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Consumer unit or Fusebox
The fusebox also known as consumer unit should be easy
to find. You should make sure you know where it is in
case you ever need to turn the electricity off in an
emergency. It usually contains three things, and they
are used to control and distribute electricity around
your home. They are: The main switch; Fuses and/or circuit
breakers; and Residual Current Devices.
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Modern Consumer Unit
with main switch (A), circuit breakers (B) and
RCDs (C)
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A) Main switch
B) Fuses or Circuit Breakers
C) Residual Current Device
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Old style Fusebox
with main switch (A), re-wireable fuses (B) and
no RCD
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Main
Switch
this allows you to turn off the electricity supply
to your home. You might have more than one mains switch,
for example if your home has electric storage heaters.
In this case you may have a separate fusebox.
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Residual
Current Devices (RCD)
These are switches that trip a circuit under dangerous
conditions, and instantly disconnect the electricity.
If your home has one or more RCD, test them regularly.
Just follow the instruction label, which you should
find near to the RCD. It should read as follows: “This
installation, or part of it, is protected by a device
which automatically switches off the supply if an earth
fault develops. Test every three months by pressing
the button marked ‘T’ or ‘Test’.” Testing the button
every three months is important. The device should switch
off the electricity. You should then switch it back
on to restore the electricity. Do not hold the test
button for a long period if the RCD does not trip. If
it doesn’t switch off the electricity when you press
the button, contact a registered electrician.
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RCD
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RCBO
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Circuit
Breakers (MCB)
These are automatic protection devices in the fusebox
that switch off a circuit if they detect a fault. They
are similar in size to fuses, but give more precise
protection. When they ‘trip’, you can simply reset the
switch. But make sure you correct the fault first.
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Fuses
Rewirable fuses have a piece
of special fuse wire running between two screws. When
a fault or overload current flows through the fuse wire,
it will become hot and melt. The melted fuse breaks
the circuit, disconnecting the faulty circuit and keeping
you safe.
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Old
Fuseboxes
If your fusebox has a wooden back, cast iron switches,
or a mixture of fuses it is likely that it dates back
to before the 1960s and will need to be replaced.
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Information
from The Electrical Safety Council, see www.esc.org.uk
for further information and advice |
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