At the heart of the wiring of every modern home is the Consumer Unit.
Its job is twofold; firstly, to distribute electricity safely to all the different circuits around the property and secondly, to protect people within your household or workplace.
The unit has a number of important purposes, but one of the most essential is to enable the use of a variety of circuits which can all be protected individually by a circuit breaker.
For example, your property can have a separate electricity supply for the upstairs and downstairs area, boiler, cooker and can even have a separate electricity supply for the garden and outdoor lights.
This is where the importance of a consumer unit comes in because it allows different circuits to be used safely for these electricity supplies.
It really is the heart of your supply, controlling the wiring system for whatever electrical sources you may have in your property, which normally includes lighting, sockets and dedicated supplied for cookers/hobs etc
The modern use of Consumer Units
When they were first introduced, ‘fuse boards’ as they were known then, originally housed electrical fuses. They were not as sensitive or as fast as the modern consumer units, could be overloaded and tampered with and were the cause of many electrical fires.
Sometimes home ‘remedies’ have been used. Incorrect fuse wire, other kinds of wire (we’ve seen a coat hanger used!) and in certain cases, even nails were fashioned to complete the circuit, with disastrous results of fire and electrocution.
Today, things are different. Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCBs) have replaced the old fuses, are much more sensitive to any electrical spike and are much more tamper proof.
Fuse boards are still around and at Vector Electric, we have found some horrific sights which have been accidents waiting to happen. Luckily, we were called in just in time to replace these old fuse boards with brand new Consumer Units.
These not only fulfil an important purpose but are now much easier for you to manage.
If there is ever an electrical overload, the miniature circuit breaker (MCB) can be easily reset by you or anyone with a simple flick of the switch.
Another purpose for a circuit breaker would be for the disconnection of the supply of electricity for maintenance, which allows you or someone else to safely and easily change or replace a light bulb, replace a switch or plug socket, and more.
Ensuring safety for your property
To further protect you home and family form accidents another device called a Residual Current Device (RCD) is also used in Consumer Unit.
This special safety device trips out in a much faster manner compared to the normal or standard circuit breaker.
The RCD, or residual current device, not only provides this additional layer of protection, it can also save lives because they are designed to disconnect so fast that it prevents you and me from receiving a potentially lethal electric shock.
Nowadays, it is a requirement for there to be a residual current device or RCD installed in a consumer unit to protect all of the circuits. Current regulations state that these are mandatory on all modified and new circuits at the time of this article.
If you would like to know more about this, we would be happy to discuss that further with you. email info@vectorelectric.co.uk to arrange a no obligation advice call.
There are now also, new devices being used for Surge Protection. These help protect sensitive circuitry present in many household items, from washing machines to computers.
If this is a worry for you, let us stop that for you now by calling 0117 4034 023. Your safety is our concern.
Small, Medium and Large Units
Small Consumer Units are designed for garages or workshops. They normally comprise one or two MCB’s and an RCD, to ensure that those spaces are also protected.
Medium Consumer Units are most commonly found in domestic households. They are know as ‘split load’. This enables the circuits to be separated over two RCD’s so that if one RCD detects a problem, not all circuits are isolated, leaving power in part of the house.
Larger Consumer Unit, often double-stacked units (usually comprising of two residual current devices along with a main switch) provides ample circuit protection for as many as 32 electrical circuits.
Larger consumer units like these are most appropriate and used more often for industrial and commercial settings.
The Danger
There are still many of the old ‘fuse boards’ still around. If you have an older property, you may even have one.
If you have, this is a sign that your house hasn’t been rewired for some time and this may need immediate attention. Be informed of your options by calling an expert now on 0117 4034 023.
Old wiring deteriorates. The insulation starts to fail and can break down. Short circuits can occur. An old fuse board may not pick up on this problem and will not offer you the protection that a modern Consumer Unit will.
We save lives each time we replace an old fuse board with brand new Consumer Unit and can rewire your house to the very latest regulations.
We won’t cut corners because we value your safety and our work is guaranteed for ten years.
Don’t let that lingering danger keep you awake at night.
Call us now, 0117 4034 023 so we can give you the heart that will protect your home and bring you peace of mind.