In these strange times, we are all spending a lot more time at home and in the garden (if we are lucky enough!)  So we thought we’d give you a mini guide to something we all have in our homes and probably take for granted that they’re keeping us safe.

Fuse Boxes – also known as Consumer Units – are used to control and distribute electricity around our homes.

You probably know where your fuse box is located in your home.  It is important in case we ever need to turn the electricity off in an emergency.

A fuse box contains three things:

1. Mains Switch

This allows you to turn off the electricity supply, and so should be easily accessible.  Some homes will have more than one mains switch if there is more than one fuse box.

2. Circuit Breakers or Fuses

Most homes built after 1960 will have circuit breakers. These are automatic protection devices that switch off a circuit if they detect a fault.  Despite being a similar size to fuses, they offer more precise protection.  If they “trip”, you can reset the switch after finding and correcting the fault.

Fuses have a piece of special fuse running between two screws.  If a fault occurs, or in the event of an overload, the fuse wire will become hot and melt.  The melted fuse then breaks the circuit, disconnecting it and keeping you safe.

3. RCDs

RCDs (residual current devices) are switches that trip a circuit under certain conditions and disconnect the electricity supply.  If it detects an imbalance in current, or electricity flowing down an unintended path, it will switch the circuit off, reducing the risk of death or serious injury from an electric shock.

If you have a wooden back on your fuse box, a mixture of fuses and circuit breakers, or no RCD protection, then you might benefit from upgrading to a new consumer unit that would offer you more protection.  It is also worth considering if you are planning an extension or an improvement project or your fuse box is overloaded.

A professionally installed consumer unit by a certified electrician will improve your electrical safety as well as put your mind at rest by checking the integrity of the existing circuits in your property.

Fulcher Edwards carries out all types of electrical services, including fuse box replacement in homes in and around St. Albans. Why not give us a call us today for a free quotation on 01923 616985 or drop us an email on our Contact Us Page.

Just before life got a little different for us all with the Coronavirus pandemic, Fulcher Edwards moved offices and we just wanted to inform you of our new contact details!

Don’t worry we are still in St. Albans but now in the town centre in a lovely building called Censeo House which is in St. Peters Street, not far from where the famous St. Albans market is held each week!

If we are your chosen electrical services and maintenance provider then please update your details to the following with regards to our correspondence address;

Censeo House

6 St. Peter’s Street

St. Albans

Herts AL1 3LF

All other details remain the same, so you can still contact us on 01923 616985 and our email is info@fulcheredwards.co.uk so if you need an electrician at your home or business in St. Albans or surrounding areas then please get in touch for a free quotation.  We are still operating though only for essential and emergency electrical works and of course working from homes whilst we are all isolating during the Coronavirus pandemic, but we are still taking calls and receiving emails so happy to discuss any plans you might be considering in the future.

Keep well, from all the team at FE.