What is a consumer unit and what is a fuse box?
In every electrical system there are many cables, sockets, switches, different sized wires and various other electrical equipment and accessories. The consumer unit / fuse box is the ‘brains’ or ‘control centre’ of all of this.
A fuse box is a term that is still used today by many and understood by the general public to mean the electrical box with all the switches or fuses inside. A consumer unit is the modern version of the fuse box and is the descriptive term which most electricians will use when referring to the ‘control centre’ of the wiring system.
There are other phrases floating around out there for the same thing such as:
- Trip Switch Box
- Electrical Panel
- Distribution Board (Normally commercial or industrial)
- Mains Box
- Fuse Board
- Electric Box
For the purposes of this article a Fuse Box is an old electrical control centre that contains Fuse Wire or Fuses. A Consumer Unit is the modern version with a variety of Trip Switches that control and protect the electrical system.
What exactly does a Consumer Unit do?
The modern consumer unit has a range of responsibilities including:
- Electric Shock Prevention
- Overload protection for cables
- Short Circuit Detection
- Protection from Surges in Mains Supply
- Arc Fault Detection
- Some level of electrical fire protection
The modern consumer unit is designed to detect all these issues and to disconnect the electrical in the event of a fault. It is packed with technology and clever devices that will notice a variety of dangerous electrical situations and respond quickly to prevent injury and harm to people and to prevent damage to the electrical system.
Is a Modern Consumer Unit better than a Fuse Box?
Absolutely YES. Modern consumer units have much more advanced capabilities and are able to offer much more than an old fuse wire or cartridge type fuse box. The older boxes are now missing several key safety features.
Also, if your old fuse box has not been subject to a Periodic Electrical Inspection in recent years then there may be a risk of fire due to corroded components, loose connections, or poor terminations. These boxes have often been left untouched since their installation and can now pose a danger.
How often should I have a new Consumer Unit?
A consumer unit should be considered for replacement every 10-15 years. The guarantee on switchgear inside the consumer unit tends to be around 10 years and beyond this age (depending upon installation location and environmental conditions) internal metal parts can begin to corrode or degrade causing high resistances, switch failure to operate and high resistances leading to increased temperatures.
Some consumer units can operate safely beyond this age but it is likely that their components will be excessively worn, out of date and not up to current wiring safety standards after around 15 years or more.
If you still have an old fuse box style unit then it should be replaced for a modern consumer unit.
If you are at all unsure of the age or condition of your fuse box or consumer unit then get in touch with us for a chat.
