what is your preferred brand of consumer unit?

[lefty10]

Hager all the way, then MK.

Hager TP boards are outstanding and look good so you dont always need to hide them in cupboards

 

[Bloggs96]

Hager all the way for me too! I have fitted a fair few now and even in college using the MK and Wylex, I find the Hager are nicely designed, Well constructed and great value for money. The breakers are very reliable and RCD's RCBO's etc. I even now have changed over to all hager grid system, and hager sockets and switches. fantastic quality and a much better socket than the similar MK ones.

 

[hillbillie]

Hager TP boards are outstanding and look good so you dont always need to hide them in cupboards

I replaced a d/b with a Hager TP&N in January and kept on going back to admire it. Lovely, with a glass front and all that!

Their single phase stuff is a bit flimsy compared to their 3 phase boards but as Hager do 10KA mcbs (and 15 KA mcbs so someone from edmundson electrical told me last week, though I've never seen them) they can be useful when 6KA isn't enough.

 

[daytona600]

abb vast range

 

[Groucho Mace]

Crabtree Starbreaker every time, stock all mcb's/rcbo's never been called back. Stick to one make so if I ever go back to do more work I already have the Mcb's. I also stock over 100 other mcb's!!
I cant fault these boards.
In the past I have tried all boards and have had various probs, one brand I havent been able to bring myself to try is Chint, my clients wouldn't entertain it!

 

[ALD]

Contactum every time.

 

[fjr1300]

Shame that Schneider don't do the Duoline XE in the UK - its so easy to use

Appareillage Duoline - Vidéo - Schneider Electric

Lee

 

[REIBURN]

wylex or british general

 

[crooky-spark]

I was always a Wylex man. I love'd the space in the CU's. One of those brands you alwys see a deal on as well. Then for most of last year my local wholesaler had a deal on Hager board. Fell in love with the CU (how sad is that). How bad did I feel when at the turn of the year they started deals on the MK one. Oh god! Never again. Shocking board.
Back to Wylex for me.

 

[Jimmy Boy]

I don't pay for the gear so my view is screwed, all my stuff is MK, it's clearly not as good as it used to be, even I have noticed the termination screws fall apart as soon as look at them.

 

[robsparky1975]

used bg for my last 5 jobs, wont be using them anymore, mcb screws seem to strip threads before their really tight, and screws in the neutral and earth bars are sometimes very tight and screw heads round off

I recently tried BG,went straight back to wylex as same probs,2 breakers when trying to tighten onto busbar,fortunatley the wholesalers dropped some more round but overall unimpressed,will not use again and when worked out most budget boards might be £10 cheaper but cause hassle so i will stick to wylex/legrand/hager/or neweys boards(they are very simialar to wylex.

 

[brucelee]

Used hager for many yrs no probs and legrand inc accessories no probs again then crabtree and wylex buti am going to try BG on me bruvs so hope the posts above dont ring true as i have just ordered a 13way 19 module split load dual rcd for £59 inc vat

i dont really like the wylex as flimsy and looks messy with the large interlinking line and neutrals for the rcds

I was going to buy a volex as one of the ones i am replacing was a volex, as I was going to try to utilise some of the existing Cbs after i tried to get RCBOs and realised it would cost a lot more than replacing the board as its split load but single rcd
but with all recent recalls etc and price decided against that one

 

[killeen]

Use Hager about 90% of the time but i find GE consumer units decent too

 

[saracen]

if carlsberg did con units they would be the best con units in the world!!!!

 

[Rauer]

if carlsberg did con units they would be the best con units in the world!!!!

Don't be stupid carlsberg Is my last pick in the bar!

 

[DurhamSparky]

Eaton Every time...

 

[sparc]

I usually use go with Hager and sometimes MK, but installed my first two Legrand CU's this week.

Overall fairly impressed with the build quality of the case and switch gear, though a few reservations -
1. Cable cut-outs are pretty tough - adding cut-outs for new cables once the units is installed would be hard work, particularly if access limited.
2. Bus-bars terminals screws were the softest I've come across - very easy to round if you over torque a bit.
3. Neutral bars are to far left and far right of case, which meant when replacing a standard 6 way 3036 Wylex (with all original cable coming through a central hole) I had to extend more than a few conductors.

