Why do I have to replace my fuse board?
Every ten years or so the electrical wiring regulations (BS7671), are updated and improved for safety. These regulations are designed so that all electrical installations provide safety from fire, shock or burns to people, property or live stock. I think we can all agree that modern circuit breakers are not only more convenient, in that the correct size fuse wire does not have to be found, along with the correct tools and knowledge to replace them, but they are also more reliable to disconnect supply in the event of a fault.
35% of all fires in the UK are the result of electrical faults. One of the main areas where fires start is at the distribution (fuse) board. There are several reasons for this, loose connections causing high resistance and overheating and circuits being overloaded naming just two. By replacing the distribution board to one that has a metal enclosure helps prevent overheating or fires from spreading to its surroundings.
We love DIY in the UK and one of the best ways to protect persons from electric shock if a cable that is buried within the fabric of the building is damaged, is by an RCD (Residual Current Device). The wiring regulations now ask for RCD protection on all circuits within a residential property that have cables buried beneath plaster or building materials. Residential RCDs are designed to disconnect the live conductors in the event of a fault within 40 milliseconds. This means that the fault current will disconnect before a fatal shock will occur.
