Fuse Box Replacement Cardiff

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A fuse box replacement offers additional benefits compared to earlier fuse boxes which just protected the cables from becoming overloaded. When we replace the fuse box in your home, we will test every switch, circuit breaker, the wiring and RCD trip time to ensure your home and family are fully protected by the latest RCBO, surge (SPD) and arc fault protection. These additional devices offer protection from electrocution and fire.

fuse-board-being-replaced-by-james-walsh — Gabe Electrical Are Experts At Fuse Board Replacement

fuse board replacement cardiff — Fuse Board Replacement Comes In All Shapes & Sizes. This Was Installed For A New Shower Circuit.

Unfortunately, the thought to replace a fuse box is rare, often buried in a cupboard under the stairs. So if you have lived in your Cardiff home for some time and don’t know the last time it was inspected and tested, it would be wise to have an electrical inspection to check everything is safe for continued use. Sometimes we get called to old, obsolete units with rewireable fuses or Wylex glass fuses which are no longer readily available.

A fuse box is the brain of your electrical installation, so if the wiring is sound, a new consumer unit is the best way to ensure you, your family and tenants are protected by the latest electrical circuit protection. You can see a leaky tap, but you can’t see leaky electrical current until and accident has occured.

consumer-units-hidden-in-tall-cupboard-in-pontcanna — These Consumer Units (2) Were Hidden In The Back Of A Purpose Built Cupboard In Pontcanna Eight Feet From the Floor Making Replacement Extremely Difficult

fuse-board-behind-kitchen-cupboard-in-fairwater-cf5 — Gabe Electrical replace lots of fuse boxes throughout the Welsh capital on a regular basis, in all different locations. This Fuse Box Has Been Covered By A New Kitchen Cupboard. The Only Way To Access It For Inspection & Testing And Replacement Was To Remove The Cabinet.

How much work is it to replace a consumer unit?

If you have no idea on the age of your fuse box or the electrical installation, the trade associations (like NICEIC) advise an electrical installation condition report (EICR) in the first instance. This is because the danger of removing an old fuse box and installing a new one is that faults are present and need to be resolved in the first instance. An up-to-date consumer unit will also detect earth faults that the older fuse boxes would not.

We were recently called out to a brand new fitted high-integrity consumer unit where the lighting circuit would not stay on. This was because of an earth fault that was present that the rewireable fuse box was never designed to detect. If your fuse box or consumer unit is original and the installation has never been altered (which is rare), then faults are generally less of a problem.

We always advise clients to allow a full working day for a fuse board replacement. So that’s a full day with no power. Here is a brief overview of what will happen.

The main isolator will be turned off to remove power from the whole installation so it’s safe to work on.
We will remove the wiring on a circuit-by-circuit basis and test for faults. The wiring will be labelled so it can be easily identified. Any faults will need to be resolved before going any further (hence the recommendation for an EICR).
With all the wiring removed from the circuit protection, neutral and earth busbars, the meter tails that connect to the main switch can be removed.
The fuse box can be removed from the wall.
The new consumer unit is typically prepared (stuffing glands and grommet strips to ensure wires are not damaged) empty and fixed to the wall.

The wiring is dressed into the new consumer unit. One challenge with replacing a fuse box is manufacturers place the main switch and circuit protection in slightly different places, so it’s not uncommon to have to extend wiring or replace meter tails to accommodate the new one and unfortunately affect the replacement cost.
When the wiring has been connected, dead testing and a polarity check can be carried out to ensure the installation is safe to energize.
Once the power is back on, live tests can be carried out at light fittings and socket outlets to ensure they comply with the wiring regulations (BS7671). RCD tests inside the consumer unit will also ensure they will disconnect in the necessary timeframe to help reduce the risk of electrocution and fire.

Upon completion, you can relax knowing you have a modern consumer unit protecting your family and home. You will receive the electrical installation and Part P certificates via email soon after completion confirming the work is compliant with current electrical regulations.

What an upgraded consumer unit does (and why you need one)

The electricity supply from your meter enters the main switch (which can be used to isolate the whole installation) inside your consumer unit. From there, the mains is distributed to individual MCBs, RCBOs, and RCDs to allow individual circuits to be protected.

Because the circuits in your home need different amounts of power and cable sizes, the circuit protection caters to them individually. The circuit protection is there to protect against electrical overload and provides additional protection—such as guarding against electrical fires and employing a residual current device should someone accidentally come into contact with a live wire.

Why choose Gabe Electrical when your fuse board needs to be replaced?

Replacing a fuse box is not a DIY job. It’s a task that needs an experienced electrician who is compliant with electrical and current building regulations. Gabe Electrical are experienced with all the different types of consumer units found in Cardiff homes. It’s one of our core skills that we carry out frequently and to a consistently high standard.

Typical costs to replace a consumer unit in Cardiff

The cost of a new fuse box will depend on several factors. Here are some that will affect the cost of the job:

If you live in a three-bedroom house in Cardiff with one consumer unit, expect to pay from £500 for a replacement—but that ballpark figure can go up or down based on the size of your property and the condition of the electrical installation in the rest of the house.

The size of your home and how many circuits it has: Some large properties in Cardiff may have more than one consumer unit. It’s not uncommon to have a separate garage consumer unit. We have worked in two-bedroom apartments in Cardiff Bay that also have two consumer units and lots of circuits—not because of the size of the property, but because it has electric heating.
If extra work is needed to mount the new consumer unit: AMD3-compliant consumer units are metal and heavier than their plastic predecessors.
If the meter tails are long enough: Manufacturers vary where they place the main switch (left or right), and therefore, sometimes the cables from the meter need to be replaced to accommodate the new unit.
If the main earth needs to be upgraded: Old installations typically had a 6mm² cable. How much it costs to replace the main earth cable depends on how close the consumer unit is to the incoming supply.
If faults are present and the time it takes to resolve them.

Some questions we’ve been asked about our fuse board replacement service, answered.

When replacing a fuse box, it should be installed to the regulations in place at that time. What complied ten years ago would not necessarily be applicable today. Regulations are reviewed and updated to improve safety and reduce electrical-related incidents. A high integrity consumer unit is particularly beneficial for households with vulnerable individuals or where essential services must remain uninterrupted.

RCDs are designed to protect against electrical-related incidents where electrical current is leaking to earth. If you came into contact with a live conductor (by drilling into a wire, for example), the RCD should trip before it becomes a danger to you. The tripped RCD can be reset once the fault is cleared. Without an RCD, you risk coming into contact with full mains voltage, which an MCB or fuse carrier would not protect you from.

When it comes to fuse board replacement, they are often referred to by several different names. Here are some we can think of right now:

Fuse board, consumer unit, distribution board, breaker panel, electrical panel, circuit breaker box, RCD unit, MCB panel, switchboard, main panel, fuse panel, power board.

Additionally, to add to the confusion (!), fuse boards have been made from various materials over the years—wood, plastic, metal, back to plastic, and now, as per the AMD3 requirements for domestic consumer units, they are metal again!

If you’re looking for a fuse board replacement in Cardiff, why not get in touch while it’s fresh in your mind? We’re here and ready to help you choose the best option for your needs.