There are many reasons why you may need a replacement consumer unit. If you're not sure if you need a new consumer unit, or what to expect when you have a consumer unit replaced, Allied Electrical Services Bristol are here to talk you through the basics.
Reasons to Replace a Consumer Unit
- Older fuseboxes are by no means illegal but they do not meet current electrical safety regulations and don't offer the same level of protection that a modern consumer unit does. This is one of the main reasons to have a replacement consumer unit installed.
- By having a Replacement Consumer Unit fitted in their Bristol homes our customers can reduce the risk of electrical faults and ensure a more accordant output. Older consumer units can easily have worn out parts that are likely to fail, whilst new units are stronger and more dependable.
- Homes these days are ever more reliant upon electrical appliances and devices. This in turn increases the strain applied to our Bristol homes electrical systems. New consumer units are much more robust and able to bear the load thus preventing power outages and electrical systems being overloaded.
What’s new with a Consumer Unit?
Fuseboxes and Consumer Units ultimately carry out the same job which is to send electricity around your Bristol home whilst protecting the circuits from power surges. Fuseboxes contain fuses (I know does what it says on the tin, right?!) that shut off in the event of a power surge and it will then need that component to be replaced. What’s new when you have a Replacement Consumer Unit is that the switch trips in the same event and it merely needs to be reset as opposed to replaced. In addition they now house RCD’s (Residual Current Devices) to aid safety which also cut out if the current rises too much.
Is a Replacement Consumer Unit a recurring upgrade?
Certainly not, do not fear! Whist there is no set frequency when it comes to Replacement Consumer Units, Allied Electrical Services often find these upgrades occur after an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) has been carried out or when other electrical works are happening, and it makes sense to replace it at the same time. An example of this may be if you are building an outhouse or garage within the grounds of your Bristol property. A new Consumer Unit may be required to fully comply with all current wiring regulations.
How long does it take to replace a consumer unit?
A Replacement Consumer Unit will generally take Allied Electrical Services Bristol based electricians 1 days labour. All the current system will be checked including the installation, circuits, incoming supply, earthing, bonding etc. The new Replacement Consumer Unit can then be fitted, labelled, tested and certified. After this we notify Building Control on your behalf.
Replacement Consumer Unit Electrician
If you would like to learn more about replacing a consumer unit, give Allied Electrical Services a call today on 0117 303 9000. Our friendly, fully qualified electricians will be happy to discuss your options.
