Posted By Faye I understand that there have been a number of Registered Social landlords that have experienced problems with consumer units overheating and even catching fire. Has anyone experienced this problem and if so would you be willing to share the details with me? Your information would be treated in the strictest of confidence. Kind regards

Posted By andrew c There were a substantial number of incidents of "Centaur" brand fuse boxes overheating.... these were a copy of the Wylex boards made for City Electrical Factors in the 1980's..... The terminal screws used a coarse thread which apparently allowed them to work loose. Loose "plug-in" rewireable fuse carriers are also a regular overheating cause. Another regular cause has been the addition of an electric shower to a consumer unit that is not suitable for the added load. Many older consumer units only have a 60 amp isolator switch... these are never suitable for electric showers. Some small newer units also only have a 63 amp isolator. However, any loose electrical connection will create heat, so any make of consumer unit that has been carelessly assembled is an overheating risk. Designs using flexible cables from the main switch to the neutral rail have been superceded by solid bar conductors which can dissipate heat away from the main switch better. Look for ASTA certification badges. In summary.... this is why nobody should use the meter cupboard for storage, and why electrical installations should be regularly checked.

Posted By J Knight Hi Andrew, I agree it was dangerous, but in the event it worked. The problem with smoke detectors in this case would have been that this was a kitchen, in a very small domestic building (though it was being used as a workplace); every time anybody made toast the alarm would have gone off, and in a Residential home its surprising just how often toast is made, John