Quick Elec Regs question

[119]

The wife ‘works’ with the local guiding community and the have to re model the toilet area as it doesn’t have an accessible cubicle.

They have had a few quotes in and whilst most builders have said electrics wouldn’t cost much, a couple have come back and said the fuse box needs upgrading.

It is currently a plastic unit but has two rcds protecting all the circuits and this was replaced about 10 years ago.

A couple of quotes have come in at £1200 just replace it with a metal one.

Is this really needed?

I think I read that houses should have them but not commercial ones?

It has 10 circuits in it I think!

[Mr Pointy]

Ask them to specify in writing that it is compulsory for the consumer unit to be changed & to quote which part of the latest regulations require this to be done - note require.

It's a well known con in the domestic arena for electricians to code a plastic CU as requiring replacement when in fact there's no requirement to bring all existing CUs up to the latest code. They especially love it when doing EICRs on rental properties as the landlords have very little time to argue the toss.

[119]

Thanks.

I also seem to remember something about a surge unit being needed? (whatever that is)!

[119]

Thanks.

I also seem to remember something about a surge unit being needed? (whatever that is)!

[98elise]

When EICR's came in for rental properties we changed all ours to meet the current regs. I paid £450 per unit for each installation, including the EICR certificate (which is a fair amount of work on its own).

I'm pretty sure no changes in regulations are retrospective. If it met the regs when it's was installed then it should be fine now.

We only did ours as they were all relatively old and as the sparks was going to be there anyway it was worth getting it done at the same time.

Edited by 98elise on Sunday 23 March 11:09

[DorsetSparky]

Boils my piss reading this sort of thing. There's nothing wrong with a plastic CU provided it's safe and tests out well. For the same reason you wouldn't fail a 1985 car for not having airbags in an MOT, you don't fail an older installation just because the CU is plastic.
Regs aren't retrospective - there's nothing inherently wrong with a plastic consumer unit (apart from the fact that it will not contain an electrical fire as well as a metal unit, and having seen some horrific fires, it's worth considering).

Tell whatever joker has claimed it HAS to be replaced to jog on.

[119]

Thanks everyone.

[Rob.]

If the £1200 quote was just for the CU replacement, that's crazy money. I paid £700 recently in SE, which I still wouldn't say is great value.

[Rough101]

To be honest, if it is unprotected and in a corridor or fire escape route of some kind, I’d be recommending it in writing and getting written confirmation they didn’t want it, just like you have to do with SPD’s.

Neither will I condone jamming ‘foreign’ breakers into obsolete CU’s or DB’s.

Though this all hinges on whether or not a new circuit is to be added or not.

And just price up a tower or SA spec unit with AFDD’s, SPD……

[119]

It is in the main hall to the left of the main entrance but there is another exit at the opposite end of the building, but I did forget to mention it is basically a massive oversize shed.

[thebraketester]

Rob. said:

If the £1200 quote was just for the CU replacement, that's crazy money. I paid £700 recently in SE, which I still wouldn't say is great value.

Given the you can’t see the job in hand how can you say that 1200 is crazy money?

[119]

thebraketester said:

Rob. said:

If the £1200 quote was just for the CU replacement, that's crazy money. I paid £700 recently in SE, which I still wouldn't say is great value.

Given the you can’t see the job in hand how can you say that 1200 is crazy money?

I have just had a Quick Look online and a full metal type is around £200 ish.

Even if it took all day that’s not a bad wedge.

Bearing in mind that they were also told any issues that needed rectifying would be charged on top.

I’m all for people making a profit but sorry, near £1000?

Nope!

[505diff]

Without knowing exactly what’s being done, looking on line at random items on line for £200 is of little relevance, another quote is required to at least compere costs. It sounds very heavy cost wise, and again we don’t know if the plastic board still has parts available, as unlike DIY Dave you can just bang anything in, it could be more than a days work.

Thinking that a business that fits a £200 item in a day for £1200 is making a £1000 profit from it, sounds like a typical business pitch to Dragons Den and Lord Sugar, that walks away empty handed after a swift reality check.

[119]

No that’s fair I get there are other costs involved big stepping back and looking at the final figure can sometimes catch one unawares a bit.

We had ours at home changed a few years ago and that cost about £500 from memory.


From our basic understanding, it is just lighting that needs sorting out with no new circuits involved at all.

[Gladers01]

119 said:

I have just had a Quick Look online and a full metal type is around £200 ish.

Even if it took all day that’s not a bad wedge.

Bearing in mind that they were also told any issues that needed rectifying would be charged on top.

I’m all for people making a profit but sorry, near £1000?

Nope!

Does sound over the top, would get another quote, its less than a morning's work including testing assuming no additional work is required.

[Rob.]

thebraketester said:

Given the you can’t see the job in hand how can you say that 1200 is crazy money?

In what situation would you be happy to pay £1200 for a straight CU swap?

[thebraketester]

Rob. said:

thebraketester said:

Given the you can’t see the job in hand how can you say that 1200 is crazy money?

In what situation would you be happy to pay £1200 for a straight CU swap?

When it’s not as straight forward as it seems? The fact he had a couple of quotes for £1200 suggests that there is more to it than meets the eye.

Edited by thebraketester on Sunday 23 March 12:18

[smokey mow]

thebraketester said:

Rob. said:

thebraketester said:

Given the you can’t see the job in hand how can you say that 1200 is crazy money?

In what situation would you be happy to pay £1200 for a straight CU swap?

When it’s not as straight forward as it seems? The fact he had a couple of quotes for £1200 suggests that there is more to it than meets the eye.

Edited by thebraketester on Sunday 23 March 12:18

A large part of the cost will be testing. The cost of parts and the time to swap is the easy bit, but having done the works the installer will then need to test and certify every circuit that they reconnect to the new CU to ensure it is electrically safe.