Consumer unit upgrades in Derby

If your fuse board is old, lacks RCD protection, or you are adding new circuits, an upgrade may be recommended. If you still have rewireable fuse wire or cartridge fuses, it is worth considering an upgrade because modern consumer units can provide better fault protection, RCD/RCBO protection, surge protection options, clearer circuit labelling and easier isolation if there is a fault.

Surge protection helps protect electrical equipment from voltage spikes caused by things like lightning activity, supply switching or faults on the network. E-Fix installs surge protection as standard with all replacement consumer unit upgrades, because homes now contain more sensitive electronics such as boilers, appliances, TVs, computers, smart controls and EV chargers.

An RCD, or Residual Current Device, is a safety device that monitors electricity flowing in a circuit. If it detects current leaking to earth, which could happen during an electric shock or fault, it disconnects the power quickly to reduce the risk of injury or fire.

An RCD usually protects a group of circuits, so one fault can switch off several circuits at once. An RCBO protects an individual circuit and combines earth leakage protection with overload and short-circuit protection. RCBO consumer units are often neater and more practical because a fault on one circuit is less likely to affect the rest of the property.

A plastic consumer unit is not automatically unsafe just because it is plastic. In many existing homes they can continue to be used if they are in good condition and the installation tests safely. However, current standards normally require new or replacement domestic consumer units to be non-combustible, usually metal. Nick can check the condition and advise whether replacement is worthwhile.

Yes, power is normally isolated during the upgrade. Nick will explain timing before work starts.