If you have noticed that your consumer unit or fuseboard is warm then this could be a sign of problems. Sometimes it is nothing serious and just down to the normal operating temperature of your electrical system. It is normal for cables and electrical components to warm up when they are being used for a long period of short periods of high demand.
A WARM CONSUMER UNIT can mean:
- Electrical Problems
- Overheating Components Inside
- Loose Wiring
- Failing Switches
- Connections Not Correctly Torqued
You can see in the photograph above that the customer had narrowly avoided a house fire. The consumer unit and electrical installation had not been checked for a long time and as such problems had gone unnoticed and left to increase in severity. This could have been solved and found much earlier on a routine electrical inspection.
This warm consumer unit had been getting very, very warm indeed. This had resulted in the burning you see below. Unfortunately, the damage was so great that we could not repair the unit, in any event the parts are now obsolete although we do carry a range of older spares.
Let’s dive in and look at causes….
Electrical Problems
General electrical problems such as excessive appliance usage creating high load on circuits can cause operating temperature of the electrical panel or consumer unit to increase. When this happens, it is fairly normal and expected. Issues arise when rising temperatures are met with other electrical problems such as….
Overheating Components Inside
Trip switches and circuit breakers in consumer units are designed to protect the electrical cables in the home from overload and damage. There is little to protect the CIRCUIT BREAKERS from overheating themselves except for circuit design. Trip switches such as RCDs, RCCBs and GFCIs have a maximum load rating. They will not trip themselves as a rule BUT, once the safe operating rating is exceeded, damage and overheating can occur.
Circuit breaker type trip switches ARE designed to trip when electrical demand is exceeded but interestingly, they WILL NOT trip with gradual overload until they are quite a way over their rating. During this process they can overheat and this can add to problems in the consumer unit.
Loose Wiring
Loose wiring is a major antagonist in the creation of electrical failures and fires. With loose wiring comes high resistances as poor electrical contact is made between two points. With this higher resistance, electrical current has much more difficulty in flowing through the circuit. This creates extra heat and poor performance of appliances and lights.
When the heat increases the resistance also increases drastically and there becomes a repetitive and destructive situation!
Loose wiring is inevitable with time in electrical systems. When we think about it, we can imagine how this occurs.
When electrical systems are used, they heat up and when the electrical demand goes away, the system will cool again.
Wiring is generally copper and electrical terminals are generally brass or steel. Metals expand and contract with heat and different metals will expand and contract at different rates. This means movement on the electrical connections.
There is also a very slight vibration on the cables due to the alternating current and supply frequency. Over a long period of time, all these factors can lost connections along with the actual bumps and knocks that electrical accessories may receive under normal use.
Failing Switches
As older switchgear such as trips and breakers age, they can corrode internally on the electrical contacts. This can cause higher resistances and increased temperatures. These devices are not intended to last forever and will have a safe working lifespan outside of the manufacturer’s warranty.
The lifespan of trip switches, circuit breakers and other devices can be curtailed by the frequency with which they have been forced to operate to dissipate electrical fault currents, shock risks and overloads. All of these issues take their toll on switchgear and will shorten its life.
Connections not Correctly Torqued
All connections in a consumer unit should be sufficiently tight in order to prevent loose wires causing fires. The manufacturer of each consumer unit will specify, in their instructions, the level of torque that should be applied to their switchgear, neutral bars, earth bars and other equipment that must be mechanically fastened.
Straying too far over the levels of torque specified by the manufacturer is likely to lead to stress fractures in the metal components of switch gear, too low and excessive heat and resistance could build to cause a fire inside the enclosure.
Connections inside a consumer unit should not be tightened with a power tool where torque cannot be set and controlled. All connections should be made correctly and without risk of causing damage.
What About Preventative Measures?
Have you ever heard that prevention is better than cure? A good old-fashioned saying that really applies here. The prevention of these issues occurring in the first place is likely to not only drastically reduce the risk of fire and electrical system breakdown but also, SAVE YOU MONEY!
Here are the top 6 things that YOU can do to prevent problems causing a WARM CONSUMER UNIT
- Check out your consumer unit
- Check the consumer unit switches
- Have repairs done
- Ensure that any electrical work is done by a professional!
- Make sure that replacement consumer units are properly certified
- Have a PROPER electrical inspection
Check out your consumer unit (I will help you FOR FREE!!!)
