Inspecting and Upgrading Consumer Units and Fuse Boxes
throughout Canterbury and Kent
Looking for more information about your home’s consumer unit or fuse box? Based in Canterbury, Kent, R1 Electrical has put the following quick guide together to help you understand your distribution units, what they do, and whether you need to replace them. If you do require an electrical inspection or a fuse box upgrade, our skilled electricians cover all your needs. Get in touch today for further details.
Do I Need to Upgrade My Fuse Box?
Most homes between 30 and 40 years old are fault-free with no problems incurred, mainly due to good workmanship and no alterations. That means you don’t usually have to upgrade your fuse box, provided your demand is still the same as when the installation was completed, and no alterations have been made. However, we would recommend an inspection or condition report to ensure the insulation of the cabling hasn’t deteriorated over time.
Inspections and Condition Reports
There are a wide array of reasons to carry out inspections and condition reports. For instance, all consumer unit and fuse box connections must meet the requirements of BS 7671, so additional protection may be needed for old ceramic rewireable fuses, known as BS 3036 fuse, which require a high-enough fault current to operate the fuse within the time required by current standards.
The other slight issue with these types of fuse boxes is that they are more combustible, which is why new government laws have been introduced for rented properties to have these upgraded to 18th-edition consumer units if the fuse boxes are installed near a fire exit. In summary, these types of fuse boxes are designed to protect the cabling within the home and nothing else.
NICEIC-Certified Electricians
Whatever your electrical requirements are, we will recommend the right installation and ensure all BS7671 standards are met and exceeded. Certified by NICEIC, our electricians strive for a higher quality of workmanship, with yearly vetting to ensure all work is completed to the best possible standard.
Additional Protection and Installations
With today’s technology and with greater electrical demand, modern living requires modern electrical installations that provide additional protection. We install RCD and RCBO protection not only to keep your property safe, but also in anticipation of this type of protection becoming mandatory for building regulations towards new build projects and extensions.
By isolating and segregating circuits in case of faults developing, this protection will greatly reduce the risk of electric shock. Any imbalance of current or phase-to-earth fault will be detected within milliseconds, fast enough to prevent cardiac arrest and potentially save your life. All devices come with a test button so that the property owner can test that it’s working once per quarter.
If you have recently moved in to a new property and are unsure about the saftey of your current installation or alterations and just want general advise please don't hesitate to call.
Effective Electrical Inspections
We are happy to answer any further enquiries about consumer units and fuse boxes.