What Happens During a Fuse Board Upgrade?

Why consider a fuse board upgrade in your Brighton & Hove home?

A customer recently invited us to their home on Stanford Road in Brighton to carry out a fuse board upgrade. Like most of the homes on that road, the customer lived in a Victorian era home which was built in the 19th century - due to this, the home has had many owners and still has a lot of old fashioned electrics from previous owners!

The homeowner originally contacted us as they had noticed the following signs that were pointing towards a fuse board upgrade:

• Lights Flickering or Dimming
• Circuits Tripping
• Burning Smell

When this starts happening in your home, this usually happens as your current fuse board is unable to handle the electrical needs of your home - older fuse boards were built at a time when the day to day consumption in each household was drastically lower and lifestyle was different.

Most importantly, old fuse boards aren’t considered safe as they offer no RCD protection. If you have a fuse board upgrade, this comes complete with RCD protection, which cuts power within a millisecond should a fault be detected - therefore preventing potentially fatal outcomes of electrical shock or fire.

What steps are taken during a fuseboard upgrade?

When we are doing a fuse board upgrade in Brighton & Hove, we don’t just swap the boxes and then leave - we have safety protocols to follow and steps we take to ensure the entire process is done in a safe and compliant manner.

• Inspection

Firstly, we check over the existing wiring to check for any damage or issues and make sure it’s safe to connect to the new unit. If we do come across any issues we do remedial work.

• Cut Power

In order for the work to be carried out safely, we disconnect power for the whole house.
Disconnect

Next we disconnect the existing old board and remove it.

• Installation

Now the exciting bit! We install and connect the new board, connect the circuits and label the unit accordingly so that the customer can tell what’s what.

• Circuit Testing

To ensure everything is working as it should be, we test each individual circuit and also run checks on insulation resistance, earth fault loop impedance, and RCD’s.

• Reinstate Power

Power back on to ensure every element of the home is powered, down to appliances and sockets too

Finally, once everything has passed our testing we finish the job by providing the customer with an Electrical Installation Certificate to say the work was completed by a registered and qualified electrician and we register the job to building control via NAPIT.

How long is the process of a fuse board upgrade?

An average fuse board upgrade in Brighton & Hove without any issues detected during prior inspection should only take a day. Here at RS Connections we like to find the balance of ensuring minimal disruption to our customers homes but also ensuring the job is completed to the highest of standards and all protocol is followed.

Does anyone need to be home during a fuseboard upgrade in Brighton & Hove?

We always advise that someone is home during the process as we need access to the property and the board, this also helps to make sure any questions or concerns can be ironed out on the day and that you remain informed throughout the whole process. This way we can also ensure that from the beginning, we have given a clear picture of what happens during a fuseboard upgrade so that you’re aware of the work being carried out in your home.

Contact RS Connections about a fuseboard upgrade in Brighton & Hove

To enquire about a fuseboard upgrade or discuss in a bit more detail what happens during a fuseboard upgrade in Brighton & Hove, why not contact our local and knowledgeable team. We have experience working around Brighton and have an understanding of the older homes in the area. We’re waiting for your call today!