Electrical panels
Electrical panel installation, upgrade and relocation
We install new electrical panels (distribution boards) and replace old panels with cartridge fuses with modern ones: a circuit breaker (MCB) on every circuit and residual current protection (RCD). We use Hager and ABB devices, and every circuit is labelled.
In short
What a modern electrical panel does
The panel divides the installation into circuits and protects it. Circuit breakers switch off a circuit in the event of an overload or short circuit. Residual current protection cuts the power when current leaks to earth, for example through a faulty appliance or through a person's body.
In homes we install B-curve circuit breakers: B16 for sockets, on 2.5 mm² copper cable, and B10 for lighting, on 1.5 mm² cable. In a short circuit they trip faster than C-curve breakers, so they give better protection to the cables and to people. The C-curve is designed for motors and machinery with high inrush currents, not for the sockets and lights of a home.
We connect the circuit breakers in the panel with a busbar, not with pieces of wire or improvised jumpers. The busbar makes firm, even contact on every device, and the panel stays tidy and easy to check. In panels with several rows we use the Hager vertical busbar system, which also connects the rows to each other with busbars, not with cables run from one row to the next.
Old panels, with cartridge fuses and no residual current protection, do not offer this protection. We replace them with modular panels, with spare space for new circuits and, where appropriate, with surge protection.
We can also move the panel to a more accessible place, for example during a renovation. Every circuit is labelled, so you know exactly what you are switching off.
We use NYM-J and NYY-J copper cables, Hager and ABB devices, Busch-Jaeger or Gira sockets (German Schuko standard), Kaiser boxes and WAGO and Phoenix Contact terminals: only tested products, sourced mainly from Germany.
What is included
- Modular panel with at least two free modules on every row, ready for future circuits
- A circuit breaker on every circuit: B16 for sockets (2.5 mm² cable), B10 for lighting (1.5 mm² cable)
- Hager QuickConnect devices, with spring terminals, no screws
- Circuit breakers connected to each other with a busbar, not with wires
- In Hager panels with several rows, the rows are also connected with vertical busbars
- Residual current protection
- Surge protection where appropriate, with DEHN surge arresters
- Arc fault protection (AFDD) on bedroom circuits, as the Romanian standard I7 has required since 2023, and on other circuits on request
- On request: an RCD on every circuit (RCBO, combined breaker and RCD)
- Circuit labelling and panel diagram
- Relocating or extending the existing panel
- Inspection and measurements after installation
Hager devices
Hager QuickConnect: a panel without screws
In our panels we use the Hager QuickConnect system. The circuit breakers, RCDs and supply busbar are connected with spring terminals, not screws. According to Hager, installation takes up to 40% less time than with screw terminals.
The busbar simply clicks into place
The supply busbar goes straight into the Bi-Connect terminal of each device, without screws. In panels with several rows, the rows are also connected to each other with vertical busbars.
Connections that do not loosen
Spring terminals hold the conductor with the same force over time. Unlike screws, they do not loosen from vibration and do not need re-tightening. Flexible conductors do not even need wire ferrules.
Quick replacement
A device can be taken out of the row without removing the whole busbar: only the part being replaced is released. The panel is switched off for as short a time as possible.
Easy to check and to read
Each device has a separate voltage test point and a label protected by a transparent cover, which stays clean and legible over time.
Devices
ABB FlexLine devices
Besides Hager, we also work with ABB FlexLine devices. The first miniature circuit breaker was invented in Germany in 1923 by Hugo Stotz, whose company is now part of ABB. FlexLine is its new range of circuit breakers and RCDs for electrical panels.
An RCD on every circuit
The circuit breaker with built-in RCD (RCBO) takes up a single module. If a fault occurs, only the affected circuit switches off, not the whole house.
Arc fault protection
The AFDD (arc fault detection device) detects electric arcs from damaged cables or loose connections, one of the causes of fires, and switches the circuit off.
Connections that do not loosen
Push-in terminals hold the conductor pressed by a spring, with constant pressure, so no re-tightening is needed later.
