Does this look like a fuse box? Does it look it needs replacing?

wallbash

That looks like the same as what you would find in millions of homes in the UK. Yes its dated , yes it should be replaced at some time.

But it has done its job safely for many years and would continue to be workable. But of course you may want to add additional appliances.Then you would have to update. So take a good look and don't panic.

brightontraveller

Picture 4jenr6dzp looks like wylex metal consumer unit (*Fuse board) from the 60’s still in production same style until around 2008 after that date the style changed a little
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Images/Products/size_3/WY406.JPG
Below that MEM (red letters ) date circa same probably feeding cooker or shower sometimes another consumer unit* etc ?

It would fail a cert (unless electricians a cowboy) replacing consumer unit* only really gives benefit of rcd protection (if the cable is the same age though it will be coming to the end of its life so bit of a waste of time.without rewire ) Rcd protection achievable without consumer unit* replacement ?

I’d be thinking rewire either now or within next five years sooner if your decorating, refurbishing, putting down new flooring, replacing kitchen etc unless your just doing it to sell it on ?

Picture 8nzlsn9oz is supplier’s meter, Age of this has absolutely no bearing on the installations safety at all… Meter changers just fit what there told when there told there not concerned with the electrical safety of the installation.

Pic dhwd4wdb1 is Suppliers Cutout, Service head etc and underneath black Bakelite looking box with grey, red, black cables coming out of it is a Henley block, Service Connector Block etc

pichon

Wow!

Thank you so much for all of the input!
I'm so impressed and touched by all the help.
I wish I could understand more but I guess I will pick up more knowledge as we move in and get on with work.

We will be living in the property, so my husband and I are discussing ideas. It has been a rental property for a long time so it needs work.

We want to insulate underneath the suspended timber floor because I developed so many health issues from draught and damp in our previous rental flat. Asthma being one of them, hence the carpets will have to go. I guess if we have to do it anyway in near future, it would make sense to rewire before we insulate the floors when we have little furniture in. No idea how much rewiring will cost (for a 85 sq.m 3-bed end terraced house) in the South West, but an online search suggests roughly £2-3000 (does it sound right?). That may mean we will have to postpone some other things we had intended to do, but I guess having safe electricity is more important than cosmetic work!

Thanks again! x

Nilrem

If you can afford it and the wiring is old it makes a great deal of sense to do that work now before you've moved in fully/decorated, as long term it's the least disruption.

And if they're rewiring the house you can get things like single sockets changed to doubles (or even 4 sockets in the lounge), which makes life easier in the long term.

It's something I would love to do here, but at the moment we can't afford the disruption (health issues and no real spare room so we'd probably have to move out and put stuff in storage).

Blackpool_Saver

There is nothing more important than electrical safety, take it from one who knows, we nearly died through the negligence of a landlord. make it your priority.

Edited to add: I presume you will have your gas checked too ;-) the combination of old electrics and gas...well do I need to spell it out?

C_Mababejive

Just because its a few years old it doesnt mean it doesnt work. I am no expert but this looks circa 1980 ish

Risteard

C_Mababejive wrote: »

Just because its a few years old it doesnt mean it doesnt work. I am no expert but this looks circa 1980 ish

Nobody said it didn't work. That doesn't change the fact that the installation lacks additional protection and quite possibly many other safety concerns, and is plainly dated.

DandelionPatrol

Ant555 wrote: »

You will find the fuses themselves under the grey plastic cover to the left of the switch on picture 1. The (plastic?) grey screw at the top is what releases the cover.

bondy01 wrote: »

Fuse box looks similar to the one in my parents place. If you remove the cover I suspect there could be 4 rewireable fuses under there. A bit dated but the meter looks recent.

If the fuses are rewireable, they need swapping out for cartridge fuses or MCB's. This can be done very cheaply. Apart from doing this, I would leave the consumer unit alone and only change it as part of a bigger rewire.

phoenix_w

DandelionPatrol wrote: »

If the fuses are rewireable, they need swapping out for cartridge fuses or MCB's. This can be done very cheaply.

I'd disagree with this. Adding an MCB won't protect life like a new CU with RCD protection will. I replaced all the rewireable fuses with MCB's on my old wylex board and it ended up costing quite a bit (6 MCB's, roughly £8-£8.50 each). There was very little benefit in doing so - the MCB's never tripped despite fuses blowing in dodgy appliances as you'd expect, and when it came time to add a new circuit the electrician strongly recommended replacing the consumer unit anyway else he would have to fit a separate RCD to protect the new circuit - a card with fuse wire is about 50p and you're never likely to use it.

Save the money and, when you're ready, put it towards a new CU. Adding MCB's is probably worth it if you're going to be DIY tinkering with the circuits a lot so you don't need to turn off the whole supply, but for most people they'll be a waste of cash.

DandelionPatrol

phoenix_w wrote: »

I'd disagree with this. Adding an MCB won't protect life like a new CU with RCD protection will. I replaced all the rewireable fuses with MCB's on my old wylex board and it ended up costing quite a bit (6 MCB's, roughly £8-£8.50 each). There was very little benefit in doing so - the MCB's never tripped despite fuses blowing in dodgy appliances as you'd expect, and when it came time to add a new circuit the electrician strongly recommended replacing the consumer unit anyway else he would have to fit a separate RCD to protect the new circuit - a card with fuse wire is about 50p and you're never likely to use it.

Save the money and, when you're ready, put it towards a new CU. Adding MCB's is probably worth it if you're going to be DIY tinkering with the circuits a lot so you don't need to turn off the whole supply, but for most people they'll be a waste of cash.

Plainly, you have never looked at the fuse characteristic curves and compared the difference between rewireables and the alternatives.

Of course the time to replace the consumer unit is when you add a circuit and need an RCD to comply with modern standards.