Does fuseboard need replacing?

If we can retrofit an RCBO unit then we can go with this option but would highly recommend a fuseboard upgrade to ensure all circuits are rcd protected for optimum safety

A fuse board does not need to be replaced due to its age. If & when the installation undergoes an electrical inspection & test, it is then found to be non-compliant with the British Standards' minimum requirements, then & only then will it need replacing.

The short answer is as long as any ground floor sockets are RCD protected your ok however it is widely recognised that every circuit be protected including lighting due to all the spotlights that are in fashion then the next step and most favourable for most electricians installing new boards is every circuit RCD protected independently (R.C.B.O)

In my opinion the fuse board would need changed as when changing electrics we need to comply with the current regulations which state that all cables either buried or in a bathroom need RCD protection. One way that you may be able to get round this is to split the tales and install a smaller consumer unit sometimes known as a garage unit, just for the bathroom circuits

You don't have to update it. As long as the circuit is RCD protected. But any electrician would highly recommend that you do update it because the fact that it's 15 years old. Which should cost no more then £450 to 500 anyway. I hope this helps.

If you want to rent your property you have to upgrade your fuse board otherwise there is no regulation saying you have to change existing one.

Peter the fuse board may need replacing as all the circuits inside the bathroom must be rcd protected if the bathroom ones are then you shouldn’t need it changing Thanks josh

This depends on if any circuits within the bathroom are being worked on if so to produce a minor works or installation certificate they must be RCD protected as they have been worked on. It wouldn't matter about the original house sockets if they are not touched they are not part of the electricians installation working on the bathroom, if it was me I would drop a note on the certificate to recommend a full EICR and that house sockets are not RCD protected but not worked on hope this helps

If the sockets are fed Via cables hidden in walls or trunking then they need to be RCD protected.
If they are clipped direct to the wall then they don’t need to be RCD protected.

It depends on what you consider acceptable yourself. The model is irrelevant as you can / could purchase that model unpopulated and build it to suit your needs,

Any consumer unit that is not metal will attract c3 observation codes to do with fire resistance. New 18th edition consumer units will be metal therefore contains any potential fire better. New consumer units supplied since yours were installed but prior to the metal requirement would have had complete RCD protection.

When inspecting and testing a property according to NAPIT observations guidance you would give a C2 - urgent attention required - to circuits which are not RCD protected, under the heading I would suggest ' where cables are embedded in walls less than 50mm ' basically every circuit in your home will be embedded in a wall less than 2 inches. So therefore all circuit require RCD protection.

There are other observations such as probably at the time your board was installed they came with knock outs to allow cables into the top or bottom. This is not allowed anymore, you cannot push a 1mm2 wire into any part of the consumer unit.

These are just a couple of examples, in the case of these examples,
If you can retro fit an RCD in to cover your original circuits, and rectify the holes in the consumer unit then it is possible to bring it up to code, some sparks wont do that, and that is up to them. Some will try to rectify. Another reason that the old circuits were not put on an RCD is because whom ever was installing it was worried that putting the old circuits on a more sensitive device like an RCD would cause nuisance tripping as existing faults would show, where they do not on an RCD.
There are a lot of possibilities.
I cannot see you consumer unit, but it may have so many observations, and no capacity for the RCD upgrade and therefore it may be just as easy to install a new consumer unit.
The reason you are getting conflicting information is because different sparks will have different comfort levels with what they feel happy to sign off an declare safe. Before doing anything get the old circuits tested.

Hey Peter,im afraid you gonna have to change your breakers in rcd ones. not the whole fuse board, kind regards

You can keep the fuseboard but if you have spurs inside add one rcd for rest off the circuit or just change the Mcb with RCBO

Unfortunately your consumer unit is only partially rcd protected.

Everything inside a household would be preferably be rcd protected.

Everything in the bathroom needs to be rcd protected

Meaning any lights, shower, cabinet light - anything electrically fitted.

It is advisable to have your consumer unit renewed as it would bring everything upto date in a steel box inclusive of a surge protection a device that will protect anything electronic

This will bring everything upto date with the 18th Regulations by which we are governed by.

Prices with the exchange of the board varies from £400 - £800
Dependant on what board is to be used.

Hi yes this would need replacing

If the bathroom is wired to the original consumer unit with no RCD protection then it would need to be RCD protected.

Hi Peter.

All circuits should be covered by and rcd or separate rccbo if your board was fitted 2005 I would suggest an upgrade as all boards are now metal to comply with bs7376 18th edition.

Thank you for your question. If you are installing new circuits within your bathroom the 18th Edition wiring regulations state that these circuits require RCD protection. Purely for an upgrade I would suggest installing a RCBO protected consumer unit with surge protection devices.

The 2005 wylex complied with the regulations of the time and is fully legal however any new circuit or change from existing (that is why the extension sockets are rcd protected) must comply with current regulations meaning all sockets and bathrooms need rcd protection. This does not neccessarily mean you have to change the fuseboard, you might be able to install the relevant fuse with built in rcd (rccbo) to cover any new work.

Your bathroom always has to be protected by rcd or rcbo

As loong as you not upgrade you wiring and fuse box are not damage you don’t need to change it