We have an old fuse panel which is type you have to replace wires. Wiring in the house is at least 30-35 years old. We had an electrician in to discuss it. He did a visual check of plugs, sockets etc. He said he we could update to new unit. He mentioned putting a device on fuse box to see where current is going etc. Am I to assume that device will pick up any serious faults in wiring system, which would require updating before putting in new consumer unit. We own our home and he said he did not see anything that troubles him However, he did not do the report.
I do smell a weird, burning smell at times My partner never smells it, and says burning wires would have awful plastic burning smell. It smells like someone is burning something in their garden or chimney but no fires anywhere around I also suffer with allergies so that could be cause.
We are worried as we want to update to current consumer unit, due to old one being outdated and not up to current regulations He quoted £550 for work and did say he would be here all day to ensure everything is safe before he issues certificate.
Dee
Are you a tradesperson and able to answer this question?
550 sounds about the right price. The electrician was testing for any earth leakage which would indicate whether or not a new RCD board could be installed. It all sounds fine, best to go ahead and upgrade the fuseboard.
A new consumer unit must come with a full check of the wiring in the house. Any faults found will need to be fixed before the electricity certificate is issued. There is a device called an Arc Fault Protection Device that can be fitted to the consumer unit to detect arcing faults. Arc faults are heard as a 'crackle' in the plug or socket, and usually smell of ozone. However they are not mandatory and are very expensive. It may be more cost effective to simply check all the sockets and switches in the property, which should be done as part of issuing the certificate anyway.
After replacing a consumer unit an electrical installation test will have to be carried out on the installation and all circuits it supplies and a certificate issued. Therefore everything covered on the test will have to meet current regulations.
If he has said he will be doing this then he must be confident in it passing this test and therefore he will be able to issue an installation certificate. Do not have your consumer unit changed without it being signed off and notified to local council through a governing body (NIC, Stroma, Napit, etc).
I personally offer to carry out an electrical installation condition report before replacing an existing consumer unit so I can be sure the installation will meet current regulations and there will be no surprises or any additional work needed can be discussed. Also that way once it’s replaced I can alter the existing test to match the changes I have made and carry out any necessary tests which may be different.
I would think that due to the age of the fuse box the property is due a rewire as the earth wires in the existing cables would possibly be to small to meet the new regs
As for a device to message current not sore how this would help
Part of the process of installing a new consumer unit involves testing all circuits for : a- continuity of earthing
b- insulation resistance- this will show if the wiring is safe or not.
c: the incoming supply
In any event a new consumer unit would be advisable since it would be part of a complete rewire.
There are sometimes hidden problems which do not show up on a visual inspection. Your electrician will need to be confident that existing wiring is in good condition because a modern consumer unit will contain RCD's to protect every circuit in the house (normally). Your existing installation may be functioning but this does not necessarily mean it is safe. Testing can more often than not help us to find these faults and repair them. What we do not want is for a new consumer unit to be installed and find that we have 'nuisance tripping' where the RCD is detecting the fault. Fix first rather than fire fight after. It is a good idea to carry out a condition report beforehand or at least a schedule of test results. If no faults are found or no faults remain after remedial work completed then a consumer unit change out should be painless affair with minimum disruption.
You will need an Electrical Installation Certificate and the job is also notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations, which would normally be taken care of by your electrician.
