A consumer unit, also known as a fuse board or fuse box is an essential device found in homes and commercial buildings. They are designed to protect electrical appliances from damage and more importantly human beings from electric shock. Consumer units are responsible for the control and distribution of power coming into the home or workplace.
RS Components offer a range of high-quality consumer units from industry-leading brands including ABB, Wylex, MK Electric, Legrand, and Contactum.
Enclosures are usually made of non-combustible plastic or metal clad. Inside the enclosure is a strip of DIN Rail which allows the mains switch, RCDs MCBs and RCBOs to be mounted safely and securely.
This is the master switch that controls the electricity supply into your home or workplace and allows you to turn the supply on and off. All components contained within the enclosure are controlled by the main switch.
Residual Current Devices are used as the incomer device which feeds the electricity supply to the circuit breakers. When an imbalance occurs, it will trip quickly and disconnects the supply to the MCBs. They are specifically designed to protect you from electric shock. To learn more about how they work, please see our complete guide to RCDs
Miniature Circuit Breakers are used to protect equipment and appliances from electrical overcurrent. Designed to trip out and turn off straight away when a fault is detected. To learn more about how they work, please see our complete guide to MCBs
Residual Current Overload is a device that combines the functionality of an MCB and an RCD. Designed to protect against both current overload and earth leakage. They are is generally used on important circuits such as alarm systems, freezers, and some lighting rings. To learn more about how they work, please see our complete guide to RCBO’s