Have you been concerned about your electrical services recently? Do they keep you up at night wondering if they are safe? Have one of our highly qualified and trustworthy electricians inspect your fuse board and test your electrics at your home or workplace.
If your home or business still uses an old consumer unit to distribute electricity with cartridge or rewireable fuses, it’s time to upgrade and keep everybody safe. With new regulations requiring consumer units to be constructed of metal to prevent fire from spreading easily in case of an electrical fault.
These new consumer units are fitted out with the latest technology using RCD’s (Residual-current devices) & MCB’s (Miniature Circuit Breakers) to detect any faults within a fraction of a second and kill the electricity supply.
Making these changes will instantly improve the level of protection of your property and those who are inside. Upgrading your consumer unit can be the difference between life and death. Not only from fires but electrocution too. Check out our article on Electrical Fire Safety.
Other reasons to upgrade your Consumer Units are:
Addition of Circuits To The Original Installation.
Adding new circuits to the original installation can result in your consumer unit being over-loaded. Especially if you have added a large extension that draws a large amount of power. This would highly increase the chances of an electrical fire due to cables not handling the load and beginning to melt. Old consumer units aren’t equipped with the technology to detect these faults with the same precision as the latest technology can.
Installing An Extension, New Bathroom or Kitchen.
If you’re lucky enough to be upgrading a part of your home with a new extension, bathroom or kitchen or all 3, you really should consider the condition of your electrics beforehand. Even if the excitement makes it easy to dismiss the concern, you need professional advice on whether or not your current electrical system can handle the planned work. We provide extensive Electrical Installation Condition Reports as part of our electrical services. Contact Our Team today if you have any concerns.
The fusebox is very old and made of WOOD (extremely dangerous)
Electrical fires are serious and they can go from 0-100 real fast. Imagine your consumer unit is made of wood and there is a loose connection that’s sparking, heating up then ignites. It’s a no brainer, you would want a metal consumer unit in those circumstances. There are over 20,000 house fires caused by electricity in the U.K every year and sadly 46 deaths as a result. If your consumer unit is made of wood or plastic it is time to do the smart thing and upgrade. Metal Consumer units can and have saved lives. Protect your family, friends and colleagues by upgrading your electrics.
Your Electricity Keeps Cutting Out
Working from home has become the new normal in the past 15 months. With Zoom meetings every day, important deadlines and reports to write… the last thing you would want is for your electricity to go out and fall behind. (Unless you are not busy of course, sorry boss!) Or perhaps the electricity has a habit of tripping when you’re cooking your dinner, away to use the shower, use a specific socket… these are all signs that you need to upgrade your electrical services. Contact Gillespie & McLean Today and find out what Electrical Services we can provide for you!
The Consumer Unit Contains Hazardous Material
Asbestos was a widely used material in the 1900s because of its fire-retardant characteristics and cheap manufacturing costs but was banned in the year 2000. Asbestos flash guards were commonly used in fuse boards back in the day. When disturbed, microscopic asbestos fibres will cling to the inside of your lungs when breathed in and slowly start to deteriorate your lungs causing different types of cancer. Asbestosis can take up to 30 years to take effect. This is why it takes a trained specialist to remove asbestos while taking all the correct safety precautions to ensure no damage is caused or any asbestos is left remaining.
How Much Does It Cost To Upgrade Consumer Unit?
Generally, a consumer unit upgrade will range from £350 to £600. Factors that come into consideration are the number of circuits, accessibility, age of the property and type of consumer unit being installed.
How Long Does It Take To Upgrade A Consumer Unit?
Again, this will depend on the accessibility of the consumer unit and the number of circuits involved. Our team of electricians in Glasgow can carry out a consumer unit upgrade with testing & certification between half a day and one full day. During which we will also inspect your properties water & gas earth bonding.
Gillespie & McLean Electrical Services are Select Approved Contractors in Scotland and serve the whole of the U.K. If you have any concerns or questions you would like answered please contact our friendly team today on 01698 740 924 or by using our Contact Form.