How complicated is it to relocate an 8 way consumer unit

[lakelandfolk]

Hi,

 

1980's house, typical brick/block cavity construction, we would like to relocate the consumer unit if possible and practical. We would upgrade the unit anyway. Is it overly difficult and costly for a qualified electrician to do?

[Barney12]

We've had it done before and it only took the Sparky a day.

I guess a lot depends on cable run lengths and routing. You can spend a long time fishing for cable!

Will you need to relocate your meter too? As that's a job for the DNO and is never cheap

 

[Nickfromwales]

If the cables feeding the CU ( tails ) are going to be longer than 3m you'll need a switched fused isolator ( KMF / similar ) to protect the run. After that it's a straight forward job tbh.

Look at peripheral stuff too for additional costs such as 10mm bond to gas and stopcock, as they may need doing / upgrading also. You could save a few quid by pulling the earth cables in ready, if they're not there already. 

[lakelandfolk]

The circuit cables will need to be extended to the proposed position. How is that done? I assume cable connectors of some sort will be required.  The meter box is going to be moved anyway so new tails as well.

[Barney12]

8 minutes ago, lakelandfolk said:

The circuit cables will need to be extended to the proposed position. How is that done? I assume cable connectors of some sort will be required.  The meter box is going to be moved anyway so new tails as well.

 

When ours was done the circuits were simply extended using chocky blocks enclosed within Ashley Junction boxes like this: https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/ASJ701.html

I'll be honest and say I was quite surprised how basic it was.

Note though that it was a fair few years ago now and the regs may have changed. In fact I'm certain there is now a requirement for access to none permanent joins. Hence why there are now these https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/ASJ804.html

 

[Ferdinand]

You will now need the correct type of isolator etc for the bathroom etc I think and other bits now need their own circuits, so don't underprovision :-).

 

We had out CU replaced (not moved) a couple of years ago as it was a 12 way and full, and we needed space for a new way for the free car-chargers available then, and to be ready for solar panels. We jumped to a 20 way double and it came to £700 including a new cooker circuit, one double socket, a lecky check, and a boxful of spare RCBOs.

 

For your circuit extensions I would be tempted to put new runs in to a convenient socket, or add some new doubles in if you could use them, rather than pfaffing with junctions.

 

Reckon on £500 for the unit and fitting plus your new runs perhaps. 

 

Ferdinand

 

[ProDave]

There is a LOT of work in moving a consumer unit by any distance.  Just "extending" all the cables is not always the best option. It is often better to rewire the first leg of each circuit with a new run.  It has to be taken in the context of what other work you are doing and the disruption it's all going to create.
 

[Nickfromwales]

Best to mention at some point that 'all RCBO' is preferential to 17thED 'dual RCD', in most folks opinion . 

[ProDave]

That is certainly a good solution and is what I have in my new house, but the higher cost puts some people off.
 

[Steptoe]

But,

NOT at the expense of using SP RCBOs imho

I much prefer dual or triple DP RCD boards than all SP RCBOs, but, that's only a personal opinion based on the superior protection a DP device offers.

The other (more preferred) option is DP RCBOs but not many manufacturers offer those in a 1way design.