Removing consumer units from an old bedsit

[ewans]

Hi, looking for some general info. The house I’m thinking about buying used to be subdivided into bedsits at some point in the past so many of the rooms have separate electric consumer units one for each of the old bedsit/bedrooms – see first pic below.

In order to return the house to a single dwelling I want to remove these, there is nothing to suggest the wiring in the house is sub-standard so I just want to remove these with as little cost/disruption as possible – can anyone advise on what the options are so I know what to ask for when I speak to an electrician.

Any guidance on cost/complexity of the work would be appreciated - good to know these things before making an offer for the house and its not easy to arrange for someone to go into a house you dont own yet to give you an estimate for work.

Also, the main fuse box is an older style unit, I’d want to update this to the new style also – see second image.

Thanks in advance

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• ewans
• 23 Jan 2012
• 1

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• ewans
• 23 Jan 2012
• 1

 

[Taylortwocities]

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• Taylortwocities
• 17 Nov 2009
• 25

It will all depend on lots of things that can only be determined by a site inspection.

To go back to a single fuseboard you will obviously need one of these (unless you have a largish one adjacent to the incoming mains supply).

Also the socket and light circuits in each separate "flat" would need to be combined into properly organised circuits and connected back to the new main consumer unit.

How this is done will depend.

It may only be possible by rewiring the place.

As for the cost. Just allow about the same as a family holiday.
Could be a weekend at Butlins, could be a round the World cruise.

 

[flameport]

there is nothing to suggest the wiring in the house is sub-standard so I just want to remove these with as little cost/disruption as possible

There is one massive item - it was bedsits. That means 99% certainty everything in the place has been bodged up by individuals who not only didn't have a clue what they were doing, they also wanted to do it in the cheapest possible way. And that's before the tenants started making unauthorised modifications.

Any guidance on cost/complexity of the work would be appreciated - good to know these things before making an offer for the house

You should budget for a total rewire.

Also, the main fuse box is an older style unit, I’d want to update this to the new style also – see second image.

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• ewans
• 23 Jan 2012
• 1

Under all that grey paint is metalclad Memera KSM series fusebox, which was a popular item in the 1950s. Yes - over half a century ago.
Not only does it need replacing, it should have already been replaced several decades ago.
If it contains ceramic rewireable fuses, note that they have asbestos pads in them.
That weedy little wire from the top left of the box is probably the main earth for the entire installation.

Does this entry from a 1956 catalogue look familiar?

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• flameport
• 23 Jan 2012
• 1

 

[Alarm]

VIR inside ?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

You should budget for a total rewire.

 

[sparkybird]

amazing innit - I must change 2 or 3 of those MEM fuse boards each year. Not the oldest though - I did come across a beautifully crafted lighting fuse board in wood with glass front and fuses in Neutrals. Owner having a rewire and wondered if the fuse board should be upgraded!

Still got it! edit - me I mean not my customer!

 

[RF Lighting]

I changed one of those just last thursday.

I've come across a few wooden fuse boxes over the years, but they are getting very rare indeed these days.

 

[Astra99]

Seeing the prices in Flameport's posting in shillings and pence certainly brought back a few memories. As a boy I always wondered why they quoted prices as 52/6 and not £2/12/6. Anyone care to speculate?

 

[Alarm]

I thought easier to write as they were very neat then. So looked and found this.

A convention frequently used in retail pricing was to list prices over one pound all in shillings, rather than in pounds and shillings; for example, £4-18-0 would be written as 98/- (£4.90 in decimal currency). This is still seen in Shilling categories of Scottish beer, such as 90/- beer.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/£sd

 

[OwainDIYer]

Seeing the prices in Flameport's posting in shillings and pence certainly brought back a few memories. As a boy I always wondered why they quoted prices as 52/6 and not £2/12/6. Anyone care to speculate?

Easier to add things up in shillings then do one conversion at the end to £ s d.

 

[TheGayOwl]

My wife is an estate agent. Potential buyers of properties often ask for builders/electricians to check various things over before fully committing.

If unforeseen works are required you are in a good position to offer a lower price.

I would get an experienced, intelligent electrician to spend an hour visually inspecting the installation. Chances are it will be pretty rough as others have suggested. The spark can produce an estimate/report for you to negotiate on the price with. It is common for vendors and purchasers to meet in the middle ie if works total £4000 then £2000 is knocked off the price.

You should ask for a visual condition report or similar. Many sparks combine their findings within an estimate. Cost between £50-£100 depending on area etc etc.

 

[bernardgreen]

why they quoted prices as 52/6 and not £2/12/6.

Prices quoted in shillings seem to be cheaper than the same quoted in £ s d. It is only shillings and no (obvious) pounds involved.

And as OwainDIYer mentioned working in s and d ( 12 d = 1 s ) was much easier than also involving £ and then having to work with 20 s = 1 £.

That was the days when shopkeepers like greengrocers could work without electronic tills and kept running totals in their heads while serving the customer. During power cuts the shop kept open by the light of candles if necessary.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Aye, but we were happier then........

 

[ewans]

Thanks for the info flameport, that was a big help as have all the commetns been.

Everything has been checked over per TheGayOwl's suggestion and the eletrician reports all the work is up to code and the work has been "done well" - vendors are offering to repalce the outdated main unit at their cost.

So, only question remains are what are my options for removing the smaller units in each of the bedrooms at a later date, can they just be removed and the wiring behind connected up tobe fused via the main board or is there a slimline unit i can replace them with so its easier to place furnitute etc. in the room - just now they take up too much space.

Thanks for all your feebback.
e

 

[Taylortwocities]

I'm not clear on how the individual fuesboards get their power from the main incomer.

A photo of the main incomer would be helpful.

How is each flat metered?
Where are the meter(s)?

The usual arrangement is for there to be a largeish fuse for each flat and this is downstairs. A separate meters are there to record each flat's consumption.
Then a thick cable takes the power up to the fuseboard in each flat.
The flat's fuseboard has then smaller individual fuses for sockets, lights, etc.

If you want to make it all one system then the socket circuits in each flat would need to be connected up together and the circuit extended down to the main fuseboard.

You would have to do this for each group of circuits (sockets, lights, etc etc)

You would need to ditch the old fuseboards, whatever you do as they will not be up to today's standards.
Also, make sure that the consumer unit that the vendors have agreed to pay for will meet your requirements for the future.

Don't leave the old fuseboards there, or replace them. They'll just be in the way and an eyesore. Now is the time to get it the way you want it, don't cut corners, you'll regret it later.