Fusebox

[Nomoreanymore9678]

I have a modern property build in approx 2009. never had electrics tested or fusebox looked at. Understand recommendation is an inspection every 10 years. Electrician said my box shouid be safe but would fail a test as as it doesn’t meet new requirements.
Any thoughts? Do I need to get it updated?

Only if you are selling your house. Electric rules change regularly so no point trying to keep up with them. I would update when selling the house because buyers will use this to get money taken off the price and it will slow down the sale.

@bilbodog thanks. Do I nee an EICR?

I’ve just sold a house and additionally a relative’s house.
I did not need to produce EICR.
Ask the agent for advice. Maybe it’s a “nice to have” but not essential?

Edit…. On reflection the buyers of the relative’s house did drop the offer price just prior to exchange due to lack of EICR and other things they weren’t sure about.

I would get an EICR if you are selling then buyers have nothing to worry about.

Did you have your fusebox checked every 10 years?!

You do nothing. Your box doesn't meet what ever number edition the current regs is, so what, the regs aren't retrospective, they only apply to new installs, your electrician is a chancer. You don't need an eicr to sell, if you got one it would say your house doesn't meet the current regs but that's it. I sold a house in 2020 with its original 1960's wiring, unearthed lighting circuits and a fuse box with wire fuses, not a problem. I did check with an electrician who told me that if I had the box changed (which I was considering) everything would be required to meet regs, he said not to bother unless i wanted a complete rewire. EICR are only needed on new installs or rented properties.

@Somersetbaker thanks. Electrician actually said no need to do anything for now. Only if I rented it out it poss a buyer might want it updated

I'm an electrician

To answer your questions, he is right in that a fusebox (we call them a distribution board) that was fitted in 2008 won't meet the current regulations, nor incidentally will one fitted in 2021.

The likely reasons for it failing to comply with the current spec will be:
No RCD protection on lighting circuits
Type AC RCD where a type A is needed now
No surge Protection
Casing made from plastic

None of these mean you have to replace your DB, mine is a c1975 Dorman-Smith Series 15, and I'm not changing it, one client, a large secondary school has over 50 1963 vintage MEM Glasgow "built like a tank" DBs with wire fuses - they don't have to change either.

In an inspection scenario (which as a private dweller you don't need to have, it's purely advisory) we code defects from high priority to low priority. The issues you likely have will be low priority.

The current spec for a good installation would be a metal cased DB fitted with a type A RCBo for each circuit giving total discrimination and surge protection, but there is a lot of far, far older equipment than yours still giving good service with minor modifications to keep it within the regs.

Exactly the regs are not retrospective, we are currently on edition 18, amendment 2 yippee - they only change it so they can sting us for another book at £100 a pop😀

Incidentally there is no problem with fuses, they are still in spec, you can have a fuse if you prefer them (on a domestic instal, why, its a faff changing the things in the dark) but the fuse is still out there in the commercial world.

And you can put an unearthed lighting circuit on a new consumer unit, but all the accessories need to be double insulated (no metal switches of fittings) switch plate screws have to be plastic and you get a nice sticker on the consumer unit reading WARNING: CIRCUIT NUMBER_ DOES NOT HAVE PROVISION FOR EARTHING METAL EQUIPMENT and all is well.

Probably also worth pointing out also that we as electricians can offer our opinion on your equipment, but we cannot enforce any actions (ie making you have something done) like our gas buddies can.

Unlike them we are unregulated as a trade, we can voluntarily join up with one of the "competent person schemes" such as NICEIC or NAPIT or not bother or be members of the JIB or not bother, and you don't need any qualifications to sign an electrical certificate and it be totally legitimate, if you have DIYed your new cooker install you can sign it off yourself! (and as Micheal Caine would say, 'not a lot of people know that) whereas gas engineers have to be in Gas Safe and can enforce action to disconnect the supply from a dangerous situation.

@DeftWasp thank you so much. He said it was due to rcds bu didn’t advise changing anything. Should I still get him to test it as it’s never been checked.

You should have 1 RCD at least, which will protect the sockets and probably several other circuits - it will have a test button on it - press the test button, if it switches off then it's OK and good to go.

The requirements now under the current regs mean on a new installation all the circuits need an RCD, but sockets are the main issue plus appliances (like an electric shower) that are fixed in the bathroom.

My guess is you likely have a split load board with half on a switch and half on an RCD - presuming the RCD works as I have described then all is well.

The type of RCD we use has also changed due to the fact we use a lot more electronic devices in our homes, and the new type is "better" in the current scenario, but we wouldn't generally rush round changing those that are out there - it only came in in 2022, so there are millions of the "old" ones still working fine!

It sounds like he was being honest with you and not trying to sell you anything, to that end I'd say he is a good electrician and worth hanging in to!!

There is a type of electrician who we in the trade call "board change artists" who love to persuade people to change the board because its a nice easy little earner - a typical domestic board costs us about £80 with a resale price of £150-£200 and it typically takes 2 hours but gets charged way over the hourly rate because its difficult technical work, but generally its not as my 14 year old lad can do one in that time to as good a standard as me!! - but your electrician isn't one of those people, so that's good!