What's included
Older boards can't isolate a single faulty circuit and offer little protection against electric shock. A modern unit meets the 18th Edition and is often required by insurers and during a house sale.
Fuse board and consumer unit upgrades
How to tell yours is due
If your board has rewireable fuses with actual fuse wire, or a row of plastic breakers with no test button anywhere, it predates the protection now expected. Older boards frequently have no RCD protection at all, which is the device that cuts power fast enough to matter if someone contacts a live conductor. A wooden backing board or a plastic enclosure in a domestic property is another sign it is time.
What actually changes
A modern board provides individual protection per circuit, so a fault in the kitchen no longer takes out the lights upstairs. It also brings in surge protection and arc fault protection where appropriate. The practical difference most people notice is that faults are isolated instead of plunging the whole house into darkness.
Why the circuits get tested first
A new board will not fix bad wiring, and fitting one over faulty circuits usually results in the new protective devices tripping constantly, which is exactly what they are designed to do. We test the existing circuits before quoting so you know whether anything else needs attention. It is better to hear that up front than to discover it on the day.
Expect some disruption, but not much
A straightforward board change is normally a day with the power off for a good part of it. Where circuits need remedial work it can run longer, which is another reason for testing beforehand. You get certification for the work when it is finished.
Consumer unit replacement and circuit testing for homes and small commercial premises across Blackpool and the Fylde Coast.