When Should You Replace Your Fuseboard? Advice for homeowners in Buckhurst Hill

When looking at your current fuseboard, there are a few tell-tale signs to look out for that indicate your need for a fuseboard replacement in Buckhurst Hill.

How often is it recommended to replace your fuseboard?

Although it is advisable to replace your fuseboard every 20-30 years, there are certain signs that indicate the time is now. Your fuseboard is the heart of your home's electrics, distributing power throughout the home and silently protecting you from potential electrical shock or fire - which is why it’s so important to never ignore the below signs and ensure your fuseboard is up to current safety standards.

• Melting or scorching on the fuseboard - this is a sign that something is causing the fuseboard to overheat. This is extremely dangerous and not to be taken lightly.
• Flickering Lights or Tripping Electrics - this can signify an overloaded circuit, a connection that has become loose and is now arcing or a faulty circuit breaker.
• A humming or buzzing sound coming from the unit - again, this is usually a sign of any of the above (overloaded circuit, loose connection or a faulty circuit breaker)
• Rewireable fuses - these are usually present on much older fuseboards and were no longer installed in new build properties during the 80’s and 90’s due to not matching safety standards of the time 
• Lack of RCD protection - an RCD (Residual Current Device) is a safety switch built into modern day fuseboards that offers life saving protection. RCDs are constantly checking the levels of current flowing and should even the smallest imbalance be detected, the circuit is disconnected within milliseconds. This prevents potentially fatal outcomes.

Remember, just because something looks safe - doesn’t mean that it actually is. Some of the most dangerous electrical faults are the ones we can’t see.

A fuseboard replacement allows you to modernise and extend your home

Many people don’t realise that their existing fuseboard doesn’t have the capacity for upgrades to their home. More often than not, if you’re seeking to install an extension, EV Charger, Solar Panels & Battery Storage or even a hardwired hot tub - your existing fuseboard mightn’t be able to give you the extra that is being asked of it. It simply doesn’t have the capacity and isn’t able to offer the level of safety required when such high loads are being drawn from it.

For example we recently visited a customer's home on Almonds Avenue, Buckhurst Hill - the customer has a lovely detached 4 bed home but is undergoing a loft conversion to create a studio space for the eldest child who is off to art college. After entering the customers home to draw them up a quote for the work they wanted done, we sadly found the existing board doesn't have enough spare capacity to supply power to the studio. This was a simple enough fix and we scheduled a date for a fuseboard replacement.

Tack Electrical - your trusted and local electrician for fuseboard replacement Buckhurst Hill

If it’s time for you to think about fuseboard replacement or even if you would like an experienced electrician to come and have a look at your fuseboard and offer their expert opinion, we would love to help.

Here's our promise: No pressure. No jargon. Just honest advice and professional workmanship.

We’d love to hear from you, why not fill out our contact form or whatsapp us today - let’s help you take the steps towards making your property electrically safer.