Your consumer unit, or fuse board as it was previously known, is the heart of every electrical installation. Ensuring your consumer unit is safe for continued use is therefore essential to the overall safety of your property and those who live with you.
Consumer units perform two vital functions:
1. Protecting cables (and subsequently appliances) from overload which can cause fire.
2. Protecting humans from the electric shock caused by earth leakage.
From 1st June 2016, all new consumer units were required to be made of a non-combustible material or enclosed in a non-combustible enclosure. Consumer units sold in the UK today meet this requirement as they are of a metallic construction.
NOTE – there is no requirement to change your older fuse board for a modern version simply because it is not metallic.
It is important to check the correct operation of your switches inside your consumer unit. Most notably, if you have an RCD installed. RCDs open the circuit instantaneously if they detect a fault current is passing to earth and are essential in helping prevent injuries from a potential electric shock. Homeowners can test their operation themsleves by pressing the blue, yellow or black button on the front of their RCD, often lablelled ‘test’. Please ensure it is safe and convenient for power to be switched off during your testing.
If pushing the button does not cause the RCD to trip, it is likely your RCD has failed. Please call Cornwall Electrician to provide more thourough testing.
Many older style ‘Fuse boards’ are still in operation today. These can usually be identified by their black fuse carriers, often with a red, yellow, blue or white dot to denote the size of the fuse wire inside. While our regulations do not require you to upgrade if you have one of these fuse boards, Cornwall Electrician would strongly suggest you book an inspection to confirm your installation is safe for continued use.