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Your fuse box is the control centre of your household’s power supply, which consists of various circuit breakers and fuses. Your fuse box can be used to control how and when electricity is distributed throughout your home, and plays a vital role in the safety of your property.
As such an important piece of technology in your home, it’s crucial that you know when and how to replace your fuse box.
When to replace your fuse box
If you have an old fuse box, it may or may not be time to have it replaced. While an old fuse box may be outdated when compared with the latest standards, this doesn’t necessarily mean you need to have it fully replaced.
A qualified electrician must perform the tests needed (in relation to British Safety Standards) to verify whether it’s time to replace your fuse box.
With all that said, here are some scenarios in which it may be time to have your fuse box replaced by a professional:
- It’s time to have your fuse box replaced if it is too outdated to meet modern safety standards.
- You need to have your fuse box replaced if it is unsafe (for example, it has been worn down, a component is broken, or your fuse box and earthing to gas and water are not sufficiently safe).
- A qualified electrician recommends you get a new fuse box (perhaps because they are concerned it will become unsafe in the near-to-medium future).
- You simply want to opt for a safer, modern fuse box. Among the upsides of modern fuse boxes is the inclusion of an RCD or RCBOs. These can serve the purpose of protecting you and other members of your household from electric shocks, as well as other fault issues that can arise. While older units will only trip when they experience an overload, an RCD or RCBOs can offer further protection in a way that isn’t available with older units. Ultimately, RCDs and RCBOs can trip in cases of non-overload fault scenarios, offering extra safety.
How to get a new fuse box
An electrician will be needed to verify the safety status before replacing your fuse box, or moving its location.
Consulting with your electrician and electricity supplier
If you want to replace or move your fuse box location, you must let your electric supplier know in advance and time things in such a way that they can turn off the power (if your supplier and the electrician decides it’s necessary) to your home.
It’s likely this will be required before the work gets underway and until the fuse box has been replaced or moved.
In either case, the fuse box must be fully fitted and good to go per the electrician’s verification before the power is safe to be turned back on. Again, what the supplier and electrician will recommend and require for this work could vary depending on the nature of the job and the fuse box in question.
You must hire a professional
As we’ve already mentioned, you must hire a qualified electrician for replacing a fuse box. This is not a DIY-friendly task. Attempting such work by yourself could prove fatal.
Once you’ve found the right person for the job, they’ll need to perform various electrical tests before they can move on to actually replacing your fuse box.
If you’re not sure whether a new fuse box is required or even recommended, or if you have any other additional questions, be sure to consult with your electrician. They’ll be able to advise and help ensure you make the right calls to keep members of your household safe from electric hazards.
Finding the right person for the job
When it comes to hiring a qualified electrician, you may want to secure quotes from three or more electricians in your area. You can then compare their quotes and other aspects (such as online ratings or reviews) before deciding who to hire.
Final thoughts
To sum up, it’s essential that you have your fuse box replaced if it’s becoming worn and posing a safety risk.
Also, even just the fact that older units lack the same levels of safety as modern units is arguably reason enough to replace your old fuse box as soon as you can.
You must hire a qualified electrician to first perform various tests to check the status of your fuse box, and then carry out the work of replacing or moving it.
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