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Fuseboards

  • AFDD
  • Boards - Garage
  • Boards - High Integrity
  • Boards - Split Load
  • Boards - Straight Way
  • Boards - Surge Protection & SPD
  • Fused Main Switch
  • MCB's
  • RCBO's
  • RCD's
  • Fuseboards

    Fuseboards

    A Metal Consumer Unit, also known as a fuseboard (CUEB10MS8), is found in a high percentage of homes across the UK. They have varying levels of safety devices and circuit protection fitted inside them, such as:


    1) AFDD’s (CU1AFDD32B) which are the most up to date technology available in circuit protection safety. Arc Fault Detection Devices are now a pre-requisite in Higher Risk Residential Buildings such HMO’s, Care Homes, and Purpose-Built Student Accommodation. An AFDD will detect and subsequently disconnect a dangerous ARC fault which would previously have gone unnoticed by RCD’s and circuit breakers.  

    2) An RCD which is a vital piece of safety equipment that immediately disconnects the electrical supply in a situation where the alternative could otherwise be an electric shock, potentially causing serious injury or death.

    3) MCB’s which are Miniature Circuit Breakers. They protect electrical circuits from damage caused by excessive current through short circuiting or overload.

    4) RCBO’s are Residual Current Circuit Breakers and provide overload circuit protection against short circuit, earth leakage and overcurrent. 

    5) SPD is a Surge Protection Device, namely our CU1SPD275T  which protects electrical and electronic devices from high voltage peaks, commonly caused by lightning strikes and switching operations. We also supply Consumer Units that incorporate SPD’s, such as our CUEB14MSRCDSP6 


    Metal Consumer Unit

    What is now commonly known as a Metal Consumer Unit, was previously known as a dis-board or fuseboard and indeed a host of other descriptions.

    It is worth mentioning that on 1st January 2016, new regulations emerged with factories ceasing to make plastic consumer units and metal consumer units became the new electrical industry standard. With steel being non-combustible, being the main thrust of this new electrical fuseboard legislation.

    Firefighters perhaps a decade or so ago now were constantly reporting an ever-increasing number of domestic fires starting inside plastic fuse-boards boards, oftentimes, although not exclusively, due to MCB’s not being tightened to their correct torque. Making matters worse was that these boards were commonly installed under a staircase or at the bottom of a staircase, and in an emergency, stairs become your primary escape route. 

    Imagine a scenario where your family needed to escape your home quickly during the night because a well-positioned smoke alarm alerted you to a fuse-board fire, but your staircase is on fire. Had a metal consumer unit been in place, it would have contained a fire far longer. 

    Above however are just a few reasons Metal Consumer Units, many in the form of a Split Load Board, such as the CUEB14MSRCD8 are now standard installation practice. That said, a Straight way Board such as our CUEB12MS10 with RCBO’s CU1RCBO16B are becoming more popular and eventually, AFDD’s will become increasingly popular too. You may not have much choice where your old plastic fuseboard is currently fitted, or even where a new metal unit could be positioned during an upgrade. Whether you upgrade and keep it under your stairs, leave it at the bottom of the stairs, or leave it in the garage, you’ll appreciate that a metal board provides you with far more safety.  

    Talking of garages, Your Electrical Supplier stocks a range of what are commonly known as Garage Boards, our most popular one being the GUEB563RCD3