Hidden CU

[ericmark]

New to me house, noted where CU was before buying and got a EIC showing a rewire so all seemed fine, so went to turn off power to move a socket only to find with main isolator off, RCD off and all MCB's off everything still powered up.

So can see Henley block with two outputs so started to look for second consumer unit, in the end noted a small oblong of plaster board missing to left of CU and shining a touch through the hole find there is a old fuse box above the ceiling.

It would seem a false ceiling was fitted when garage made into a flat approx 2005, and the original fuse box was just left where it was. I would suspect it was hard up to original ceiling. House around 1985 build.

Clearly it needs moving, however how and where to is another question. The living room is above the CU so just moving up is not really an option, moving down means house consumer unit will need one to go outside down some steps and into flat to reset anything.

Further forward we have a bathroom then further forward still a utility room, which would be sensible place. However only way I can see of getting feed to utility room is use SWA cable outside the house, then comes the problem of re-connecting circuits to new consumer unit.

Home buyers report says "Ground floors are part solid and part board and joist. The balcony deck is concrete." which means not sure if I can assess cables into fuse board as may be in the concrete balcony deck.

Mains electricity supply. Meter and consumer unit located in lower ground floor kitchen
area.
An old fuse wired consumer unit lies alongside. It is assumed that this is now redundant.
There is reasonable provision of socket outlets. No obvious inadequacies were apparent.
A note on the consumer unit indicates that a test of the installation was due in September
2016. On this basis a test is overdue. It would be prudent to have the installation tested
before exchange.

It is now clear not redundant, because built on side of hill there are two ground floors the lower one is the flat (ex garage), upper one the house. And I did not test before exchange, my thoughts were I can test after we moved in.

I studied the EIC before buying and thought it seemed a little odd, but did not consider it referred to just the flat, so open for ideas.

Will get carpenter to look at a few jobs required including either temp or other access to fuse box, I would guess old Wilex may be just able to swap fuses for MCB's, but could not assess any cables into it as it is. So think will need hole cutting in ceiling.

 

[chivers67]

Not a good report assuming something is redundant that is still being used! How far is it to the tails?

 

[ericmark]

The fuse box and CU are very close, why the people who wired them up did not combine them into one I don't know. So feed tails Henley to both boxes are short, I can feel the main isolator on fuse box and turn it off and on, which confirms it does supply the house, but could not remove the fuse box cover, may be able to swap to MCB instead of fuses, but really want it where I can assess easy.

8 fuses, so trying to work out, shower, cooker and ring 32A there are a few 6 amp likely lights and the immersion heater likely 16A it would be nice to just remove fuses and feed rings etc from other point, however that would mean neutrals all connected together so not really an option.

So seems no option but to get hunk of ceiling removed, but then do I do lazy way and just move down a foot or so, or move into main house? May be looking at in essence a rewire.

 

[ericmark]

The top picture shows what is above hole top left on bottom picture.

When you look you hardly notice the fuse box, you look at the consumer unit and think that supplies house.

However the CU only supplies the flat below the house.

Clearly needs moving, getting a chippy in today to see about access, as don't think any electrician could do any more then replace fuse.

 

[JohnW2]

The top picture shows what is above hole top left on bottom picture.

My goodness!

When you look you hardly notice the fuse box, you look at the consumer unit and think that supplies house. .... However the CU only supplies the flat below the house.

Do I take it that you are owning/occupying both the 'house' and the flat (there appears to be only one meter)? If so, is there not, with a bit of planning and re-arranging, enough capacity in that 'new' CU to service both the house and the flat?

I'm also a little surprised that, given that you say that the CU serves "the flat below", almost all the cable coming from it appear to go upwards.

Do I take it that the dangling double socket is either 'going', or going to be attached to something?

Kind Regards, John

 

[ericmark]

The flat it seems was once a garage, so suspect only way to run wires is through the ceiling, had the chippy here today he thinks easy enough to remove part of ceiling so have enough access to move to more assessable area, and of course swap from fuse box to consumer unit.

I had totally missed the fuse box, when to change a socket to USB type, turned off main switch, all power remained on.

Considering getting some one to do the job for me, just don't have the dexterity to work in such a confined space.

 

[chivers67]

Guess it depends on whether all those 8 Fuses are supplying circuits or not? Two Lighting circuits one up one down? Two 15A one emersion plus one other radial? Four 30A? Two Rings plus ?

 

[flameport]

No point in trying to fit everything into the Crabtree consumer unit - it only has a single RCD, it's made of plastic, and the MCBs inside are very likely to be those covered by the recall of faulty ones which have a nasty habit of setting on fire in normal operation.

Dispose of the lot and fit a new one.

 

[ericmark]

New CU for house, and since likely will need to remain in the flat, I would go for all RBCO's. I don't think with my mauled hand I have the dexterity required, so likely will find a scheme member to do the work.

I am employing a chippy and plumber who it seems regularly work with a scheme member electrician. Seems prudent to use people use to working with each other.

I note I have an electric shower, and I have no idea of size, so that will need to be considered as to if better to use stored hot water and kick electric shower to touch.