EICR - Old Rewireable Fuse boards are these acceptable?

Nick6:

Hi, 


I need verification that it is ok to keep old style Wylex rewireable fuse boards to pass the EICR. Initially the electrician said this was ok providing they have a cover for the fuses. However he has now changed his mind and saying they need to be replaced with a new consumer unit. Some of the homes do not have a cover on the fuse board and others have had the cover taken off so plug in mcb's can be accomodated. Is this still ok?

In my opinion I would look to see if the setup was safe?

It was probably designed and installed to the 15th -16th possibly 17th edition. So it may or may not have main and supplementary bonding in place as through the 90s electricians were getting confused about whether they should continue to use supplementary bonding, relying on RCDs to provide the necessary additional protection.

The breaking capacity of the Wylex plug in MCBs were rated at 1.5kA and 3kA which may not be strong enough to withstand the possible fault currents relying on the service fuse to absorb the enrgy let through.

The problem is as far as I can see, not that everybody would agree, would be the paradox of BS7671 verses the Building control regs where BS7671 is not retrospective as long as the inspector regards the installation to be safe according to the time is was installed and hence maintained and now the building control regs that expect that domestic properties to be designed and installed to the latest regulations, particularly for rental properties.

Legh

Nick6:

Hi, 


I need verification that it is ok to keep old style Wylex rewireable fuse boards to pass the EICR. Initially the electrician said this was ok providing they have a cover for the fuses. However he has now changed his mind and saying they need to be replaced with a new consumer unit. Some of the homes do not have a cover on the fuse board and others have had the cover taken off so plug in mcb's can be accomodated. Is this still ok?

In my opinion I would look to see if the setup was safe?

It was probably designed and installed to the 15th -16th possibly 17th edition. So it may or may not have main and supplementary bonding in place as through the 90s electricians were getting confused about whether they should continue to use supplementary bonding, relying on RCDs to provide the necessary additional protection.

The breaking capacity of the Wylex plug in MCBs were rated at 1.5kA and 3kA which may not be strong enough to withstand the possible fault currents relying on the service fuse to absorb the enrgy let through.

The problem is as far as I can see, not that everybody would agree, would be the paradox of BS7671 verses the Building control regs where BS7671 is not retrospective as long as the inspector regards the installation to be safe according to the time is was installed and hence maintained and now the building control regs that expect that domestic properties to be designed and installed to the latest regulations, particularly for rental properties.

Legh