Should I replace fusebox?

Likestowrite · 25 October 2014 at 8:20PM

I have an old style consumer unit with re-wireable fuses. I've never had any problem with it in 27 years of living in my house, but today when I switched the living room light on there was a popping sound and all the lights in the house went out. When the fuse was rewired by my neighbour the same thing happened again. He took off the light switch plate and said that the light switch was okay so the problem must be the chandelier style light fitting. The fuse was rewired again and the other lights in the house are working again. (I'm not using the living room light until it's fixed as the same thing will happen again.)

My neighbour advised me to have the consumer unit replaced when I get the light fitting repaired, as a new one will be safer. But when I had a new kitchen fitted a year ago the person who fitted it (a joiner with some electritical experience) told me that if I hadn't had any trouble with my consumer unit I shouldn't replace it as the trip switches on the new ones are very sensitive and always tripping which can be a huge nuisance. He didn't mention the safety aspect so now I don't know what to do.
Is my old consumer unit likely to be unsafe?
Any advice would be great.

matelodave · 25 October 2014 at 10:36PM

Why should it suddenly become unsafe?. The fact that it doesn't now comply with the latest specifications doesn't automatically make it unsafe.
If that was the case we'd all be rewiring, replumbing, reroofing etc.etc everytime a new specification or code of practice was issued.
It sounds like you've got a problem with your chandelier rather than your fusebox so changing the fusebox won't make your house any safer but sorting out the chandelier might.
If your chandelier has incandescent lamps (ordinary bulbs) then just a simple bulb blowing can blow a fuse - halogen downlighters are famous for it. Check the bulbs in the chandelier to see if one has blown.

Gloomendoom · 25 October 2014 at 11:22PM

Likestowrite wrote: »

Is my old consumer unit likely to be unsafe?

So far, the opposite seems to be the case. It's doing it's job properly and protecting you from an electrical fault.

Likestowrite · 26 October 2014 at 1:21PM

matelodave wrote: »

Why should it suddenly become unsafe?. The fact that it doesn't now comply with the latest specifications doesn't automatically make it unsafe.
If that was the case we'd all be rewiring, replumbing, reroofing etc.etc everytime a new specification or code of practice was issued.
It sounds like you've got a problem with your chandelier rather than your fusebox so changing the fusebox won't make your house any safer but sorting out the chandelier might.
If your chandelier has incandescent lamps (ordinary bulbs) then just a simple bulb blowing can blow a fuse - halogen downlighters are famous for it. Check the bulbs in the chandelier to see if one has blown.

Thank you. Yes a bulb in the chandelier had blown and when the fuse was repaired in the fuse box another chandelier bulb immediately blew when the light was switched on.
So if I get the fault in the chandelier fixed there's no need to upgrade the consumer unit? The neighbour said something about an upgraded consumer unit would cut the current in a fraction of a second in a situation where I might get an electric shock, while my present fuse box would take 4 seconds to cut the current. But I don't understand what sort of situation could cause an electric shock. The electric lawn mower could I suppose, if someone accidentally cut through the cable, but it has a plug-in circuit breaker.

victor2 · 26 October 2014 at 1:53PM

Likestowrite wrote: »

Thank you. Yes a bulb in the chandelier had blown and when the fuse was repaired in the fuse box another chandelier bulb immediately blew when the light was switched on.
So if I get the fault in the chandelier fixed there's no need to upgrade the consumer unit? The neighbour said something about an upgraded consumer unit would cut the current in a fraction of a second in a situation where I might get an electric shock, while my present fuse box would take 4 seconds to cut the current. But I don't understand what sort of situation could cause an electric shock. The electric lawn mower could I suppose, if someone accidentally cut through the cable, but it has a plug-in circuit breaker.

A new consumer unit would be safer in that it would have an RCD breaker in it as well as correctly rated circuit breakers. "4 seconds to cut the current" probably didn't happen with your faulty light fitting - it depends on the fault load how quickly a wired fuse (or circuit breaker) will go. As others have suggested, it probably isn't dangerous and replacing it may not be necessary. Switches are much more convenient than wired fuses, but that comes at a price of course.

We have RCD protection on our ring main and find that steam irons generally last a year before they start tripping the RCD. The last one I bought has a 2 year warranty but isn't a year old yet...:)

If you're getting a qualified electrician to look at the light fitting, get his/her opinion on the consumer unit as well.

matelodave · 26 October 2014 at 3:41PM

My mate has just been persuaded to change his fuse board and 10mm meter tails to 16mm as that's the latest spec.
The incoming mains to his house is still only 10mm so he's been conned, the electricity board hasn't seen fit to upgrade all the incoming mains so why do the meter tails have to be even bigger?

If you really want an RCD then one can be fitted between the fuse board and the incoming mains fuse without changing the existing fuseboard. In the end it's your decision but don't be scared into it because it's not necessary.

As gloomendoom said, it's doing it the job it was intended to - try buying better quality bulbs

newbie1980 · 26 October 2014 at 3:47PM

matelodave

because the regulations state you have to have the bigger tails which will be 25mm from 16mm

the supplier can do as they wish as they believe the wire in the floor allows it to cool so can be a smaller size

get the facts before you judge

Cardew · 26 October 2014 at 9:49PM

A consolation that if you get a modern consumer unit fitted, they are much cheaper than yesteryear.

It might be worth getting a quote from a local electrician.

Ectophile · 27 October 2014 at 10:32PM

Cardew wrote: »

A consolation that if you get a modern consumer unit fitted, they are much cheaper than yesteryear.

It might be worth getting a quote from a local electrician.

That's because the modern ones are made in China, using cheap flimsy plastic that isn't remotely fireproof.

Robwiz · 27 October 2014 at 11:09PM

Ectophile wrote: »

That's because the modern ones are made in China, using cheap flimsy plastic that isn't remotely fireproof.

Good point. I think I'm inclined to stick with what works, made in the UK at a time when things were built to last!

Silent_Dancer · 2 November 2014 at 9:36AM

I'm surprised that it wasn't upgraded when the kitchen was done. Any work to the ring main would normally trigger an upgrade.

Ectophile wrote: »

That's because the modern ones are made in China, using cheap flimsy plastic that isn't remotely fireproof.

Not true the consumer unit will have to meet the relevant British and European standards.

Should I replace fusebox?

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