The fuse board is the bit of your electrics you probably never look at, tucked under the stairs or out in the hall cupboard. But it’s doing a lot of work, and an old one can be a genuine safety risk. Here’s what we tell folk in Newton-le-Willows and the surrounding towns to look out for.
First, the fuses themselves. If yours has the old rewireable type, the ones where you replace a bit of fuse wire when something blows, the board is decades old and offers none of the protection a modern one does. Second, RCDs. If there’s no test button anywhere on the board, you’ve no RCD protection, which is the device that cuts the power in a fraction of a second if someone gets a shock. That’s a big deal in kitchens, bathrooms and anywhere outside.
Other warning signs: a plastic board rather than metal, which the current regs moved away from after a spate of fires; breakers that trip for no obvious reason; scorch marks, a burning smell, or the board feeling warm to the touch. Any of those, stop and get it looked at.
A modern unit is metal-clad with individual RCBO protection on each circuit, so a fault on one circuit doesn’t black out the whole house. We swap most boards over in a single day and hand you a certificate at the end.
Not sure how old yours is? Send us a photo or give us a ring and we’ll tell you straight.