Chint Consumer Units

[JK-Electrical]

I'm wondering if any of you guys have installed any of the Chint range of consumer units that Screwfix have recently began selling. If so, how was your experience? Any good, or best avoided?​

 

[telectrix]

used a few. several have been in for 10 years and no problems.

 

[Bob Geldoff1234]

I can get a 10 way MK board at my local wholesalers cheaper than Screwfix 10 way Chint board. I know which i would rather use.

 

[telectrix]

i'd use the Chint.

 

[JK-Electrical]

I can get a 10 way MK board at my local wholesalers cheaper than Screwfix 10 way Chint board. I know which i would rather use.

My thoughts exactly!

The price that Screwfix are asking places the Chint range into Hager/Wylex/Crabtree territory and at that price I would much rather stick with the tried and trusted brands.

 

[buzzlightyear]

I have loads of old chinks mcb s might sell them to screwed fix . try and keep to brand you know of .

 

[westward10]

Chint, BG, MK, Proteus. Wouldn't give any of them van space, Hager goes in a trailer.

 

[telectrix]

Chint, BG, MK, Proteus. Wouldn't give any of them van space, Hager goes in a trailer.

a trailer to a film?

 

[LewisM]

Not the used the metal CUs but the old plastic ones were cheap ----, neutral and earth bar mounts very easily snapped off from the the bit that holds them to the cu.

 

[Leesparkykent]

I wouldn't entertain them.

 

[JK-Electrical]

I have a feeling that we'll be seeing these units on offer at half-price in Screwfix's 2018 end of line clearance sale!

 

[Leesparkykent]

I have a feeling that we'll be seeing these units on offer at half-price in Screwfix's 2018 end of line clearance sale!

no mate there will be loads of kitchen fitters etc chucking them in.

 

[JK-Electrical]

no mate there will be loads of kitchen fitters etc chucking them in.

Even though they could install a CED unit instead and make another £20?

 

[sparkdog]

Never used them, they always looked a bit cheapo to me.

 

[Paul.M]

Before amd 3, the plastic CU's felt cheap and nasty. I've had cardboard shoe boxes with more rigidity lol. Around the same time on a suby job I was given a Chint TP DB to install in a shop. Not bad but others are available for not much more money????

 

[Electrical2go]

Chints not something we've been asked for before. MK and Hager are our most popular and reliable brands along with Wylex. Sometimes it better the devil you know. Plus as the others have stated the aforementioned brands aren't going to cost much more and in some cases less than the Chints. We have a whole selection of CU's available if if you wanted to take a look plus through September as forum members you can get and extra 5% off with code "FORUMFIVE". Cheers, Ivan

 

[mattg4321]

Stick to Hager. Pretty much the only brand where the MCB's sit completely vertical with no effort.

FFS HOW HARD IS IT! Sparks been moaning about this since the dawn of time!

 

[westward10]

The only brand to fit vertical is Crabtree Starbreaker as they plug onto the busbar with no need for a screw motion to fit it.

 

[telectrix]

any make will sit straight with careful use of a hammer. come on.

 

[JK-Electrical]

Hager and Crabtree Starbreaker boards remain my first choice.

 

[Strima]

I like Schneider, mainly due to the fact that's what most of our customers want as a lot of their old systems were built around Merlin Gerin.

However we do see a lot of Chint being used as well as Proteus due to cost, IMHO they should be burnt at the stake...

And someone really loves Chint on the end of suite DC supplies... 60 ways in each rack so down to cost.

 

[MJPD29]

They are absolutely identical to MCG is you have ever bought them from CEF if that gives you an idea, produced in the same place and everything breaker were a perfect match

 

[partypest]

I'm pretty certain that Chint and MCG are thrown out of the same factory. I've spent the last two years stripping plastic Chint DB's out of installations that were being done by a cowboy spending the least and working the least. I know that sounds like a good business model, but you have to install appropriate equipment and install it in an appropriate manner, this rubbish did neither. So, when I see Chint, I think of that guy.

 

[ipf]

The MD of one factory firm, where I do a lot of work, has me doing work at his house. They had an extension built, electrics done via the main contractor's spark. Really top notch looking kitchen with quite a large Lutron lighting control system....the beez neez ,as far as they were concerned, and cost a fortune. He asked me over to do a small job and asked my opinion. I said 'let's have a look at the CU. Previously, I'd installed RCBO's in the exiting Hager board. It had been replaced with a large Chint double RCD board.

The RCBO's taken out were worth more than the new board. Pure cheek!

...but it worked ok, so where's the problem?

 

[MJPD29]

He probably pocketed the rcbo's too and is currently fitting them for someone else as we speak

 

[The Trician]

Have to say, at £16 ea inc VAT for CHINT rcbos I am a fan.
Their boards aren't the best, but neither is anything else these days.
Even my old favorite of choice MEM Memshield 2 has gone downhill since Memshield 3 came out. Havells (India) do boards that are in every way Identical to the old Memshield 2 range and no wonder, MEM's Design Engineer left to go and work for them because he was disgusted at how the beancounters had pared down the quality of the new Memshield 3 range.
Square D/Schneider? Nice, but overpriced for what they are. Have you seen how little copper there is in modern CUs compared to an old Wylex BS3036 board?
Makes one wonder what all the expense of these new boards is all about.
Less for more seems to be the new maxim.

 

[sparkdog]

Steel terminal screws and solid core cables, I don't think they are compatible. I don't remember tightening issues with brass terminals and stranded cables.