Crabtree MCB

[blondini]

Went to change an MCB on a fairly new Crabtree CU, but the existing MCB's have a screw terminal on the lower front face and the new one I bought from Screwfix doesn't. Looking in the Screwfix catalogue they only seem to do this one type of Crabtree MCB, are there any other manufacturers MCB's that would fit?

 

[RF Lighting]

What model was the CU?

Was there just one screw terminal on the MCB, or were there two screws?

You really shouldn't use a different brand of MCB from the brand of the CU.

Was it an older style starbreaker MCB?

 

[blondini]

Not sure what the model is, I think it says Loadstar but I'll have to go back to confirm. The MCB's have two screws but they're not the old pre '92 stuff, the CU is only a couple of years old.

 

[JohnD]

Was it a Crabtree Starbreaker? that's their most popular Domestic CU. the design was altered from the ones with a screw terminal at the botton to ones with a copper tongue that goes into a slot in the busbar.

They do also do a Loadstar range and also Polestar, but I thought they were more light Industrial than domestic.

AFAIK the old ones are still available as spares. Screwfix is not an electrical supplier, they just sell fastmoving stuff.

The part no (from memory) is different by one digit - something like 610-B32 compared to 61-B32

Which one do you need? I did have a carton in the loft though I may have fleabayed them all.

 

[blondini]

Thanks for the advice guys. And thanks for offering to rummage in your loft JohnD.

It was a Loadstar CU. Flimsy plastic effort, similarical to the ones in the Screwfix catalogue. which I presume are Starbreaker.

I wanted to use Screwfix for convenience on that evening as time was pressing and there was a trade counter on my way. I just hoped there was a chance that something else might fit. In the end I had to phone around and go for a little trip on Saturday morning. The guys at the supplier said the tongued ones were Starbreaker and the screw ones were Loadbreaker. They look identical in situ(unlike the older Starbreaker), but it beats me why Crabtree would manufacture two such similar ranges.

 

[gtd.]

Not a Gateshead Housing property is it? they use Loadstar

 

[blondini]

Not a Gateshead Housing property is it? they use Loadstar

Nope, private property along the road in Hebburn.