The consumer unit is the heart of the electrical system in your home, as the distribution board is within your commercial premises. With regular maintenance and testing, a well-installed fuse board can have a long and healthy service life. However, after some time served, wear and tear, and sufficient changes to the wiring regulations BS7671, an upgrade of your electrical fuse board might be appropriate for the health, safety and efficiency of your system.
Signs your fuse board needs replacing.
Even to the untrained eye, the requirement to replace your fuse board can be telling if one knows what to look for.
Holes
Regardless of the material that your fuse board is constructed from, if there are gaps that a finger would fit in the front and sides, or that a kebab skewer would fit in the top, then your fuse board might not be fit for purpose. We call this Ingress Protection, and needless to say this is a visual inspection only, please don’t poke anything into your fuse board
Discolouration
Discolouration can be indicative of excess heat from within the consumer unit, or the environment that the board is installed within causing the construction material to fail. In either case, improvement would be warranted.
Protective Device Type
At the time of writing, the British Standard for low voltage electrical systems BS7671:2018+A2:2022 suggests the most appropriate consumer unit to be installed should have individual RCBO devices, and a surge protection device, all housed within a fire-rated enclosure. If your consumer unit is plastic and contains rewirable fuses, it would be difficult to predict the operational characteristics of that fuse wire, it would indicate that the fuse board would have been in service for 50+ years and also would only be appropriate for continued use if the rest of the electrical installation was in the exact same condition as the day that fuse board was installed.
Benefits of upgrading to a new fuse board
Peace of mind. The technology available for protective devices is forever improving, so with an upgrade to the latest standards the safety of both persons and property is greatly improved. And as we couple this with the obligation to carry out a full inspection as part of the process, it’s all covered.
Improved electrical performance
There is an opportunity to make some changes with your fuse board upgrade. Perhaps your circuits could be a little better segregated, so that in the event of a fault half of your property doesn’t lose power, or essential services such as fire alarms or ePOS are not affected.
Compliance with current standards
The legislation around health and safety in the United Kingdom is reactive, and therefore any changes or improvements made are due to us learning from our past mistakes and new knowledge gained. Ensuring that your electrical installation is up to date with the current standards will bring you in lockstep with legislation, which not only helps meet any duty of care as a homeowner or employer but will tend to meet the requirements of your insurer also.
Cost Considerations
The market for consumer unit and distribution board manufacturers is quite active and competitive, putting the end user in a great position for choice. Perhaps the environment requires the hardiest and highest-performing manufacturers such as Schneider or Eaton. Maybe a long-standing and trusted brand you recognise such as Hagar is preferred? Or alternatively, something designed for the domestic sector and more competitively priced such as Fusebox, Lewden, Contactum or Verso? Are you building the prosumer house of the future with an eye on Grand Designs and need a forward-thinking and reactive manufacturer such as Proteus? Whatever your requirements, or concerns about fuse board replacement cost, there will be a manufacturer to suit.
Choosing the right time for replacement
Where budget and convenience meet. The replacement of a consumer unit can mean significant electrical supply downtime, but it is always better to be done on your terms, rather than because of an unforeseen fault or fire. To better aid this timeline, perhaps an Electrical Installation Condition Report would help.
Hiring a Professional Electrician
A professional electrician will be trained to the latest standards, have sufficient experience in the field to be deemed competent, and have a great knowledge of current products and technologies. Furthermore, they should be able to demonstrate this by answering any questions, offering different options where required, belonging to a competent person scheme such as the NICEIC or NAPIT where they will be inspected yearly, and providing evidence of continuing professional development.
Speak to a fuse board upgrade specialist today!
To find out more or to schedule a no-obligation quotation, contact Pretty Wired on 020 4542 1890, email us at info@prettywired.co.uk or send us a message here.
