Replacing an old
fuse board
If you have an old type fuse board,
especially with re-wire able fuses, or you
require additional capacity for further
circuits or equipment then a new consumer
unit (as it is known, or C.U.) is highly
recommended. New electrical works must
comply with the 18th Edition ammendment 2 of the IEE
Wiring Regulations and so your new C.U. will
certainly need to incorporate some
form of RCDs and SPDs. RCDs provide a higher level of
protection from electric shock in the event
of a fault to earth by monitoring the flow
of current in the supply (phase) & return
(neutral) conductor. If the flow becomes
unbalanced to a significant degree it means
that current is flowing to earth through an
unacceptable path and the RCD will cut the
source of the supply usually within 0.2
seconds. Your new C.U. will also contain
circuit breakers in some form. Circuit
breakers are the replacement for the old
fuses and have the advantage that they do
not have to be repaired after they have
disconnected the supply following a short
circuit or an overload. Once the fault has
been rectified they can simply be switched
back on. Another advantage is that they
cannot be repaired with the wrong size of
fuse wire or indeed any old bit of wire that
comes to hand!
Call P Kent Electrical Contractors, to
upgrade your fuse board to a new consumer
unit.
Assessment
Prior to installing your new C.U. an
assessment needs to be carried out to ensure
that your installation is suitable for the
new board. As the new board will be far more
sensitive to any faults, these need to be
identified and corrected before the
changeover. The assessment generally takes
around one hour for domestic premises. Once this is completed
you will be informed of any remedial works,
if any, that are required. We will also
supply you with an estimate of the cost of
such works and the cost for the replacement
of the C.U.
Earthing upgrades
.
These are often required by companies that
attend your property to install new or
replacement equipment, for example gas
meters, heating systems, cookers or washing
machines. These can be straightforward or
complicated and therefore require individual
estimates.
Complete or Partial rewires
We are happy to supply advice and quotations
for any degree of rewiring, whether it is
for a cable that has become damaged or the
whole house. It has often been found that in
properties of a certain age and with
lighting circuits installed before 1966 that
the lighting circuit does not incorporate an
earth wire (circuit protective conductor or
CPC). If you have class 1 equipment
installed, such as metal light fittings or
switch plates, the addition of a CPC is
essential. Without it there is a risk of
electric shock under fault conditions. Under
these circumstances it is often found that
the socket circuits are in good or
reasonable condition and, with a little
remedial work, can be left in place. It is
then possible to simply renew the lighting
circuits.
Unfortunately, despite what some contractors
will tell you, rewiring is probably one of
the most disruptive things you will ever
have done in your house. It is best when
possible to carry it out when the premises
are unoccupied or the occupants can be away
for a while, though we appreciate that this
is not always practical. It nearly always
requires the lifting of carpets on the first
floor and the cutting and lifting of
floorboards. Sometimes this is also required
on the ground floor. New cables are
generally installed in tubes that are chased
into your walls vertically from each
accessory. The chase is usually 25mm deep
and 25mm wide and is carried out using a
special machine with dust extraction
equipment attached that cuts two parallel
lines in your walls. The area between the
lines is then removed using manual or
mechanical chisels. As well as the dust
extraction equipment further protections is
afforded with the use of numerous dust
sheets and prompt clearing up following each
chase. Repairs to the walls may be carried
out by a contractor of your choice or we
have professional builders that will work
alongside our operatives and make good to
the surfaces as we go along on agreement of
costs. The walls are generally left with the
paper (if any) stripped around 200mm from
chases and accessories once they have been
filled, our electricians for will have
completed their job and then it's up to you.
Alternatively
The house can still be rewired with a bit
less mess and rather than chasing out the
walls we can simply install the cables in
mini trunking. This will still however
involves lifting carpets, floor boards and
moving furniture. Mini trunking is a plastic
box section that encloses the cables within.
It comes in a white colour and is easily
painted over once all the work is completed.
There are further colour options available
but at a higher price than normal
Advice
Free advice is always available (within
reason) over the phone or by email.
Call us today on 0777 475 6091
P Kent Electrical Contractors - For Bristol
and the local Areas
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