Best Consumer Unit Make / Model

[MJPD29]

I think contactum are good , I've never had an RCD or RCBO fail trip times like I have with BG and MCG. Cost effective, good to fit, AND the cover actually fits unlike a lot of others!

 

[Leesparkykent]

That's a shame..all stuff online indicates they was released on the 27th of September.

 

[Pastyspark]

Hager all day long. See Hager stuff still working that have been installed for years.
Do a lot of caravan work and inspections. Used cheaper rcds on hookups as a cost saving to the customer but date them now on installation so we can track how old they are. We've changed some faulty ones after 2 years.
Installed a caslec board once and had smoke coming out of the rcd before we turned the mcbs on.

 

[jackhammerJIM]

hager for dual rcd . Control gear for rcbo . Tried an mk months ago breakers looked like the leaning tower of pisa so never again .

had 2 contactum rcbos fail trip times on an eicr recently can't be more than 5 years old

 

[einstein]

BG cheap’n’cheerfull

 

[NDG Elecs]

Hager for me. Wouldn't touch BG CUs anymore. Carp.

I personally don't see the need for all RCBO boards in most domestic situations. Oldies perhaps not a bad idea, and possibly if the cct cables are generally on the wain (but that's another story really).
I have a Crabtree starbreaker at home, RCDs test fine and never get nuisance tripping, with 50% of the cables probably 40 years old.
In your situation Alan I would probably go for a high integrity dual Hager board with room for several RCBOs if you must!

 

[NDG Elecs]

I swapped to the Leudens, Wilts, control gear kit when we went to and3

Populated rcbo boards is all I'll got these days as I hate dual RCD boards.

No issues to date

What I really hate about dual RCD boards is the untidiness of the neutral and live link fine stranded cables. RCBOs would be tidier for sure. Might have too look at fitting a starbreaker for my next board change!

 

[Ian1981]

Hager as they don’t change their mcbs unlike Crabtree with its star breaker and loadstar types that they did, same with wylex changing theirs all be it they are from the same parent company.
Schneider do terrible consumer units and I hate their 3 phase dbs (kq range)with the earth bar right at the top.

 

[Toneyz]

hager for dual rcd . Control gear for rcbo . Tried an mk months ago breakers looked like the leaning tower of pisa so never again .

had 2 contactum rcbos fail trip times on an eicr recently can't be more than 5 years old

Probably because they aren't being tested with test button quarterly and contacts sticking.

 

[Dave OCD]

What I really hate about dual RCD boards is the untidiness of the neutral and live link fine stranded cables. RCBOs would be tidier for sure. Might have too look at fitting a starbreaker for my next board change!

I'm not sure about that mate, with a fine stranded neutral and earth reference tail on every RCBO I find it trickier to make them look as neat as the dual RCD boards.

 

[HandySparks]

... as they don’t change their mcbs unlike Crabtree with its star breaker and loadstar types that they did...

Starbreaker and Loadstar are two completely different ranges. A modern Crabtree plug-in MCB or RCBO will still fit an old Starbreaker board.

 

[NDG Elecs]

Yep, fair play Dave. I've seen pics of your installs; very neat!
Bring back the old solid links I say which are much nicer to look at, obviously less flexible to configure though...

 

[Ian1981]

Starbreaker and Loadstar are two completely different ranges. A modern Crabtree plug-in MCB or RCBO will still fit an old Starbreaker board.

That’s my point one range plugs in the other doesn’t so if you have a loadstar type and require a replacement then they are obsolete

 

[HandySparks]

That’s my point one range plugs in the other doesn’t so if you have a loadstar type and require a replacement then they are obsolete

So, are you saying that Loadstar are being discontinued by Crabtree? It's the first I've heard of it.

 

[westward10]

So, are you saying that Loadstar are being discontinued by Crabtree? It's the first I've heard of it.

I think he is confusing it with Polestar.

 

[Ian1981]

So, are you saying that Loadstar are being discontinued by Crabtree? It's the first I've heard of it.

I was under the impression one had replaced the other but I must be wrong
Haven’t used Crabtree for years

 

[Ian1981]

I think he is confusing it with Polestar.

Yes that’s the one
Doh!!

 

[Toneyz]

F.Y.I I have just purchased a 40A Starbreaker MCB for an existing board it fits but I did notice it was slightly bigger than the existing ones. Crabtree used to do two types of consumer units Starbreaker which was/is plug in and Loadstar and Polestar which is screw to bus bar.

 

[sparksfly]

In my experience....
Hager, MK, Wylex , Crabtree all good but have some issues with some metal CSUs... hot swapping MCB's due to lack of space under the busbar.
I avoid BG (Rcd failures) , Control gear (Rcd failures and sticking) in very newish boards. Tried Schneider once and use SBS in some situations especially their compact RCBOs are useful.. I don't see the point in saving £20-£40 for a cheaper CSU as a good one should last for many many years.... Just like the quality plastic ones I have fitted!! I do try other makes from time to time but get put off by poor cable terminations or quality components

 

[Phil Thompson]

I use BG Split boards and Cudis RCBO boards.

Only issue in past 2 years has been 1 faulty BG MCB. At installation so was faulty from the factory.

Like Hager but the cost and the square knockouts puts me off.