Looking for advice on the best brands of Domestic CU available

[Retired-Still-Interested]

Hi. Can any electricians who carry out domestic installations recommend the best brands of CU currently available. I am a recently retired electrician (over 50 yrs in the trade) but worked mainly in industrial/commercial installations and maintenance. Working now for family, friends and neighbour's for mates rates of course. I prefer good quality gear and I don't mind paying for it.I am familiar with the likes ok MK , Crabtree, Merlin Gerin and Square D etc but I can see a lot of new names out there now such as BG ,MCG, M2, Proteus, and Contactum etc. I will be grateful for any advice/recommendations that electrician's have to offer. Thank you.

 

[telectrix]

Fusebox CUs seem to be very popular with a lot of members. BG are good value for the price. I've used several BG without any problems. . Proteus are own brand by CEF and are pants.

 

[Pete999]

Hi. Can any electricians who carry out domestic installations recommend the best brands of CU currently available. I am a recently retired electrician (over 50 yrs in the trade) but worked mainly in industrial/commercial installations and maintenance. Working now for family, friends and neighbour's for mates rates of course. I prefer good quality gear and I don't mind paying for it.I am familiar with the likes ok MK , Crabtree, Merlin Gerin and Square D etc but I can see a lot of new names out there now such as BG ,MCG, M2, Proteus, and Contactum etc. I will be grateful for any advice/recommendations that electrician's have to offer. Thank you.

Not Proteus though, had some awful catastrophes with Proteus

 

[Dustydazzler]

generally domestic sparks will tend to install what ever is cheapest or on special at their local suppliers.
that said I don’t do math board swaps these days and will only use rcbo boards...

 

[loz2754]

And don't forget a consumer unit change is classed as notifiable works under Part P of the building regulations.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Similar position to you "Retired-still-interested", now days I only use Hager boards and RCBO's they seem to give less problems than most.

 

[telectrix]

Similar position to you "Retired-still-interested", now days I only use Hager boards and RCBO's they seem to give less problems than most.

Till you try to get the cover screws in., 3 hands needed. 1 to hold the cover in correct alignment, 1 to hold the flap up, and 1 for the screwdriver.

 

[Retired-Still-Interested]

And don't forget a consumer unit change is classed as notifiable works under Part P of the building regulations.

I don't have the Part P qualification. I was left unimpressed a while ago when I had to pay my local authority planning department £55.0 to come and inspect/test the new wiring I had installed in a building extension to my property before they would sign it off to comply with Building Regs etc. Without being disrespectful to the young electrician who attended he asked me if I had installed additional lightning and power circuits or extended them and what my test results were. He made a note of all that and signed it off. It felt like a box ticking exercise where the experience and knowledge of the electrician counted for nothing. Would it be a one day course for me as an experienced electrician and what would it cost me

 

[Mike Johnson]

Get hold of a copy of the Regulations, read until you understand them, that's it.

 

[SJD]

Till you try to get the cover screws in., 3 hands needed. 1 to hold the cover in correct alignment, 1 to hold the flap up, and 1 for the screwdriver.

Try a Hager dual-row board, with 2 flaps to hold up ...

 

[Zerax]

I don't have the Part P qualification.

Part P is not a qualification.

If you wish to be able to sign-off notifiable work, you need to be a scam member... which involves a sizeable one-off fee, then equally sizeable annual fees.

 

[Zerax]

He made a note of all that and signed it off. It felt like a box ticking exercise...

That's because it was... but in all fairness to the local authority... they're just doing modern society demands of them.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Try a Hager dual-row board, with 2 flaps to hold up ...

Small rare earth Magnet.

 

[Strima]

Fusebox, Lewden, Wylex and Hager.

For some reason customers don't want to pay out for Schneider...

 

[Zerax]

Small rare earth Magnet.

I think the Contactum boards come with them ?