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.

 

[Risteard]

This board has no RCDs

Once again, that statement simply isn't correct. RCD is a generic term for all residual current devices which includes RCBOs.

 

[Billsays]

Once again, that statement simply isn't correct. RCD is a generic term for all residual current devices which includes RCBOs.

I thought it was pretty obvious I meant a double pole type of RCD used to make a ccu split load or 17th edition......... But you are absolutely right to pull me on it. (And technically correct is of course the best kind of correct )
I apologise for my tardy parlance and will strive to be clearer in future.

 

[davesparks]

What guts?

And wasn't you waffling on about no such thing as non combustible the other day?

Honestly the people that post on this forum, you wonder it they ever worked in the real world !

By guts I am referring to the internal parts of the CU.

I don't know if I was 'waffling on' but yes I have often commented on the fact that everything is combustible if exposed to the right conditions.
If and when I make that departure from the regulations I do so after considering the individual situation, not as a one size fits all solution.

 

[davesparks]

What guts?

And wasn't you waffling on about no such thing as non combustible the other day?

Honestly the people that post on this forum, you wonder it they ever worked in the real world !

By guts I am referring to the internal parts of the CU.

I don't know if I was 'waffling on' but yes I have often commented on the fact that everything is combustible if exposed to the right conditions.
If and when I make that departure from the regulations I do so after considering the individual situation, not as a one size fits all solution.

 

[buzzlightyear]

Just to let you chaps know , did some one ask about moving a consumer unit in scotland in bunglow recenty on this forum?

 

[Midwest]

Come on buzz, there's nothing much else happening.

 

[Midwest]

Is the existing board metal clad?? If not then the board needs changing to comply with current regs.

To give my opinion;

If the replacement items change the original installation, e.g. dual RCD to fully populated RCBO's, then I would consider that a significant change to the original installation, therefore would need to comply with current regs (i.e. 421.1.201).

If the installation was the additional RCBO or two, then it would not. We did have a recent debate on moving a plastic CU from one room to another, which I think came out 50-50.

As I said earlier, it is probably more financially viable, to install a new A3 fully populated CU, than just buying x amount of RCBO's to install into a plastic one.

Bottom line is, there is no one who can tell you how to interpret this reg in these circumstances, and unless you find yourself gripping some bars, being questioned about your reasoning, you can do what you think complies with this reg.

Edit; you could ask your scheme if your in one, but I suspect they would bat it back to you, and say it was the designer to make the decision.

 

[Octopus]

Just to let you chaps know , did some one ask about moving a consumer unit in scotland in bunglow recenty on this forum?

Yes - it was also by the same chap ...... it would appear that he ignores what he doesn't want to hear...

 

[MerlinGremlin]

Really? please explain.

Let me explain, you are moving the board from one location to another. You will be disconnecting all the cables and supply to the board. You want to strip the board down so you can try and fit suitable rcbo's. You are installing it in a new location. You must comply with current BS7671 regs. The work must be notified to LBC. The work must be done by a qualified Electrician who is a member of a scheme so the work can be done properly, to current regs, certified and notify LBC. If you want yours electrics done right and have no issues later on if and when you want to sell the property then pay a qualified Electrician to do it right, if your not going to do that then stop asking questions on here and ask your own Electrician who's charging you £250 and on about installing a sub standard board. Good Luck.

 

[Billsays]

Let me explain, you are moving the board from one location to another. You will be disconnecting all the cables and supply to the board. You want to strip the board down so you can try and fit suitable rcbo's. You are installing it in a new location. You must comply with current BS7671 regs. The work must be notified to LBC. The work must be done by a qualified Electrician who is a member of a scheme so the work can be done properly, to current regs, certified and notify LBC. If you want yours electrics done right and have no issues later on if and when you want to sell the property then pay a qualified Electrician to do it right, if your not going to do that then stop asking questions on here and ask your own Electrician who's charging you £250 and on about installing a sub standard board. Good Luck.

I,m more in the camp of post #50.

Your making it sound a bigger job than it actually is. Existing CCU is perfectly up-gradable.

 

[telectrix]

i may be wrong here, not having used a starbreaker board for ages, but aren't some of thos busbar slots Neutrals for the D/P RCBOs?

 

[MerlinGremlin]

I,m more in the camp of post #50.

Your making it sound a bigger job than it actually is. Existing CCU is perfectly up-gradable.

Do what you want, I've only been doing Electrics for over 20 years, done an apprenticeship etc. What do I know, but don't come posting on here when you can't get it signed off because you have used a plastic board and not a metal clad one as per the regs but what the hell, just do what you want.

 

[MerlinGremlin]

i may be wrong here, not having used a starbreaker board for ages, but aren't some of thos busbar slots Neutrals for the D/P RCBOs?

Let him find out the hard way as he keeps telling us what he's doing even though he's not qualified, his polish electrician can determine that.

 

[Billsays]

i may be wrong here, not having used a starbreaker board for ages, but aren't some of thos busbar slots Neutrals for the D/P RCBOs?

No Tel, the supply Neutral is behind the load neutral, it is hard to see. its a bit clearer here...... Crabtree Starbreaker RCBO 32 Amp 30mA B32 Type B 32A 61/B3230 Older Style - Willrose Electrical - Discontinued & Obsolete Circuit Breakers - https://willrose-electrical.co.uk/product/crabtree-starbreaker-rcbo-32-amp-30ma-b32-type-b-32a-61b3230-older-style/?gclid=CjwKCAjwtdbLBRALEiwAm8pA5ZDMauaYMe_BlqLV2MECNxoemKx69FEYSnjLIpQ114Je94eN_O8APRoC1TgQAvD_BwE

I use starbreaker a lot!

 

[MerlinGremlin]

Aren't they obsolete the starbreaker rcbo's ?