Replacing fusebox

cherryblossomzel · 20 July 2019 at 9:38AM

I'm in desperate need of some guidance from people more experienced than me.

I recently bought a new freestanding electric cooker. I used to have an integrated electric hob and oven. I need a new circuit for the cooker. This is all fine. I was also advised to replace the fusebox, which I am more than happy to do as it is pretty old. What I'm not sure of is the regulations around doing this, and what may be a good idea to do even if it isn't actually legally required. Does this type of work need to be reported to the authorities? Should I get an electrical safety certificate?

I will of course get electricians in to quote, but I just have no idea what to ask them, and don't want to get it wrong and then have trouble when I need to sell, or find out that my insurance is invalidated or something silly.

Thanks in advance

tacpot12 · 20 July 2019 at 10:08AM

If your 'fusebox' doesn't have an RCD in it, then replacing it is a good idea, even if the existing fusebox isn't damaged. (An RCD will have a button with a "T" on it as well as a switch that will flip up and down.)

The regulations are that you have to notify to the authorities, specifically to building control OR you can use an electrician who is a member of a Competent Persons Scheme - their scheme will provide a way for the electrician to notify the authorities on your behalf.

You should make the notification of building control part of your contract with your electrician AND only pay the final portion (25%) of the bill when you get the certificate back from building control.

The electrician will issue their own Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) for the new fusebox and the new circuit, but might withhold this until you pay the final portion of the bill. This is ok and gives them piece of mind.

A good electrician will insist on inspecting the electrical installation before they start work on replacing the fusebox, and will give you a list of the problems they find, and give you time to consider which ones you want fixing. Not all 'problems' need fixing as some of them will just be ways in which your installation does not comply with the regulations as they stand today. This does not necessarily make the installation unsafe.

You could pay for a separate Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) which will tell you about the same problems, but in a formal report. You don't need an EICR, but you can ask the electrician to use the codes that an EICR would use when describing any faults he finds in the pre-board change inspection. The codes are C1, C2 and C3. Any C1 and C2 problems should be fixed before or during the board change.

Your contract should cover:
- Pre-fusebox change inspection (fixed price)
- Remedial Work (hourly rate)
- The board change (fixed price)
- The new circuit for the cooker (fixed price)
-Inspection and Certification (fixed price)
- Notification to Building control (included in the board change)
- Payment terms: expect to pay:
- 25% before work starts
- 50% when the electrician leaves the house after all the work is done
- 25% when the certificate arrives from Building Control.

Heedtheadvice · 20 July 2019 at 10:16AM

How old is pretty old????
A few years or twenty odd years.......

Age is not necessarily a reason to install a new consumer unit.
If it is still safe then it is still legal.

However there are very good reasons why regulations have changed (improved) over the years and one main driver is improved safety. Such as making the consumer unit metallic instead of plastic in recent history, plus lots more!

If your consumer unit has plug in fuses, or worse fuse wire( really ancient) then apart from age concerns (there is likely to be some deterioration in it) fuses far from provide the best protection from faults that might cause over heating (fire risk) or leakage problems (shocks) so to ought to replace with a modern unit that has a combination of over current breakers and risidual current breakers to feduce very significantly fire and shock risks.

If you have been advised to change it (by formal report) it means it is not necessarily unsafe but could be a lot better! On the other hand you might possibly just have been given some sales marketing if from a passing verbal comment.....but it could be good advice too!

Any change will need to be installed by qualified electricians, to current wiring regulations and include testing certification. Cost will be in the region on £400 upwards dending on complexity of the unit (minor costs), installation time and your location. Use an electrician who is a current member of a trade body such a SELECT or NICIEC (see http://www.electricalsafetyregister.com/about.html
) It is not a task for DIY it requires a competent person!!!!

Heedtheadvice · 20 July 2019 at 10:24AM

and yes tacpot gave a good more detailed response during my slow typing!
Do note that the need to comply with building regulations and processes are slightly different depending upon which country the work is in but that is more just a formality. The Wiring Regulations apply accross the whole of the UK.

Ectophile · 20 July 2019 at 12:26PM

Legally, replacing a fusebox is covered by building regulations (part P), and needs to be notified to the council. Note that the rules vary across the UK - Scotland has its own rules, and the precise details are different for England, Wales and NI.

You could go through the whole building control system, notifying the council and paying an extortionate fee.

Or you could get an electrician who is in one of the registration schemes. They can do the work, and notify it through their scheme. See https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/find-an-electrician/

Be aware that a diligent electrician will want to perform some basic safety tests before re-connecting each circuit. There is a risk that they may uncover some nasties when doing this, and that fixing them is unlikely to be covered by the initial quote.

cherryblossomzel · 20 July 2019 at 1:21PM

Thank you all so much, that's really helpful. I definitely have no intention of doing this myself; definitely will pay a registered electrician.

The building was converted to flats in the mid-70s, and I'm not sure that any electrical work has been done since, so when I say old, I do mean decades! I'd rather just replace the unit. Also happy for them to do some checks and if things need to be replaced, then that'll just have to be done, even if it is an extra cost.

tacpot12 · 20 July 2019 at 5:13PM

It's a good investment in the building to check the electrics every ten years or so. While the PVC insulation on cables is very robust, over long periods of time it does lose some of its insulating property, so once the cables have been installed for fifty years or more, checking them every ten years or so allows deterioration to be spotted before it becomes dangerous.

Over a ten year period, it is also possible that some switches have also been used so much that they are ready for replacement.

Replacing fusebox

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