fuse wire adapters

[Shelster]

In my nice new house, i have some rather antiquated wiring (dont worry, it is safe) and a rather old fuse box that utilises fuse wire.

At the moment, i dont have enough cash to get a "qualified" electrician in to replace the main fuse box with a split-load RCD affair (yes i could do it myself, but there goes the house insurance)

I overheard a conversation that it is possible to get RCD's that will plug into a fuse wire holder! Has anyone heard of these? and if so where can i get them? Am interested in doing this as will have to go off to a rather sunny place next year for 8 months and Mrs S is not that good with electrickery. Reseting a tripped RCD, yes. Replacing fuse-wire, No.

As always, many thanks

 

[Adam_151]

You can get plug in MCBs for a wylex standard board (if its anything other, then you won't even be able to do that), but not RCDs, or RCBOs, if you want RCD protection, then you would have to install then in separate DIN mount enclosures, either one in the main tails*, or between the circuit you want to protect and its fuseway

*not recommended, if it trips you loose everything, inc. lights which is a recipe for breaking your neck failling down the stairs etc.

You must never replace MCBS or fuses (opercurrent devices) with RCDs (phase/neutral imbalence devices), but you can replace them with RCBOs (which do both jobs)

Fuses shouldn't be blowing as a matter of course, and I'm not sure I'd bother splashing out on MCBs unless you can get them cheap on ebay, but rather put the money in the pot for a board change (as long as it doesn't throw up hidden problems, then expect it to cost circa £300)

Another thing, is if you change a 5A BS3036 hotwire fuse for a B6 breaker, then you'll probably find the thing trips everytime a lamp fails (something to ask your spark if you do get that baord change... C type breakers on lighting circuits providing the Z's are low enough)

Sorry, if I have gone on a bit

P.S. replacing fuses with breakers is technically notifiable to your local building control, I don't think I'd bother though

 

[Magic_x_uk]

about 5 years ago in my last house, not the ones i am living in now, i replaced the old fashion wire fuse box with a new consumer unit, trips etc, why do you say,
"if you do it, there goes your house insurance" am i missing something ?

I am no electrician, but i managed to change the old fuse box for a new one in less than a hour.

Are you not supposed to do it yourself then ?

 

[Scream]

Did you test the CU after you installed it to make sure the RCD trips within its stated time.

What about your earth loop impedence? Did you test it also to make sure your earth is still good?

I assume the CU you installed was suitable for your installation at the time whether it was a PME/TT system.

 

[Trigger]

about 5 years ago in my last house, not the ones i am living in now, i replaced the old fashion wire fuse box with a new consumer unit, trips etc, why do you say,
"if you do it, there goes your house insurance" am i missing something ?

I am no electrician, but i managed to change the old fuse box for a new one in less than a hour.

Are you not supposed to do it yourself then ?

You shouldn't be touching the internals of the Consumer Unit unless you are qualified let alone changing it! The electricity board doesn't take very kindly to this and it is infact illegal to impede the seal around the main fuse which you would need to break to isolate the old Consumer Unit. Also, recent Part P regulations prevents anyone undertaking and major work on their electrical system without notifying building control or getting a sparks to do the work. In theory, you can do it yourself and then get it checked and be issued a certificate but the local councils etc don't seem to like this and can get very picky so i've been told.

Good advice by Adam_151 as usual though

It sounds like what you're trying to do is a bit of a bodge job to be honest though. If your fuses are constantly tripping then you have more major problems on your hands and you need to get an electrican out to test your circuits. Save up your money and get an electrician to fit a split load Consumer Unit but ensure he does not make the lighting circuit RCD protected

 

[Adam_151]

There is however a school of thought that goes that even if you replaced a hotwire fuse box with a new split load DIN rail based board populated with B type breakers, even if you don't carry out the required tests, you have certainly not made the installation any more dangerous than it was before (unless you are in the habit of not doing terminals up tight enough or uprating protective devices (so no 32A breaker where there was a 5A hotwire fuse, and other stupid things))

The problems I can see associated with it, are it might give people a false sense of security, they see a nice new board and think everything is up to scratch, and pulling service fuses, as well as being technically illegal without permission from the DNO is potentially hazardous if you don't know what you are doing

Not that I'm condoneing failing to test CU changes, but just sometimes it brings a sense of perpective if you consider what the real risks are, rather than blindly quoting shoulds and musts, when you look at some of the stuff that happens in the more easten parts of europe you realise that there is much worse than some of the stuff we think is pretty bad.

Good advice by Adam_151 as usual though

thank you , expect this post is a bit more contraversal though

Regards

 

[Berserker]

unless you are in the habit of not doing terminals up tight enough

I've been on the receiving end of that under slightly different circumstances, and it's really not nice. Especially when it's the earth terminal that let go and I found out while removing damp washing from the washing machine connected to it.

Professionally installed too.