Periodic Inspection and Replace Consumer Unit

phoenix__

I've been given the price of £500 inc VAT for an inspection of the house electrics, and then replace the old consumer unit. The price doesn't include any work needed to be done as a result of the inpsection (obviously, won't be known until inspected) and doesn't include the cost of the consumer unit/MCBO.

The house is 3-floor, 4 bed semi in SE London, there are 8 MCBs in the current consumer unit (at capacity), although 9 cables have been identified entering the unit so presumable 1 MCB is connected to 2 circuits.

I've got another electrician coming to provide a quote, but what are people's thoughts on this price?

Cheers,
-Jeff

baldelectrician

I did the same thing last week for £320 (new consumer unit, testing and a bit of fault finding).

We are going back to site next week to fault find more and repair the dodgy wiring found. This will be charged at the usual rate of £37.50 per hour.

The whole job (new consumer unit, fault finding, lifting floor boards etc will probably come in less than you have been quoted)

Be careful what make of consumer unit you get see the WYLEX thread.

booty40uk

I sub contracted exactly the same job to an electrician i know of last month and he also charged me £320. There were some problems with the existing circuitry which took him 2 hours to sort out at an additional cost of £75.00, so exactly as Baldelectrician says.

He used a Hager board by the way.

hth

Andy

fluffpot

Be aware OP, that the prices charged in SE London are not the same as in Scotland! They will be higher.

I would say that £500 is OK, but depending on the configuration of the new fuseboard this would rise significantly, esp if individual RCBO's are used instead of say a dual RCD board. Also you should check if this price includes main earthing (bonding) to gas and water pipes

phoenix__

Thanks for the replies guys. Wylex were the brand I was thinking of getting but maybe I'll reconsider it.

I'm expecting the RBCOs to be ~ £30-£40 each, and probably need 10 + the cost of the consumer unit itself.

That price does include the bonding, I think it was £60 of the total.

WillowCat

You don't have to use RCBO's on all circuits - though that is the gold standard. Most people use a split unit with 2 x rcds protecting.

I've just had a new unit fitted, and have had 2 RCBO's fitted - one for the fridge/freezer circuit and one for the smoke alarms. All the other circuits are split between the two main RCD's.

I bought an MK 15 way unit with main switch and 2 RCD's, then the MK RCBOs were I think £25 + vat each and the other MCB's £3.50 + VAT each.

phoenix__

I want a consumer unit which complies to 17th edition, however all 17th edition (with dual RCD) are wider than ~30cm. Our current consumer unit is right next to the main gas meter so there is no way to install a CU wider than this without having to move the gas meter, or move the electriciy meter. Installing a 30cm wide consumer unit with a single master switch and individual RCBOs would be much cheaper than having either meter moved, or looking at MKs consumer units which can be joined together.

baldelectrician

WillowCat wrote: »

You don't have to use RCBO's on all circuits - though that is the gold standard. Most people use a split unit with 2 x rcds protecting.

I've just had a new unit fitted, and have had 2 RCBO's fitted - one for the fridge/freezer circuit and one for the smoke alarms. All the other circuits are split between the two main RCD's.

I bought an MK 15 way unit with main switch and 2 RCD's, then the MK RCBOs were I think £25 + vat each and the other MCB's £3.50 + VAT each.

I have MK in my home, but found that I had problems with their stuff. I had a new style RCBO (7936s) faulty on new install
Stopped using them 8 months ago

baldelectrician

phoenix__ wrote: »

I want a consumer unit which complies to 17th edition, however all 17th edition (with dual RCD) are wider than ~30cm. Our current consumer unit is right next to the main gas meter so there is no way to install a CU wider than this without having to move the gas meter, or move the electriciy meter. Installing a 30cm wide consumer unit with a single master switch and individual RCBOs would be much cheaper than having either meter moved, or looking at MKs consumer units which can be joined together.

The other option is to use a 16th Edition consumer unit and use RCBO's on the non RCD side

phoenix__

baldelectrician wrote: »

The other option is to use a 16th Edition consumer unit and use RCBO's on the non RCD side

A quick look round Screwfix identfied 1 12-way consumer unit with 6 unprotected and 6 protected - unfortunately even this is too wide (by a couple of cm). http://www.screwfix.com/prods/60251/Electrical-Supplies/Consumer-Units/Wylex-Consumer-Units/WYLEX-12-Way-Fully-Insulated-Split-Load-Consumer-Unit

If I go for a unit like http://www.screwfix.com/prods/90099/Electrical-Supplies/Consumer-Units/Crabtree-Consumer-Units/Crabtree-10-Way-Fully-Insulated-Main-Switch-Consumer-Unit# then obviously there is no protection and each circuit would need an RCBO.

If I go for a unit like http://www.screwfix.com/prods/49738/Electrical-Supplies/Consumer-Units/Crabtree-Consumer-Units/Crabtree-10-Way-Fully-Insulated-Consumer-Unit# which is intended to have a single RCD for all 10, could I move the RCD to give 5+5 or is the RCD in a fixed position?

Currently there are 8 MCBs in use, and I believe that 1 has two circuits connected, so I would instantly fill 9 slots in a new unit. At some point in the future we might be installing an electric shower which would require an additional slot and would completely fill the unit - so getting a 12 way with all RCBOs, although more expensive might work out better in the long run.

zax47

phoenix__ wrote: »

Currently there are 8 MCBs in use, and I believe that 1 has two circuits connected, so I would instantly fill 9 slots in a new unit. At some point in the future we might be installing an electric shower which would require an additional slot and would completely fill the unit - so getting a 12 way with all RCBOs, although more expensive might work out better in the long run.

Don't forget that ring finals ("ring mains") serving your sockets only use 1 MCB/RCBO per circuit but 2 cables - it's wired in a ring which starts and ends at the MCB. Your electrician should be able to advise appropriately - talk to him (we don't bite!).