Consumer Unit Repair/Replace

Whatever the issues with your Consumer Unit, Active can help - Active Electrical Solutions are electricians operating in South Woodham Ferrers, Wickford, Chelmsford, Brentwood, Danbury, Burnham, Basildon, Billericay, Southminster and all surrounding areas in Essex. Recognising current British standards, our electrical engineers are NICEIC registered, Part P accredited and qualified to 18th edition standard, as certified by the Institute of Electrical Engineers (IEE). This enables us to offer the highest levels of professional service to you.

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​Consumer Unit Replacement

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In the UK, both domestic and small commercial electrical installations will usually have single-phase supplies at 230V which is the nominal standard. At the heart of these electrical installations are Consumer Units (CUs) - these may also be known as fuse boxes. Older consumer units used fuses until the advent of circuit breakers (CBs). A modern consumer unit will usually have a single horizontal row of fuses or CBs - many of the older units grouped four fuses in a square arrangement. For 'Economy 7' or two-rate supplies (i.e.standard rate and off-peak), a second Consumer Unit  may be present. Larger residential properties and many commercial properties will contain multiple Consumer Units.

Larger commercial and industrial electrical installations generally use three-phase supplies, with distribution boards which have two vertical rows of breakers. Larger installations will usually use subsidiary distribution boards.

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A typical new domestic Consumer Unit will usually have from 6 to 24 ways for devices and will be split into two or more sections (e.g. a non-RCD section for alarms etc., an RCD-protected section for socket outlets, and an RCD-protected section for lighting and other built-in appliances). Secondary Consumer Units used for sheds and outbuildings will usually have 1 to 4 ways plus an RCD.

 

Older Consumer Units will not usually have RCD protected sections for anything other than socket outlets; however, some older Consumer Units use RCD Incomers. Prior to 1990 Consumer Units it was not standard to have RCDs within the Consumer Unit.

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There are different methods used within Consumer Units that are used to protect circuits. A dual split-load Consumer Unit can be organised as follows:

 

RCD 1
Upstairs Lights
Downstairs Ring Main
Garage Sockets Outlets
Shower

RCD 2
Downstairs Lights
Upstairs Ring Main
Cooker
Heating
 

By organising the circuits in this way, electrical power will always be present on at least one floor if either of the RCDs 'trips out'.

 

One other way to protect electrical circuits is by the fitting of Residual Current Circuit Breaker With Overload (RCBOs) to every circuit - however, this can be a very expensive solution.

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Older-style Fuse Boxes usually use cartridge or rewirable fuses without any other protective device - and basic 4-ways boxes are very common. Some of the older boxes are made of brown/black bakelite and sometimes with a wooden base. This design was used for new installations as recently as the 1980s. The fuse holders in these boxes did not provide protection from accidental contact with live terminals. Active Electrical Solutions (electricians who operate in South Woodham Ferrers, Chelmsford, Danbury, Wickford, Basildon, Billericay, Southminster, Burnham, Brentwood and all surrounding areas in Essex) always recommend that these older-style Fuse Boxes are replaced by modern Consumer Units which offer much-improved levels of protection.

 

A very small number of early (pre-1950) Fuse Boxes are still being used in residential and commercial premises. Extreme care should be taken with this type of unit as exposed live parts are very common on these boxes. The electrical installations supplied via these Fuse Boxes will certainly not meet current regulations and should be replaced as soon as possible.

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Active Electrical Solutions Ltd are electricians operating in South Woodham Ferrers, Wickford, Chelmsford, Brentwood, Danbury, Burnham, Basildon, Billericay, Southminster and all surrounding areas in Essex. Recognising current British standards, our electrical engineers are NICEIC registered, Part P accredited and qualified to 18th edition standard, as certified by the Institute of Electrical Engineers (IEE). This enables us to offer the highest levels of professional service to you.