Fuse Boxes

[jennyjoan]

Another post has reminded me - if I were to change an old fuse box to the one that "trip switches" - how much would it be ie an electrician to install one. Thanks

My fuse box currently is the cement thingmajig - you pull out and replace with the 30A 13A 3A fuses which I do myself.

[Hymie]

A colleague of mine paid £200 for an installation (excluding the cost of the consumer unit), which I thought was not bad.

But much might depend on how easy the replacement is – when I replaced mine a few years ago there was insufficient room for a swap out and I had to run extra lengths of cable to accommodate the new location. And in my current property, the regulations did not permit a new consumer unit to be located where it was within the kitchen.

I would suggest you get three reputable electricians to quote you. My advice is to have a modern consumer unit fitted with a split load. These units have two banks of circuit breakers each protected by an earth leakage trip. With one bank supplying power to the ground floor electrics and the other to the upstairs, should one bank develop a fault you will still have power within the property.

I think anyone with an old style fuse box should consider such an upgrade – with a modern consumer unit it is almost impossible to electrocute yourself, and will reduce the chances of an electrical fire.

[jennyjoan]

At the mo - with what I am going through with renovations and getting a fireplace replaced etc etc - I think I will keep my cementy things.

I know this is a very dangerous thing but I was shown by my neighbour many years ago - when a fuse burnt out and I didn't have a new fuse ie at Xmas, Easter - he showed how to wire a fuse wire around the burnt out fuse and that done the trick. However I always replaced the new fuse. I am surprised I am still alive - however the 9 lives are down to about 6 now LOL