Probably will try Legand again...

 

[sedgy34]

try crabtree starbreaker the mcb clips into the busbar as the busbar is totaly enclosed theyr great

 

[sparc]

I don't understand why the Crabtree Starbreaker design didn't catch on - as well as being safer it locks the MCBs in place horizontally, eliminating the left and right creeping along the DIN rail you get when the tails aren't 100% straight.

 

[Amp David]

Square D do a CU with the same setup as star breaker.

 

[sparc]

Had to use a Wylex (15 way) today - first time for ages. It instantly reminded me why I stopped using them 2 years ago - the cases are rubbish! Trying to get the edges lined up is a nightmare. Back to Hager and MK for me - whatever the customer says. ...

 

[brman]

Had to use a Wylex (15 way) today - first time for ages. It instantly reminded me why I stopped using them 2 years ago - the cases are rubbish! Trying to get the edges lined up is a nightmare. Back to Hager and MK for me - whatever the customer says. ...

Think it is 6 of one and half a dozen of the other. I have found the backs of Wylex a bit flexible so if you don't have a flat wall you have to careful. On the other hand I used an MK last week for a change and the front was so floppy I had to use 3 hands to get it to line up!

 

[Fin170]

Wylex have always been crap in my opinion, their modern CUs are no exception. Tiny knockouts, cases flex a fair bit, expensive for what they are, not the most reliable.......and though some people probably won't class this as a issue.....the unit itself looks rubbish, literally a grey box on the wall. But I always think the customer doesn't know anything about it so if it looks rubbish they will think it's rubbish


I've played with a few of the MK units recently and liking them very much. Unfortunately I can't find '16th edition' split units anywhere







Ow, Wylex MCBs also have a naff click to them :lol:

 

[pennywise]

Well Wilts are doing a board and 8 RCBOs for for £99 at the moment, the boards are huge and are made under contract by lewden, the RCBOs don't have the stupid functional earth either. I haven't used one yet but im tempted :drunk:

 

[MDJ]

I like merlin Gerin for industry and GE are as good as any others for domestic, although I do like crabtree starbreaker as well.

 

[Fin170]

Well Wilts are doing a board and 8 RCBOs for for £99 at the moment, the boards are huge and are made under contract by lewden, the RCBOs don't have the stupid functional earth either. I haven't used one yet but im tempted :drunk:

Denmens do the same ones, they're nice boards but I get the impression the RCBOs can't be up to much (although I've used a few with no issues, brand is 'control gear' iirc)

As for the 'functional earth' on a rcbo, here is MarkiwSparkie's post from another thread

1) In order for an RCBO to comply with BS EN 61009, the RCBO does not have to have a separate (functional) earth connection. However, the standard specifies that an RCBO which has a separate earth connection must behave in a certain way to conform to the specification, but the separate earth connection is not mandatory. There are RCBOs currently available that do not have a separate earth connection, yet they achieve full compliance and conformity with the standard.
2) The functional earth is used as reference by the internal RCBO electronics to increase the sensitivity, speed of operation and allows the device to detect an earth fault even if the neutral becomes disconnected. Losing the neutral connection is rare event, especially in TN systems that are increasingly common today. The probability of losing the neutral and having an earth fault at the same time, a double fault condition, is statistically small and evaluated by some manufacturers as so small not be of significance when specifying protection devices. In spite of this, there are those who advocate fitting an RCBO with separate earth connection “just to be on the safe side”. The penalties for this theoretical risk are RCBOs with taller form factors and the extra connection which make consumer units and distribution boards cramped and harder to wire, pushing up required connection time and costs. Even worse some electricians don’t know how to terminate RCBOs and it is quite common to find RCBOs with the functional earth connections cut off, this is clearly bad practice for a device where the electronics relies on a earth reference for its sensitivity and speed of operation.
3) Most manufacturers of RCBOs with functional earth fly-leads insist that these leads must be disconnected during insulation testing to avoid damage to the sensitive electronics, and during earth impedance loop testing to avoid misleading results. A minority of manufacturers insist on the disconnection of the neutral fly-lead during testing in addition to the functional earth, it is therefore important to consult manufacturers instructions before testing. Removing and replacing connections adds to the time and cost of testing, however, there are other issues. First, there is the possibility of failing to reconnect the functional earth fly-lead, leaving the device operating under conditions other than those for which is was designed. Secondly, disconnecting fly-leads goes against one of the basic principles of installation testing, which is that the installation should be tested in the exactly the same state as it will be operated in service. However, we often break this aspiration in installation testing.

