CONSUMER UNIT REPLACEMENT COST IN LONDON

Installing a new consumer unit is a difficult task and requires professional supervision. Even just changing a consumer unit is complicated. In both cases, electricity must be turned off for a few hours. The processes entail connecting each circuit to the appropriate protection device. Thorough electrical testing must be performed both before and after returning power to the fuse box or consumer unit.

The outcomes of the inspections must also be mentioned in the Electrical Installation Certificate. As a result, upon completion of the project, an Electrical Installation Certificate (EICR) is delivered to the customer. A copy of the certification is also sent to the local Building Regulations department. Because of the intricacies involved, the job of replacing a consumer unit is best performed by a technically competent and skilled electrician in Electric Works London. To put your mind at ease, Electric Works London is registered with the NICEIC, one of the most prominent and reputable voluntary registries of electrical firms in the UK.

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Understand the mechanism of the Fuse box

When a circuit consumes an excessive amount of current or power, the fuse wire blows. This process is similar to an MCB tripping off. As a result, the electric circuit is broken, and the cables are protected from overheating. Overheating causes the wires to melt, resulting in an electric fire.

Replacing a blown fuse wire is not only difficult but also possibly dangerous. On a dark winter evening, when the wire fuses, the lights go off without warning. In the dark, replacing the fuse wire becomes tricky. When you remove the fuse board cover to access the blown fuse, you expose yourself to live parts. Undoing the screws and putting a new wire into the fuse holder in the dark exposes you to the risk of electrocution.

RCD or residual current device is an important part of modern fuse boards. A fuse board is unlikely to have RCD protection. As a result, you, your family members, and your pets are more vulnerable to electric shocks in the case of an electrical problem. The fuse or MCB is intended to prevent the cable from overheating and eventually melting, causing a fire, whereas the RCD protects you if you come into direct touch with any live portion of the system.

In old fuse boxes, there is no RCD, so the instant you contact any live part, you become a part of the electric circuit, and some electricity begins flowing through your body into the ground, explains an electrician with expertise in replacing consumer units. This causes a disparity in the quantity of current that has flowed out vs the amount that has flowed back into the supply. RCD is a sensitive device that detects this discrepancy and quick trips.

There is an earth leakage device in the early versions of a fuse board. However, those are unlikely to satisfy modern safety requirements. As a result, it is preferable to replace them with newer fuse boards to ensure the electrical safety of your property.

If you just bought a new garage, or outbuilding on your property, you must replace the consumer unit. There is no excuse for ignoring this fact. The same is true when a building requires an expansion to your current house or workplace. Rather than extending the old circuits to the newly constructed zone, it is preferable to run a new supply cable to feed the newly installed circuits. You may have a relatively modern consumer unit but it must be replaced, How? We will explain it.

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The main reason for Changing the Consumer Unit in your property:

In addition to the issues described above, there may be an additional reason why your present consumer unit should be replaced. A new circuit breaker, such as an MCB or an RCBO, may be required. Manufacturers typically demand high prices for these clients. In such cases, it is considered preferable and more cost-effective to replace the complete consumer unit.

Which type of consumer unit is suitable for my property?

There are various types of consumer units you can install in your building, whether it is a commercial building or residential. It is important to choose the right type of device that can meet all of your requirements.

• Main switch consumer unit – It has a single main switch that can turn off all of the circuits it supports all at once. When there is a power surge, the main switch automatically switches to the ‘off’ position, as does the key of the faulty circuit. It is an excellent choice for small, single-story homes and apartments.
• Dual RCD consumer unit–This type can divide a power load into two sets of circuits, such as RCD1 and RCD2. When one of the RCDs fails, this type of consumer unit has the advantage of alternating the circuits, ensuring that some parts of a building have an uninterrupted power supply. This type of device is best suited for multi-story homes.
• High integrity consumer unit – This variety is markedly different from the other two discussed above and has grown in popularity over time. It provides unrivalled flexibility and can independently separate all circuits.

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FAQ consumer unit replacement

• Where should an electrical consumer unit be installed?

The location of placing a consumer unit is frequently disregarded. People frequently put it in a dark corner of their home to keep it out of sight. Electricians in London who have replaced consumer units believe that the user device should be maintained in a location where it may be conveniently accessed at any time of day. This also complies with Part M of the Building Regulations, which says that a consumer unit must be installed with switches between 0.45m and 1.2m above the floor level.

• Is it ok to restrict the consumer unit within a box?

Consumer units should not be boxed inside a wooden cabinet or positioned beneath a wooden stairway. Because all of these materials are extremely flammable, they are considered major fire dangers. According to Building Regulations, every consumer unit must be encased in a cabinet or enclosure constructed of any non-combustible material, such as steel.

• Is it acceptable to put a consumer unit next to a gas meter?

Building regulations in the United Kingdom do not permit you to locate your consumer unit near the gas meter. In residential settings, the rulebook requires a minimum distance of 150 mm between gas pipes or gas meters and any other conductor, including electrical switchboards, sockets, meters, cables, consumer units, and even telephone lines. Furthermore, for household pipework with a capacity of 35mm, a separation of at least 25 mm must exist between a supply or distribution cable.