Fuse Boards Explained

Your fuse board controls the flow of electricity around your home and cuts off that flow should a fault occur. 

Your fuse board is made up of several different components, each with a vital role in ensuring the safe distribution of electricity around your home. To help you understand more about your fuse board and to explain what each fuse board component does, the experienced electricians at Quality Electrician, Birkenshaw have created this short guide.

1) Old Style Fuse Board

Firstly, we should establish whether you have an older style fuse board or a more up to date model as there are some major differences between the two. An older style fuse board will have a set of fuses that must be removed and manually rewired should a fault occur. They have a small wire inside which melts to cut the power. This style of fuse board is now quite out of date. They do not feature any of the additional protections that you find on a modern fuse board/consumer unit and do not meet current safety standards. If your fuse board is of an older style, you should call in your local electrician who can advise if a fuse board upgrade is in order.

2) Main Switch

The main switch on your fuse board or consumer unit controls the flow of electricity into your home from the electric grid. If your electrician needs to turn off the power at your property to allow electrical repairs, this is the switch they will use. It is a good idea to know where this is located should you ever need to switch of the power in an emergency, such as a flood.

3) MCBs

Miniature Circuit Breakers protect your electrical circuits from damage caused by overcurrent. Common causes of overcurrent include power surges, overload caused by the use of extension cords, and loose live wires within a socket. Each MCB protects an individual circuit on your fuse board and will trip out, cutting the power, when it detects an issue. Once the issue has been resolved you can simply reset the switch on the MCB to restore power.

4) RCDs

Residual Current Devices (RCDs) are a key safety feature of a fuse board. An RCD feeds the electrical supply to your MCBs. RCDs are quite simply lifesaving devices. The difference between an MCB and an RCD is that an MCB reacts to excessive current, protecting your circuits, whilst an RCD primarily protects people. They are designed to prevent electric shocks and cut the power within milliseconds of detecting an imbalance in the electrical current. RCD protection is essential for your safety. If your current fuse board does not feature RCDs, call in your electrician.

5) RCBO

RCBO stands for Residual Current Breaker with Overcurrent and combines the functions of both an MCB an RCD. RCBO’s may be fitted in your fuse board instead of MCBs and RCDs and provide the same high levels of protection.

6) SPD  

A Surge Protection Device (SPD) provides additional protection against high voltage power surges, commonly caused by lightning strikes, for your electrical equipment. During a power surge, your electrical equipment can be damaged. Given the number of electronic devices that are now in the average Birkenshaw home, this can represent a significant financial loss should your home be unprotected. SPDs were not previously fitted as standard so your fuse board may not feature one. If you would like to add SPD protection, your local electrician can help.

If you have any further questions about the components of your fuse board or consumer unit, Quality Electrician in Birkenshaw are here to help. We are your local, experienced and fully qualified electrician. We can help with fuse board replacement, the installation of SPDs or perform an inspection to confirm the condition of your fuse board. NICEIC registered and highly recommended, with Quality Electrician you can be certain that you are in safe hands. Contact us today