tl;dr if they got one they're likely better :lol:

 

[D80]

Don't really mind usually, I dislike Hager stuff a lot. Have had more than one of them that I can't get a bloody RCBO to fit into, new board and all there stuff why the f**k can't it fit!

Crabtree starbreaker I've worked on once, but no bloody wholesaler here stocks or can (wants more like) get breakers for it. Square D has had that style of setup for years though. The Merlin stuff with the slide lock I like, especially in 3 phase as you don't take the cover off just to have potential death looking at you. Not sure which ranges Schneider are carrying on though.

I'd prefer to use 1 type of board and then keep the stock for it, but its never that simple. The biggest issue I have is I can test an RCD of any make, I can't test an MCB.

As for reliabilty the old Wylex stuff is great. Their rewireable and 1361 fused range with 30mA RCD's stood the test of time. Yet to come across a faulty RCD from that era, which is a lot more than can be said of the modern day stuff!

 

[sparc]

Well Wilts are doing a board and 8 RCBOs for for £99 at the moment, the boards are huge and are made under contract by lewden, the RCBOs don't have the stupid functional earth either. I haven't used one yet but im tempted :drunk:

You've got to wonder how anyone is justifying charging £25-35 for an RCBO. Granted they need to go through more rigorous testing than an MCB, but they've been around for years, and don't exactly contain any technologies younger than 50 years.

 

[SPARTYKUS]

D80 so true, loads of faulty 'modern' RCDs/RCCBs, not one older one.


Fastest disconnecting recorded, an old WYLEX 'brick' as main isolator. Under 5mS

 

[Poptasticdave]

Wylex and crabtree are the only brands I ever used when I was doing the job full time. Liked OLD old MK sentry (New in 1979 catalogue and used through 1980's / 90's), but won't ever touch them again after seeing the one a very good sparky fitted at my mum's new in 2010 - so flimsy and bendy that I can't quite believe they are up to regs!

 

[SPARTYKUS]

You've got to wonder how anyone is justifying charging £25-35 for an RCBO. Granted they need to go through more rigorous testing than an MCB, but they've been around for years, and don't exactly contain any technologies younger than 50 years.

They justify it by looking through the new range rover catalogue first.

 

[richy3333]

the front was so floppy I had to use 3 hands to get it to line up!

OO-er. I have the same problem

 

[t-s]

hager 6+6, if customer will pay for it :/

 

[Rauer]

It ain't exactly expensive!!

 

[SparkySupplier]

You've got to wonder how anyone is justifying charging £25-35 for an RCBO. Granted they need to go through more rigorous testing than an MCB, but they've been around for years, and don't exactly contain any technologies younger than 50 years.

When you really think about it, these guys save lives. £25-£35 is a small price to pay to ensure the safety of human life. The customer pays for it anyway. 9 times out of 10 if you explain what an RCBO's role actually is against an MCB, they will want RCBO's and be grateful you pointed this out to them. I always, always, always install RCBO's, unless the customer is adamant they want MCB's.

 

[MDJ]

When you really think about it, these guys save lives. £25-£35 is a small price to pay to ensure the safety of human life. The customer pays for it anyway. 9 times out of 10 if you explain what an RCBO's role actually is against an MCB, they will want RCBO's and be grateful you pointed this out to them. I always, always, always install RCBO's, unless the customer is adamant they want MCB's.

Customers have blinkers on when it comes to safety, the amount of times I have been called to a house to wire up a new cooker and I get there and a 25kw range is waiting for me to connect up, the existing cable is a 6mm2 and it is connected to a 3036 board on a tns system where the earth clamp around the incomming cable has disintergrated and the ze 2 ohms or something to that effect and the range cost 1500 quid. When you tell them you cannot connect it and why then the cost they suddenly have kittens, they are happy to fork out 1500 quid for an appliance but alarmed to spend half again on safety lol.

