Consumer unit upgrades and fuse box replacement
Something has made you look at your fuse box. The trips keep going, a survey has flagged it, or it just looks old. Consumer unit and fuse box work is available across Redhill, Reigate and surrounding areas of Surrey.
Does an old board need replacing?
Not automatically. It depends what is in it and what condition it is in. Some boards need replacing. Others may not.
Signs worth checking
None of these means the board must be replaced. They are worth a look.
Fuse wire rather than switches. Old enough to be worth checking.
No test button on the board. That usually means no RCD protection.
Trips that keep going. Often a fault on a circuit, which is worth finding either way.
A full board. No spare ways means no room to add a charger, a shower or a kitchen circuit.
Damage or heat marks. Cracks, browning or a burning smell should be looked at promptly.
An EICR code at the board. A C1 or C2 needs attention. What that involves depends on the fault.
Not sure what you are looking at? Ring and describe it.
What an upgrade changes
Fuses and circuit breakers protect against too much current on a circuit. Modern boards usually add an RCD, which disconnects a circuit quickly when current is leaking somewhere it should not. That reduces the risk of an electric shock. It is additional protection rather than a guarantee of absolute safety, but it covers situations a fuse on its own is not designed to detect.
Older rewireable boards often have none, and that is the main practical difference. A modern board can also use RCBOs, which put both types of protection on each circuit, so a fault on one is less likely to take out the others.
What the job includes
Checking the existing circuits first
Fitting the new consumer unit, with the right protection for each circuit
Testing the circuits afterwards
An electrical installation certificate recording the work and the results
Notification under the building regulations, where it is required
The power is off for much of the work. Testing can also reveal faults on existing circuits that an older board was not showing up, and those are separate from the board replacement itself.
Common questions
How do i know if my fuse box needs replacing?
It is not always possible to tell by looking. The signs above are the ones worth having checked.
Is the work notified to building control?
Replacing a consumer unit is notifiable. Our electricians are NAPIT approved, so the work can be notified through the scheme rather than arranged separately with building control.
Will i get a certificate for the work?
Yes. An electrical installation certificate recording what was installed, what was tested and the results. It is worth keeping with the property’s records, and it is useful later when selling, letting or having further work done.
Describe what you have got
What the board looks like, whether it has a test button, and what made you look at it. Consumer unit work is one of the electrical services available.