New Consumer Unit Necessary?

We are having our conservatory replaced with a more substantial "garden room". The electricity in the conservatory was a spur off a current ring main, and the new room will be the same. The electrician says we must have the current consumer unit (which is plastic and has no RCDs being ~30 years old) replaced in order for the work to be certified. We had the system checked a few years ago and although advised a new consumer unit would be better, told it was not a legal requirement.

So do regulation require a new consumer unit with RCDs for this ring spur to be re-added, or is he being over cautious?

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0 Phow over 1 year ago

Why can't you just extend the existing ring? Extent the loop ring from where the fused spur is currently. this assumes the fused spur in on the ring. Peter
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0 Phased over 1 year ago in reply to Phow

If the existing ring circuit does not have 30mA RCD protection it could not be simply extended. Making a new ring from a single fused spur is pointless you would need an RCD spur for both legs of the ring ( if earth continuity R2 is lost and a fault occurs it's a 50% chance whether it will trip the RCD or not depending on what side of the RCD its on. Unless you plan to run sizeable heaters a 13A radial power circuit would be plenty for table lights, TV, etc.
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0 Chris Pearson over 1 year ago in reply to Phow

Phow said:
Extent the loop ring from where the fused spur is currently. this assumes the fused spur in on the ring.

Who said anything about a fused spur? However, SRCDs may still be available. We discussed them 4 years ago: engx.theiet.org/.../omitting-30ma-rcd-protection-for-single-s-o-in-a-domestic-property
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0 Chris Pearson over 1 year ago in reply to Phow

Phow said:
Extent the loop ring from where the fused spur is currently. this assumes the fused spur in on the ring.

Who said anything about a fused spur? However, SRCDs may still be available. We discussed them 4 years ago: engx.theiet.org/.../omitting-30ma-rcd-protection-for-single-s-o-in-a-domestic-property
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New Consumer Unit Necessary?

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