thin/slim profile or recessed 10 way consumer unit 17 December 2022 at 7:43AM in In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving 7 replies 154 views

11fernsroad

Hi

We wish to replace our old bulky 10 way RCD consumer unit with thin/slim profile or recessed 10 way consumer unit.

Our wall is 10cm in thickness and hence looking for units with smaller depth.

Any recommendations?

Many Thanks

grumbler

How 'bulky' is your current CU?

Do 'slim' CUs really exist? They contain the same parts and I don't see realistic ways or making them slimmer.

Recessed? - just chisel your 10cm wall and if it survives fix the CU in the recess. It can be easier with a stud wall.

11fernsroad

grumbler said:

How 'bulky' is your current CU?

Do 'slim' CUs really exist? They contain the same parts and I don't see realistic ways or making them slimmer.

Recessed? - just chisel your 10cm wall and if it survives fix the CU in the recess. It can be easier with a stud wall.

The boxy is fixed on top the wall

The cover is broken

And the box has yellowed and plastic

grumbler

OK, just replace it with a modern metal one - https://www.screwfix.com/c/electrical-lighting/consumer-units/cat7230028

Jonboy_1984

The Hager fitted into our last property shortly before we sold it earlier this year was 10cm in depth and looked quite slick (imo). 

I haven’t ever seen one fitted recessed, only ever surface mounted..

fenwick458

you can get recessed consumer units, but they can only be fitted if you have a stud wall.

Ectophile

A consumer unit can't be any slimmer than the breakers inside it.  The only way you'd be able to get something lower profile would be to bury it in the wall.  Skeleton ones are intended to be buried into walls.

By the time it's been brought up to modern standards, you may find that the new consumer unit has to be larger than the old one.  In particular, surge protection devices are now standard.

fenwick458

Ectophile said:

By the time it's been brought up to modern standards, you may find that the new consumer unit has to be larger than the old one.  In particular, surge protection devices are now standard.

they've actually got slightly smaller just recently, now a 10 way with RCBO's and SPD are about 300mm wide, and dual RCD boards were about 400mm. but I'd recommend anybody to size up if you can and have plenty of space for the future, a 14 way is likely to be less than £10 more and is still smaller than a dual RCD one