Emergency Three Phase DB Replacement, Whitchurch Cafe

The Problem

We were called out to a cafe in Whitchurch to look at their three phase distribution board. On inspection, the board was found to have suffered fire damage, with scorching visible across the busbar and a number of the RCBOs.

The board supplied all circuits across the premises, including the coffee machine, kitchen ring mains, fire alarm system, and WC and store circuits. Given the extent of the damage, the board required a full replacement.

What We Found

Once the board was isolated and opened up, the damage was clear across the top section of the busbar and several outgoing circuits, with scorching to the casing and degraded insulation in places.

The Replacement

We removed the damaged board entirely and installed a new three phase distribution board, complete with a 125A triple pole and neutral main switch and a full set of new RCBOs across all three phases. Every circuit was traced, tested and clearly labelled, from the fire alarm and coffee machine through to the kitchen sockets and WC circuits, so the board is now straightforward for any electrician to work on in future.

The extent of the fire damage across the old board

Installing the new three phase main switch and busbar

The completed replacement, fully wired, tested and labelled

Why This Matters for Commercial Premises

Fire damaged distribution boards can occur in commercial kitchens and cafes, particularly where equipment or circuits have been added over time. Regular testing can help identify issues before they reach this stage.

We cover this kind of fault finding, replacement and testing work as part of our wider commercial and industrial electrical services, including installations, maintenance, compliance testing and emergency response for offices, retail units and hospitality premises across Cheshire and the surrounding areas.

The Result

The cafe was back trading on a safe, fully tested three phase supply. All work was certified to current wiring regulations, with full documentation provided for the client’s records.