Why to change a consumer unit ?

[Jak1708]

Hi all

obviously sounds like a stupid question but couldent think of anything else as a title

basically i am wanting to train as an electrician and have now got my 17th edition passed, i work as a kitchen fitter with my dad at the minute and we needed electrical work done so (as im not yet registered) we got our normal sparky to do the job but he said he couldent do the job unless the CU was updated to comply with 17th regs so i was curious and had a look at it, the only thing i could see was wrong was that the bathroom and all sockets weren't RCD protected and surely it would of just been cheaper to put RCD's in the board ?

am i right and our spark was just blagging for more work or is it better to change the whole unit if it doesent comply with 17th edition?

thanks again all !

Jack

 

[Mac]

a ha ! legend cheers mac !

that does help loads !

Regulation 411.3.3 (i) states 'socket-outlets with a rated current not exceeding 20A that are for use by ordinary persons and are intended for general use' ...shall be protected by a an RCD with a rated residual operating current not exceeding 30mA

 

[Jak1708]

brilliant thankyou mac, so for example in the situation of this kitchen we were fitting really as far as the regs are concerned the sparky could of just inserted RCD's to protect the sockets which as far as i can see would of satisifed the regs, but not his pocket and therefore he said to change the cu ?

however i havent changed a cu personally so is it physically easier and more practicale to change the whole cu ratther than inserting rcds to an existing unit ?

 

[Mac]

brilliant thankyou mac, so for example in the situation of this kitchen we were fitting really as far as the regs are concerned the sparky could of just inserted RCD's to protect the sockets which as far as i can see would of satisifed the regs, but not his pocket and therefore he said to change the cu ?

however i havent changed a cu personally so is it physically easier and more practicale to change the whole cu ratther than inserting rcds to an existing unit ?

just to let you know the cu looked fine and the fuses werent rewirable.This is what you quoted an hour ago .Are there MCB's installed in the boardStill reckon it will need a PIR done mate.

 

[Jak1708]

yes sorry mac it does have mcb's but had no RCD's before he raplaced thr cu

 

[Mac]

Sorry mate you are confusing me now,has the board been changed

 

[Jak1708]

lol sorry, before anyone did any work it just had mcb's then he changed the whole cu so that it had rcd's, but couldent he had just added rcds to the existing unit ?

 

[Mac]

Probably could have replaced them with RCBO's.Expensive thou.Don't know mate,unless i seen the board

 

[Jak1708]

o kk cool ! thanks for the help !!