Which consumer units are best

messimagician · May 13, 2015

I have a very old Wylex fuse board which is need to bring up to current standard Amendment 3.

I believe my property is supplied using a TN-S

I'm looking for a new consumer unit that is 11 or 12 way but not sure which brands are best as I plan on going for all rcbo.

So far I've seen Schneider, Hager and Wylex units

Schneider do one called Resi9 that's top of range but can't find any places that sell them, I can only see the Easy 9 for sale

Hager do one called Design 30

Wylex seem well stocked but I hear their rcbos are over sensitive and trip a lot, also they have had a recall in the past so I'm not sure on their quality in today's climate

I'm just wanting some advice on what you guys like to install, money isn't an object so I'm not after any budget stuff

Can anyone post pictures of their installs, be it cabinets or new metal consumer units

shanky887614 · May 14, 2015

davesparks said:
???? 3 pictures of catalogue pages for acti9 distribution boards?

what is the difference between consumer and distribution then?

there the same, the A type acti9 boards are single phase as well as everyother consumer unit

davesparks · May 14, 2015

shanky887614 said:
a db is a consumer unit, just another name for them.

you get single and tpn 10 way+ consumer units under acti9

acti9 are merlin gerin
easy9 are square d

They are both Schneider, they have pretty much ditched the individual brands.

davesparks · May 14, 2015

shanky887614 said:
what is the difference between consumer and distribution then?

there the same, the A type acti9 boards are single phase as well as everyother consumer unit

A consumer unit is a particular type of distribution board which is intended for simple single phase domestic use.

There are definitions in BS7671

shanky887614 · May 14, 2015

davesparks said:
A consumer unit is a particular type of distribution board which is intended for simple single phase domestic use.

There are definitions in BS7671

yes and what im saying is acti9 Type A is a single phase only board thanks to the isobar so is technically a consumer unit as well

DPG · May 14, 2015

davesparks said:
A consumer unit is a particular type of distribution board which is intended for simple single phase domestic use.

There are definitions in BS7671

No, BS7671 says 'principally domestic premises' - it is not exclusive. Although I still say that a dist board generally feeds distribution circuits to other sub-boards. Daz

davesparks · May 14, 2015

shanky887614 said:
yes and what im saying is acti9 Type A is a single phase only board thanks to the isobar so is technically a consumer unit as well

Are you certain that it has the type testing to be a consumer unit? Do they not make a direct connection kit for it?

If you really want to be pedantic it is an isobar4 distribution board which uses acti9 protection and control devices.

davesparks · May 14, 2015

DPG said:
No, BS7671 says 'principally domestic premises' - it is not exclusive. Although I still say that a dist board generally feeds distribution circuits to other sub-boards. Daz

I did not say that it was exclusive, I said that it was intended for.

DPG · May 14, 2015

Post #33 you said consumer units are for domestic. Have a read. Daz

davesparks · May 14, 2015

DPG said:
Post #33 you said consumer units are for domestic. Have a read. Daz

No, I said they are INTENDED for, I did not say they are exclusively for or in any way restricted to use in domestic installations.

DPG · May 14, 2015

Hang on a minute - this isn't a proper argument; you're just contradicting everything I say! (C) Monty Python.

Andy78 · May 14, 2015

DPG said:
Hang on a minute - this isn't a proper argument; you're just contradicting everything I say! (C) Monty Python.

Yes it is.

DPG · May 14, 2015

No IT ISN'T

Andy78 · May 14, 2015

I'm sorry I can't continue this argument until you pay some more money.

frontier219 · May 14, 2015

Nice to see pedantry being demonstrated at it's finest! I think the difference is purely semantic, but as a rule 'Consumer Unit' is language I use with domestic customers, other than that it's Distribution Board.

davesparks · May 14, 2015

frontier219 said:
Nice to see pedantry being demonstrated at it's finest! I think the difference is purely semantic, but as a rule 'Consumer Unit' is language is use with domestic customers, other than that it's Distribution Board.

The regulations make a distinction between the two along with all manufacturers. I think it's a bit more than just semantics.

The original 'consumer unit' was specific to domestic single phase installations and incorporated the cutout, metering, main switch and circuit protective devices into a single unit. This was in the 1950s.
What I can't find is a more up to date definition, other than the one in bs7671 which is not overly specific