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Choosing a consumer unit


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We are about to buy our consumer unit(s)- which CU should I choose? And why?

I have a pair of ruined hands so ease of access is important. Beyond that, we will be fitting RCBOS throughout.

I look at Cus in Catalogues- and havent get a clue about what is good, bad or indifferent about them.

 

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I chose Hager.  My reason being they are just about the only make that does not keep on changing the look of their circuit breakers, so fit a new one in an old CU and it still fits, something you can't guarantee with the likes of Wylex or MK etc.

 

What you want is a bare "main switch" consumer unit, then just buy all the rcbo's.  And it must now be metal but you can't buy anything else anyway.

 

I got all mine from ebay for a better price.

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24 minutes ago, AnonymousBosch said:

We are about to buy our consumer unit(s)- which CU should I choose? And why?

I have a pair of ruined hands so ease of access is important. Beyond that, we will be fitting RCBOS throughout.

I look at Cus in Catalogues- and havent get a clue about what is good, bad or indifferent about them.

 

 

You need to know how many channels or circuits you are going to need, with a few extra for expansion later.

You will have be allocated a 60 to 100 amp (max) supply.  You might have be asked or told when you placed your order.

Here is a Hager Consumer Unit, but other brands are available . 

 

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42 minutes ago, ProDave said:

I chose Hager.  My reason being they are just about the only make that does not keep on changing the look of their circuit breakers, so fit a new one in an old CU and it still fits, something you can't guarantee with the likes of Wylex or MK etc.

 

What you want is a bare "main switch" consumer unit, then just buy all the rcbo's.  And it must now be metal but you can't buy anything else anyway.

 

I got all mine from ebay for a better price.

Yep 

You gave me the same advise way back 

Buy your RCBOs off eBay 

I needed 20 

Found them all online over a period of 6 months 

It’s surprising how many electricians have a couple over from a job or 1 in there van 

Most where around ten or twelve quid delivered 

image.jpg

image.jpg

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1 minute ago, nod said:

Yep 

You gave me the same advise way back 

Buy your RCBOs off eBay 

I needed 20 

Found them all online over a period of 6 months 

It’s surprising how many electricians have a couple over from a job or 1 in there van 

Most where around ten or twelve quid delivered 

image.jpg

image.jpg

 

@AnonymousBosch, what @nod is showing is a "flush" unit. Nice an low profile with the gubbins hidden.

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9 minutes ago, JFDIY said:

∆ and those are the best part of £200 bare. I got two off eBay for £75 each over 6 months

 

 

 

A bit less than that.

 

https://www.consumerunitworld.co.uk/hager-vsr120-20-way-consumer-unit-2003-p.asp?

 

Unpopulated of course. Looking at around £25 ea for a Hager compact RCBO new. That's £500 on top of the cu! Unless you shop around.

 

See what your electrician thinks of SBS:

 

https://www.sbstradesales.co.uk/

 

(SBS don't have a fly lead either).

 

 

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I used a standard one, but flush mounted it. Basically the CU screwed to the OSB that made the back of the service void, then the plasterboard cut around it in front of the service void battens, just the right depth for the front to go on. You just have to mae the PB cut out accurate as there is not much overlap of the front to hide any imperfections.

 

Mine was "pre 18th" but is a metal back with just a plastic front.

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8 hours ago, Temp said:

 

Built like tanks Eaton stuff. I come across it from hydraulic pumps to switchgear. Bit of a pain to deal with. Vickers became part of Eaton and it's all split into different cost centres. I've a brand new, old stock Eaton metal clad board still in the box here thinking about it, still in the box. An oldie, but a goodie!

 

Schneider, what was Merlin Gerin is good gear too. 

 

Whatever you do go for more ways than just 2 spare.

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If you fancied a day out (Stockport, 70 miles from you) then I'm sure Dave Stansfield at SBS would show you his wares, maybe even give you a sample RCBO to show your sparks. 

 

The SBS compact RCBOs are true double pole switched in the event of a fault. Bonus if you have a TT earthing system. Reasonably priced too so you could afford to buy some spares.

 

Just to throw a spanner in the works, Wylex was my old favourite pre the dodgy mcb scandal. I think their single module rcbo combining an AFD is great and theres no argument about compliance with the 18th. 

 

https://www.electrium.co.uk/news/wylex-launch-single-module-afdd

 

20190228111955_0_WY2520_Wylex_18_DCP_solutions Feb 19.pdf

 

So much choice! ?

 

 

Edited by Onoff
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39 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

Can all these CUs take a breaker that is large enough for an EV charging point, or will that still require a separate unit.


You can get a 40A RCBO in any of the boards but from memory, a conversation with @Jeremy Harris advised against that due to the constant current draw over a significant period of time. 

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I read an article recently about a new module which is coming in, not mandatory yet, but looked really good:

image.thumb.png.e1d6fb5560e1df6cc389349ab2444339.png

 

As with most things though, they are rediculously expensive, a full CU will set you back over £1000. They are type B RCBO modules, priced on average around £250 per module! But will give you ultimate protection. Sure prices will come down when they become mandatory, as they will, probably in 19th edition

 

 

Edited by MikeGrahamT21
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37 minutes ago, MikeGrahamT21 said:

I read an article recently about a new module which is coming in, not mandatory yet, but looked really good:

image.thumb.png.e1d6fb5560e1df6cc389349ab2444339.png

 

As with most things though, they are rediculously expensive, a full CU will set you back over £1000. They are type B RCBO modules, priced on average around £250 per module! But will give you ultimate protection. Sure prices will come down when they become mandatory, as they will, probably in 19th edition

 

 

£1000 / £250 = 4 RCBO’s then. Plus the CU itself. 
More like a £2500-£3k CU. 

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1 hour ago, MikeGrahamT21 said:

I read an article recently about a new module which is coming in, not mandatory yet, but looked really good

 

Maybe. AFDDs have been compulsory for circuits in bedrooms in the US for a while. Whether the arguments for them are valid there and whether they apply here (with higher voltage/lower current supplies and more-robust and fused plugs) is open to question.

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