FIRST HOME - Help with new Consumer Unit

[DaniQ]

My partner and I bought our first house a week ago. We don't have much DIY experience but we are determined to learn and do as much work as we can to save cost.

The house is a 3bed an ex-council house built in 1959 and needs a complete refurbishment.

The existing CU is not too old (pvc wires) but we have to add sockets, electric shower...and we prefer to get it upgraded. Please see photos.

I have had an electrician having a look a few hours ago. He said he can move the CU 180 degrees facing the hall with the length of the existing cables. He quoted me £250 for moving the CU, including new CU.

He said he could install the following CU:
http://www.screwfix.com/p/british-g...dual-rcd-consumer-unit/2920g?_requestid=39295

If I replace it I would like to get a good quality one with space for more modules and individual ring per floor for the lights and sockets, 2 sockets outside, an electric shower, induction cooker, oven...

I am thinking something Like:
RCD 1
32A Upstairs Ring Main
6A Upstairs lights
6A Smoke Detector
16A????? Immersion heater - in case the gas boiler fails

RCD 2
32A Kitchen Ring Main
32A Downstairs Ring Main
6A Downstairs Lights
45A Cooker

Do you think I could reuse the RCBOs from my current CU for the new one :
RCBO 1
Electric Shower (9-10kw)

RCBO 2
Outside sockets or kitchen sockets


My questions are:

1. Could you recommend a better Consumer Unit?

2. Would it be to much work and too expensive to split the existing ring socket and lights per floor? Or should just leave as it is?

3. What do you think about using the RCBO for shower and outside or kitchen socket?

4. Could you please arrange the two RCDs in a better way?

5. Do you think the MCD specs are OK (amps)?

6. What do you think about this job for £250?

Thank you very much. We are quite stressed wih the refurbishment and your help would be much appreciated.

 

[NDG Elecs]

Not even a 2 way garage board Vorti?

 

[DaniQ]

.

 

[DaniQ]

Your last thread in the same vain ran to over thirty posts with experienced electricians giving their opinion. A few weeks later you come back saying you have found some chancer who is not only going to replace your consumer unit but also relocate it for a mere £250 and now you want more advise, not from me.

You have stated you are new to this kind of building work and I fear you are going to go over budget and get very stressed about it all. If it aint broke don't fix it. If you are starting from scratch, rewire the whole house and get it the way you want it. Do not go for half measures it will be more expensive in the long run. If you cannot afford to rewire to the spec. get a report on the condition of existing wiring to see what needs to be done. I would not even get out of bed to change a consumer unit for £250.00. Unless you realistically have the money to refurb I suggest you don't go there it will end in tears.

I appreciate your advise and I will take it on board. To arrange the kitchen how we want we have to turn 180degrees the CU. It is not a full reallocation.

 

[DaniQ]

Following your advises I'm considering to don't go over the top with the electrics and just replace the CU without splitting the rings per floor.

Do you think I could have all the lights in the house on a single MCD ?

Same for the sockets? One MCD for the kitchen, another MCD fo the rest of the house?

Then Do you think this would be ok:

RCD 1
32A Socket Ring Main
6A Smoke Detector
16A Immersion heater - in case the gas boiler fails
40A Electric Shower
16A Outside Sockets

RCD 2
32A Kitchen Ring Main
6A Ring Lights
32A Induction Hob
6A Gas Boiler
32A Separate Oven


Thank you

 

[stevethesparks]

Why are you not asking these questions to your Polish electrician?
£250.00 is far too cheap. I wouldn't swap a CU for that, let alone relocate one.
You get what you pay for, as you are going to find out.

Has your proposed electrician checked the main protective bonding, as well as advising about the poor bonding clamp currently providing your main earthing connection? Has he asked you request a pme terminal be fitted? Has he done any preliminary checks? Will the new CU postion be within 3 metres of the service head when relocated?
Good luck....I'm out.

 

[telectrix]

and, if you are moving the CU, are you also moving the cut-out and meter? if so, then it's a few hundred quid for DNO and/or supplier to do this legally.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Seems our friend is posting this on every electricians' forums known to man.

Better to do this in one place, or you'll get confusing replies because not all the information will get to all of the people who might want to assist you.

Just saying

http://community.screwfix.com/threads/consumer-unit-does-it-need-to-be-ungraded.190060/#post-1525215

 

[Specialist]

Why are you not asking these questions to your Polish electrician?
£250.00 is far too cheap. I wouldn't swap a CU for that, let alone relocate one.
You get what you pay for, as you are going to find out.

Has your proposed electrician checked the main protective bonding, as well as advising about the poor bonding clamp currently providing your main earthing connection? Has he asked you request a pme terminal be fitted? Has he done any preliminary checks? Will the new CU postion be within 3 metres of the service head when relocated?
Good luck....I'm out.

Think you already know the answer to your questions buddy

 

[LewisM]

Your electrician should be able to answer all these questions but at £250 all in I doubt he can.

 

[Octopus]

Following your advises I'm considering to don't go over the top with the electrics and just replace the CU without splitting the rings per floor.

Do you think I could have all the lights in the house on a single MCD ?

Same for the sockets? One MCD for the kitchen, another MCD fo the rest of the house?

Then Do you think this would be ok:

RCD 1
32A Socket Ring Main
6A Smoke Detector
16A Immersion heater - in case the gas boiler fails
40A Electric Shower
16A Outside Sockets

RCD 2
32A Kitchen Ring Main
6A Ring Lights
32A Induction Hob
6A Gas Boiler
32A Separate Oven


Thank you

If I read this correctly you are adding about 5 circuits, so how much is your cheap polish friend saying he wants ti charge for this too?

What is your budget for your kitchen?

 

[polo1]

I have stopped using the BG boards due to numerous problems with them over the past year or so. I have gone back to using Hager.

Off topic, but what problems have you had?

 

[Andy78]

Off topic, but what problems have you had?

My issues have been:
Cage clamp terminals stripping their threads before tightening
RCDs not meeting times
Flimsy blanks that fall out
Poorly made bars and screws that can also strip easily

 

[Andy78]

To the OP,
All these questions should be directed to your electrician. If you don't have one, get one.
If you feel the need to ask the internet instead of your electrician, then get another electrician that you trust more.

 

[davesparks]

At the moment I have an old gas boiler with a small immersion tank. Then If I have a bath the next person would have to wait the water to heat. Also If I connect a Pumped Electric Shower to the water tank in the loft that supplies the water to the boiler I could have person having a bath and another having a shower downstairs at the same time. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Then you would be much better off having the plumbing sorted with a bigger hot water cylinder, if possible an unvented hot water cylinder will give you mains pressure hot water.
Or a combi boiler may be suitable.

 

[NDG Elecs]

My issues have been:
Cage clamp terminals stripping their threads before tightening
RCDs not meeting times
Flimsy blanks that fall out
Poorly made bars and screws that can also strip easily

So it's not just me then! Exactly the same problems bar the blanks which are binned. Plus the grommet strip is carp too, and their IP65 shower boards are shaped in such a way you can't fit a locknut on them without some butchery. Oh, and also the knockout spot welds are far too firm. My main issue from the above is with the awful cage clamp screws that strip far far too easily, had it happening with two RCDs and a couple of MCBs. They are cheap for a reason.