Things that go bump in the night….

Things That Go Bump… And I’m not talking about spectres and headless horsemen that may roam around your premises at night…although these can seem harmless when compared to a little device called an RCD is none existent in your home. I really believe that the RCD has been a groundbreaking invention in the electrical industry. Basically speaking an RCD is fitted to a consumer unit (fuse box) and if anything were to malfunction such as a kettle, washing machine or hairdryer then the RCD would activate (within less than a second) and cut the power to the appliance concerned. Potentially this could well save your life, your home and the well being of your family. I always recommend my clients have an RCD fitted as it really does give you peace of mind.

RCDs save several lives every year in UK households and contribute to fewer house fires. There have been electrical regulations around for years requiring an RCD to be fitted to consumer units, but as I have seen so many times during my travels around Sutton, Croydon, Wallington, Carshalton and South West London this hasn’t been happening. The good news is, all new 17th edition consumer units, which are the latest in consumer unit technology come with an Duel RCD fitted as standard, and not as an optional extra. If your home has an older style consumer unit, I would recommend you consult a qualified electrician to carry out an electrical inspection in your home. Over the years these older style consumer units have been added to, causing them to become overloaded and are therefore offering you little or no electrical protection. I’m afraid you won’t be aware of this, as for now everything will appear to be working well.

I have also seen instances of silver paper or strands of cable used to replace fuse wire. Attempting to replace fuse wire is extremely dangerous and should never be attempted. Nowadays you simply flick a switch. If your electricity is not working, this indicates a problem and for your own safety the consumer unit will not operate. Its time to call upon the services of a qualified local electrician. If you have a consumer unit similar to the ones shown here below it’s time for a new one – for your own safety.