Garage Consumer Unit IP65 4 Way Fuse Box Fitted with RCD 63amp 30ma + 1X6amp, 2X20amp & 1X32amp mcbs

Product Information

Transient overvoltage protection: a risk assessment must be carried out to determine if a property is at risk of transient overvoltage from lightning strikes or switching loads. Surge protection must be provided if there is a risk that could cause serious injury or loss of human life.

This simple copper bar features teeth that protrude up and run from the live input of the RCD to each MCB. When screwed tight this gives live feed to all the MCBs. The image below is of what’s known as a split load board. This is where it features a main switch for the entire board plus at least 1 RCD labeled as “E”. As they are very sensitive to the slightest bit of earth leakage, it is not practical to fit one RCD to protect the whole house, hence the reason they are split over 2 circuits, normally one upstairs and one for downstairs.

RCBO’s used in a consumer unit in place of RCD’s – Image courtesy of the BS7671 18th Edition Wiring Regulations High Integrity Consumer Unit / Three-way Split Consumer Unit As we are all taught from a very young age, electricity is extremely dangerous and if you don’t know what you’re doing with it, working on or around it should be left to the professionals! This is certainly no different when it comes to consumer units. Once all of the MCB’s have been connected up, the final job then is to simply connect the earth running from the meter to the earth bar in the consumer unit

An RCD is a manually operated isolator switch, but it is also an automatic safety device that will trip and cut off as soon as it senses an earth fault, or indeed earth leakage. Since its introduction, the consumer unit has now become the product of choice for distributing electricity around your home due to it’s simple layout and relatively straight forward setup (if you’re an electrician and know what you’re doing obviously). It’s also important to understand that RCD’s have a test button which creates a simulated earth leak with a resistor, and it is usually recommended that they are tested once a month to ensure they are operating correctly. Also you should be aware that some years ago, the standard wire colours used in the UK were changed so that they harmonised with those used in Europe so you may have several different colours of wire in your home. See our wire colours project here for more information.

How is a Consumer Unit Wired up?

Below are some photos of the house. I'm aiming to drill through where the X is in the first photo, and run the cables along the external wall and into the garage (photos 2 and 3 show this). Questions are: First of all, switch off the main switch or related MCB breaker in the main distribution board or consumer unit and make sure the main supply is turned off.

The modern consumer unit also has a range of other safety features including a main switch that controls the power to the entire unit, that, once switched off, will turn the power off to the entire house. Once the incoming live is connected using a bus bar for each MCB, the next job is to connect each circuit to it’s relevant MCB. Once all the testing has been completed the next job is to isolate the power to the existing fuse/circuit board and then remove it.The distribution board should not be installed 2.2 meter above the floor, must be protected from the corrosion and away from watery areas. All the wires should be covered in the panel board (i.e. it should not hang outside the panel). Finally, there must be a safety sign near the distribution board. The split board shown here has one RCD and is a simple version to show the user how the board works, however most modern split load boards feature 2 RCD’s. In most cases, to add an RCD to an existing consumer unit, it’s much easier to simply replace the entire consumer unit, as space is often an issue. This is obviously a costly job and if it’s not necessary then it’s a cost that can be avoided. However, due to the added protection that they give, it’s a great idea to do it as and when you can. Split Load Board One of the most important jobs your electrician will (or should) do before starting such a job is to first ensure they test all of the existing circuits in the property to make sure they function correctly and have no issues. The second condition applies to any circuits where an earth fault current is not sufficient to blow the fuse, or trip the switch in the designated time allowance stated in the regulations.