Hi, I am after some advice on home electrics. Currently having a loft conversion built and have been told we need a new fuse box/consumer unit and at great expense. I disagree but could do with some help from someone who has more of a clue than me to challenge them back. Thanks.
Simply ask why? Does the current fuse box have an RCD? Is it the old fashioned fuses (wire)? Probably the loft will require a new circuit for power and lights, are there spare slots in the current fuse box? Building regs now state that fuse box needs to be metal not plastic and will form part of you building control inspection possibly.
A new fuse box populated and up to 10 mcbs would cost around £90.00 and would be 17th edition series 3 compliant. Then there is the time to transfer over and new connections.
Hi, thanks for your help. It’s a new fuse board with RDCs (metal) installed just 3 years ago so is fully compliant. There are 6 slots with 4 currently in use. The electrician is saying he needs 3 new slots, one for smoke alarms, loft lighting and loft sockets. Sounds like rubbish to me but I’m no expert. One in use slot has just one downstairs light connected to it so surely this could be freed up?!
The wiring regs are quite complex and includes things like ensuring that different MCBs are used for ring-mains and lights in different parts of a building. For example, lights on the first floor maybe on a different MCB to the ground floor so you don’t lose all lighting suddenly if one trips. This is why when a MCB does go, you often find an odd set of things without power. Split consumer units with a pair of RCDs are similarity ‘mixed up’ too.
Ultimately your electrician will probably be the one to sign off on the work, do if he’s not happy with the design he won’t do it. This may also be why he doesn’t want to combine with existing circuits - if they are already built into the house he may not be able to inspect to see much of the wiring being altered and so not want to mix his work with it and then have to sign it all off.
Of course he might just want a bit of extra money or to make the job easier for himself.
I would probably seek a 2nd quote from a different professional to compare against.
Good luck!
Fire Brigade still issue battery fire alarms. Not sure why you need powered ones?
It’s been part of the building regulations for quite some time now.
There’s quite specific regulations when having a loft conversion and interlinked mains operated fire alarms is one of them. Building control will not sign off without. I agree with ForestHull, you definitely need the additional 3 MCB’s for the loft as the lighting and sockets require different amp wiring. You will also need one just for the fire alarms. As to whether the other MCB with only one light can be freed, perhaps you can get the advice of a separate electrician on that one?
Speak to these guys, they are great
SK Electrical Services (UK) Ltd
0790 487 8822
0208 289 5526
(http://www.skelectricalservices.co.uk/)
Three is ideal in all honesty but it’s totally legal to have the smoke alarms powered off the lighting circuit.
What you might find though is that that requires the downstairs lighting to be re-cabled so it’s up to date and the cost of that might be more than the fusebox.
Can you consolidate any of the existing circuits?
Thanks all for your help. I will definitely go with a 2nd opinion as there are quite a few views on whether various rings can be combined or not, worth a 2nd view either way. I felt that because the guys were already in the house they could Charge what they liked but this is great ammo to go back with.