 

[hillbillie]

RCBOs are getting cheaper and cheaper now. One of my wholesalers gets me them for £13.50 + VAT, with the main switch CU at £24; pretty good when you compare it to 3 or 4 years back. I'm finding it easier and easier to convince the customers to get RCBO boards rather than a dual RCD.

 

[sparc]

When you really think about it, these guys save lives. £25-£35 is a small price to pay to ensure the safety of human life. The customer pays for it anyway. 9 times out of 10 if you explain what an RCBO's role actually is against an MCB, they will want RCBO's and be grateful you pointed this out to them. I always, always, always install RCBO's, unless the customer is adamant they want MCB's.

Not arguing with safety value of the RCBO - just the price point. Wilts is still doing a 15 way board with 8 RCBO and a MS for £99, or less than £15 per. The same board with standard priced RCBOs would cost over twice that. I get some customers that want a 'Rolls-Royce' solution. Most don't want to pay over £100 for a board - bit will happily pay £500 for a new TV. I can sort of understand that - you may never see the advantage of having RCBOs in a box in a cupboard, but you can enjoy a new TV every day!

 

[Resu]

Thread is over a year old...

 

[sparc]

Thread is over a year old...

And your point, Resu, is ... ?

 

[Aindowsimon]

Schneider by choice if I must Crabtree . And BG is good quality .

17th edition board is good enough in domestic situations as long as property is in good nick everything seems to have been installed to a good standard .
Rcbo set up is better compliance but as it can be considerably dearer ( in my experience ) I think rcbo set up will become the norm as prices will come down further witch they have considerably

 

[imago]

To be honest, I think that the whole nuisance tripping 'issue' is blown way out of proportion. Three or four years ago I fitted a new CU (Hager BTW) at home. In the time since there has not been one instance of an RCD tripping. An MCB tripped once for the kitchen lights when a GU10 popped.

Of the dozen or so people with whom I have regular contact and have 17th CUs fitted no one of them has mentioned or complained about nuisance tripping.

A board full of RCBOs is a more expensive alternative nothing more. There is a single supply, through a single fuse, feeding a single meter in most domestic properties. Any one of those fails and the lot goes down.

 

[spark 68]

Another thing with RCBOs (I have already mentioned it on here before, as have others) is that most are SP (the N is not switched) , so if you have a N-E fault on a circuit although that RCBO will trip you still have a N-E fault connected.

 

[trev]

Preferred brand of CU? It depends on what Davey the shoplifter at me local can get his hands on.

- - - Updated - - -

Seriously though, Eaton.

 

[Rothko9]

Crabtree Starbreaker every time, stock all mcb's/rcbo's never been called back. Stick to one make so if I ever go back to do more work I already have the Mcb's. I also stock over 100 other mcb's!!
I cant fault these boards.
In the past I have tried all boards and have had various probs, one brand I havent been able to bring myself to try is Chint, my clients wouldn't entertain it!

This seems to be good advice. I always liked MK, bur as they seem to be forever changing their designs which are not retro compatible I think I might switch to the Schneider Easy 9s or the Starbreakers. Anybody used the Easy 9s?

 

[Silly Sausage]

Metal ones.

 

[Geordie Spark]

Thread is over a year old...

>>>>>>>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBHONx9vTtI <<<<<<<<<<

Look for Wor Tony's cameo role in there!!

 

[LankyWill]

My favourite is hager fuseboards, easy to setup and mount. There's plenty of space to work with. The materials seems of good quality and they just work! They also looks very pretty[emoji1]

Just stay away from Wylex and MK load of rubbish!

If three phase board I like Schneider especially with the isobar system very intuitive.

 

[shanky887614]

This seems to be good advice. I always liked MK, bur as they seem to be forever changing their designs which are not retro compatible I think I might switch to the Schneider Easy 9s or the Starbreakers. Anybody used the Easy 9s?

go for acti 9.

there really nice boards

 

[Leesparkykent]

Proteus,GET,chint,LAP are the bee's knees haha