Whilst I understand that you are not an electrician and this may seem scary, I’m not asking you to do anything dangerous here. Visually inspect your consumer unit without touching it, clear away the coats, shoes and other personal debris from the unit and LET IT BREATHE!
Check for holes in the unit, cracks, discolouration, and any other damage that you suspect may be a problem. DO NOT be tempted to poke things in any holes. This sounds like obvious advice but many people upon spotting a hole, immediately need to measure it with a finger. This is a bad idea in a box containing live electrical parts.
If there appear to be issues with your consumer unit then SEND ME THE PHOTOS on WHATSAPP or contact me directly. THAT’S RIGHT, I will personally FREE OF CHARGE take a look at your photographs for you, it doesn’t matter where you live. I will help you find a local electrician if you need one. I would rather you were safe than were worried about being charged for this service.
Check the consumer unit switches
Consumer units are manufactured by ONE manufacturer and as such, there should be no mixing of manufacturers components inside the consumer unit. What does this mean? Well, all the switches should generally have the same brand or logo on them. Looking at the photograph above of the consumer unit with the dangerous hole in it, at least the switches are all the same brand, right?
Now if we look at the consumer unit below, we will see that over the years lots of different brands have been jammed in to the enclosure.
Why does it matter?
It matters because the components are designed differently by each manufacturer. NOT ONLY the physical dimensions but the way in which they dissipate heat and electrical forces from any faults in the system.
Interchanging manufacturers equipment can lead to overheating (WARM CONSUMER UNIT), mechanical stress and damage to all components inside the enclosure.
Have Repairs Done
If you spot anything wrong with the consumer unit or in fact, anything electrical in your home at all then have it repaired and do it whilst you are thinking of it and before life gets in the way. Electrical problems don’t resolve themselves; consumer units do not become healed and electrical switches and sockets will only become more loose and more dangerous!
If you are struggling to find a trustworthy and local electrician then check out our article for advice on how to do this.
Ensure that any electrical work is done by a professional!
This should go without saying but I guess occasionally we need to remind everyone occasionally that electrical installation, maintenance, and testing are all skilled jobs that require the knowledge of the wiring regulations, the experience of years in industry and the expertise of a qualified professional. Sorry to disappoint any avid DIYers but it’s not “Just Three Wires”.
Electrical work is absolutely lethal if carried out incorrectly and without the correct test equipment and knowledge it is IMPOSSIBLE to safely carry out MOST electrical tasks. There are certain tasks that are safe and possible to do with some guidance such as wiring a plug.
Make sure that replacement consumer units are properly certified
When having a consumer unit replaced in the UK there are some general requirements that must be met. Electrical testing and inspection must be carried out and the test results recorded and presented along with the Electrical Installation Certificate to the customer or person ordering the work. Building control must normally be notified as well as the job is considered to be a major alteration to an electrical system.
This paper trail, to an extent, guarantees that the work has been carried out to a minimum standard and that the contractor is signing their name to the work and taking responsibility for it. This usually means that you will be using a genuine contractor who is a member of the NICEIC or NAPIT competent persons schemes (UK).
Members of these schemes have to follow their regulations and rules to remain members and must have a minimum level of insurance and be annually assessed for their competence.
This does also mean that you may have to be careful of the ‘cheapest quote’ however tempting. Ensure that you will receive the right paperwork, check the contractors’ reviews, website, insurance, and previous work where possible.
Have a PROPER electrical inspection
A PROPER electrical inspection is one that takes several hours to a full day NOT an hour or less.
I know it’s very tempting to try and save money on absolutely everything that we purchase, money is a finite resource and it IS IMPORTANT to get value. A cheap electrical inspection is often NOT great value. Check that your contractor will be inspecting all the circuits, tightening the connections in the consumer unit, and checking the electrical accessories out for you. There is more information HERE.
If you are in doubt as to what is required in an electrical inspection then just WHATSAPP or EMAIL us and we will do our best to help wherever you are.
Conclusion
A WARM CONSUMER UNIT can often be prevented by ensuring that an electrical system is NOT FORGOTTEN and is correctly maintained by professionals. This will allow early warning signs to be brought to your attention and the commencement of any problems to be dealt with quickly and efficiently before they develop into serious and EXPENSIVE issues that could cost you financially and personally.
Don’t ignore warning signs in electrical systems, whatever the issues are, and especially LOUD BANGS from your fuse box. These types of noises should be investigated immediately.
