Consumer unit replacement

ic

Replace your fuse with this: http://www.screwfix.com/p/wylex-32a-sp-type-b-curve-mcb/87979

Richie-from-the-Boro

A switch box about £80 tops, but do you need to change the CU ? a 45A DP Switch is about a tenner and a 45A Cooker Connection Unit is about a fiver.

Do you really need to replace the CU ?. One of the unseen and expensive outcomes on upgrading is sensitivity. Your existing old box works and does not trip. The difference between your old and intended new is nuisance tripping. The sensitivity [it will find the tiniest fault] of a new box will magnify considerably any issues there are with your entire wiring in the house. You need to understand if the newly installed CU trips it is operating correctly detecting a fault condition somewhere on the installation or connected appliances, the standard it works to however would be completely different to the requirements of the old CU.

Note, nothing may happen - you may never get 'tripping' just be aware that any 'bodge person' having already wired a cooker without a double pole cooker switch for total isolation will almost certainly not have bothered clearing up the wiring behind the cooker with a safety 45A outlet.

ValHaller

Wywth wrote: »

.... Replacement of the CU will cost £100s.

However, what seems to be the issue is the lack of a suitable isloation switch for the oven. You could ask a suitable qualified electriacn to fit you one of these, which will be much cheaper and will prevent the need for you to keep running to the CU everytime to switch the oven on and off.

You could end up damaging the existing CU if you continue to do what you currently are doing as they were never designed for such use.

I agree with this. What you need is a suitable isolation switch in the kitchen.

It may well be time to replace the consumer unit, but even with MCBs, it is not adequate for what you require - I strongly suspect that MCBs are not designed to be used several times a day as an isolator - in fact switching off at the consumer unit - whether by pulling a fuse or turning off an MCB is not true isolation.

C_Mababejive

Agree with #13...sometimes you can be too protective and cause yourself a lot of grief.I have a metalclad wylex CU which originally had rewireable cartridges like the OPS. It had the benefit of a main incomer circuit breaker. The carts have since been replaced with MCBs. All wiring is about 33 years old when new build.