More compact panels
The narrow devices fit more circuits into the same panel and leave room for extensions. Panels can be surface-mounted or recessed into the wall.
When it is worth it
When it is time for a new panel
Cartridge fuses
An old panel, without circuit breakers.
You have no residual current protection
The most important protection against electric shock.
You are adding large appliances
Hob, air conditioning, water heater: they need their own circuits and breakers.
You are renovating
The ideal time for a new panel or for moving it.
The panel is full
There is no room left for new circuits.
Commercial spaces
Main and sub-distribution panels for offices, shops and workshops.
How we work
From photos to the finished job
You contact us
On WhatsApp, by phone or through the form. Tell us what needs doing and where.
We assess from photos or video
You send us photos or a short video. We only come on site if needed.
You get a written quote
Work, materials and timeline, clearly set out before we start.
We do the work and test it
We work cleanly, test everything and hand over the documentation.
Price
How much a new electrical panel costs
The price depends on the number of circuits, the devices and how much the installation needs to be changed. Materials (panel, circuit breakers, RCDs) are charged separately from labour.
All rates- Labour from 250 lei + VAT per hour per electrician (302.50 lei incl. VAT)
- A minimum of one hour is charged
- Materials and travel are charged separately, itemised in the written quote
- The assessment from photos or video and the quote are free
- Payment is in lei (RON)
Frequently asked questions
Questions about electrical panels
How much does it cost to install a new electrical panel?
It depends on the number of circuits and the devices you choose. Labour starts from 250 lei + VAT per hour per electrician, and the panel and devices are charged separately. Send us a photo of your current panel on WhatsApp and you will get a written quote.
What is residual current protection and why does it matter?
It is the device in the panel that cuts the power when part of the current "escapes" to earth, for example through a faulty appliance or through a person's body. It is the main protection against electric shock.
Why do you install B16 and B10 breakers, not C16 and C10?
B-curve circuit breakers trip instantly at a short-circuit current 3–5 times the rated current, while C-curve breakers only trip at 5–10 times. The C-curve is designed for motors and machinery with high inrush currents. In a house or apartment, the B-curve switches off a fault on the socket and lighting circuits faster and gives better protection to the cables and to people. That is why we install B16 for sockets, on 2.5 mm² copper cable, and B10 for lighting, on 1.5 mm² cable, even though C16 and C10 are common in practice.
Why do you connect the breakers with a busbar, not with wires?
The busbar supplies all the circuit breakers in a row through a single piece, with firm, even contact on every device. Jumpers made from pieces of wire, crammed into the same terminal, can loosen and heat up over time. With a busbar, the panel is safer, tidier and easier to check. In Hager panels with several rows, the rows are also connected with busbars, using the Hager vertical busbar system.
What is the Hager QuickConnect system?
It is Hager's screwless connection system for panel devices. The conductors and the supply busbar are held in spring terminals, which keep the same clamping force over time, so they do not loosen and do not need re-tightening. A faulty device can be replaced without removing the whole busbar. We use it in the panels we install.
What is an RCBO?
It is a circuit breaker and an RCD combined in a single device, fitted on each circuit. It protects against overload, short circuit and electric shock, and in the event of a fault only that circuit switches off, not the whole installation. In the ABB FlexLine range it takes up a single module in the panel.
What is arc fault protection (AFDD)?
It is a device in the panel that detects dangerous electric arcs, for example from a crushed cable or a loose connection, and switches the circuit off before a fire can start. Since July 2023, the Romanian standard I7 requires it in new installations on circuits up to 32 A in bedrooms. We always fit it there, and on other circuits on request.
Can the electrical panel be moved?
Usually yes. We check the existing cable routes and tell you what needs to be changed. It is easiest during a renovation, before the finishing work.
Why does the RCD in my panel keep tripping?
Most often because of a faulty appliance or moisture in a socket or junction box. See our repairs page: we find the cause and fix it.
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Want a new or upgraded panel?
Send us a few photos and we will get back to you with a free written quote.