Electrical Box

1) The Electrical Box is the most important box in the electrical system. 

The equipment within an electrical box performs a variety of vital tasks in keeping the electrical system and people that use the system safe. 

2) What are some other names for electrical box?

There are many names for the ELECTRICAL BOX depending upon where you are in the world. This box can also be known as:

• Consumer Unit
• Distribution Board
• Electrical Board
• Electrical Panel
• Electrical Switch Box
• Fuse Board
• Fuse Box
• Trip Switch Box
• Trip Panel

I have also heard this box referred to as many other names but the above are the most common ones that the general public and customers tend to know it by. The name is not that important as long as we are all talking about the same thing.

3) What functions does it perform?⚡

• Disconnection: The functions that this box performs depends upon the age and design of the box. An older box will probably not have all the features of the more modern boxes and will be lacking in some key safety areas. The main function of this electrical box is to disconnect the electrical circuits when there is a problem. How efficiently it does this depends on the type of box that it is. 

An older box that contains cartridge type fuses OR fuse wire type fuses generally requires there to be a short circuit in order to break the circuit. What is a short circuit? It is when the LIVE wire touches the Earth / Ground or Neutral causing a very low resistance path and a resultant large electrical fault current to flow in the circuit. 
This large electrical fault current heats up the fuse wire inside the cartridge fuse or fuse wire carrier and melts it. The larger the fault current the quicker this process happens and the more violently. 

The more modern box contains trip switches that perform the same task and are easier to reset by simply flipping the switch back up. The newer boxes also contain electric shock protection, surge protection to prevent damage to cables and equipment and in some cases Arc Fault protection to protect against fires from electrical arcing and sparking. 

• Distribution: The box splits up the mains incoming power supply and divides it into smaller more usable electrical circuits. That’s what each of the switches does, each one will control a different part of the electrical system. You will find that you have one or two for lights, a couple for plug sockets and so on. 

This division is important as if there was no division and an electrical fault occurred, the whole electrical system would be affected by that one electrical fault. The electrical cables would also have to be incredibly large all the way around the home without splitting up the mains into smaller circuits. 

4) Is a plastic Electrical box illegal?

Nope. These days when an ELECTRICAL BOX is installed, we use a metal box to comply with up-to-date wiring regulations but that doesn’t mean that a plastic box is illegal. Modern wiring regulations (BS7671 18th Edition AMD 2) say the enclosure must be of non-combustible material so metal is the easiest way to comply. 

5) How often should the box be changed?🤔

This box should be inspected and tested along with the rest of the electrical installation every ten years in domestic properties. This is recommended by the Institute of Engineering and Technology as the minimum interval between inspections. When an inspection is carried out, a report is produced that will highlight any issues with the electrical system and tell you if the box needs upgrading or replacing. 

6) Why do switches trip inside the box?

A common misconception with trip switch problems is that the trip switch is faulty. Whilst trip switches do go faulty it is more likely and more common for there to be an electrical fault on the circuit that the trip switch protects! These switches’ sole purpose is to trip so when they do, it's highly likely that they are working correctly and just doing their job as intended. 

7) How long do the boxes last?🗓️

An ELECTRICAL BOX will usually last many years beyond its warranty, in fact it is likely that the wiring regulations will change meaning the box should be replaced before it breaks down. There are exceptions of course. If the box is installed poorly in the first place, is modified from new using unauthorised parts or installed in a poor location then these can all affect the lifespan of the box. In older buildings it was common for the electrical box to be installed in the basement or cellar area. This damp environment accelerates the aging process for metal components and trip switches and means that they will break down sooner and require replacing quicker than if installed in a clean dry environment. 

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