes them BS3871 prior to 1991.
Late 1980s most likely, or possibly very early 90s.
In any event it's at least 30 years old.

 

[SUNRAY]

Would anyone know the rough age of this consumer unit? Would it need replacing?

Maybe the policy number is February 2106??

 

[SUNRAY]

I was still fitting type 3 for nightclub lighting in 1995 and types 3 & 4 when I started control panel building in 2002.

 

[plugwash]

Everything is on one RCD which is generally viewed as substandard nowadays, though not immediately dangerous. The RCD is also a different brand from the other components, I suspect the CU was originally a mainswitch only unit and someone substituted in the RCD at some stage.

I see in the pictures that the row of breakers doesn't look straight with relation to the cover, I would want to know why. It might be that the cover is just loose, but it might be that someone has forced components with different busbar heights onto the same busbar or something.

Proteus is a CEF house brand, the brand is still used today but I've no idea how good a job they have done at maintaining compatibility over time.