Old Wylex fuses - Help!! Update ***Sorted :)***

[piersc]

Hi

I think I've fried one of the fuses in my old Wylex fuse box. Was having some trouble fitting a light and I guess I blew it 1 too many times!

Done a seach on the internet and every one I seem to find looks nothing like the one I'm trying to replace.

The writing on the side of the fuse is:

BS 3871 PT:1 240v
REF. CAL. TEMP. 20C
TYPE B
5A M1 15A-45A M2

It has a round button that when pushed in is flush with the front casing rather than a switch, along with a much smaller button which when press trips the fuse.

Will a normal TYPE B with a switch replace this?

Also, where would I be able to get one over the weekend? I've got not lights!!

Thanks

 

[RF Lighting]

You've probably missed B&Q for today, but any of the sheds will have them

Or an electrical wholesaler.

A 6A type B will be fine as a replacement.

These are on fleabay

 

[piersc]

That's exactly them. Thanks.

 

[markthesparky]

if therew is a screw**x near you they will be half the price.

 

[Steve]

The big buttons on them look like liquorice allsorts

 

[daytona]

fit the newer type with the up down action,then gain another 1ka.
could be useful on an instal as old as one backed up by those breakers

 

[piersc]

Managed to get hold of the newer up/down switch type and it fitted fine. However still no joy, no power going to any of the lights.

Is it possible I might have damaged the main unit from tripping the fuse too many times?

 

[RF Lighting]

More likely you have blown a joint apart.

Finding this may be a bit tricky.

Do ay of the lights on this circuit at all still work?

 

[piersc]

No none, it's only a 1 bedroom flat so we're talking about 6 lights.

 

[333rocky333]

You do realise the mcb is up for on

 

[piersc]

Yeah, figured that one out!

I can see this being a bit of a pain. How would I find a blown joint? I have no access to any of the wiring above my ceiling as I am in a converted attick flat.

 

[333rocky333]

Start at the light you was working on , if it is the first light on the circuit, your fault may be there.

 

[crystal ball]

Have a close look at the springy brass thingys that the fuse plugs into Power off of course, check for any arcing splashes, I was caught out by the smallest bob on a fuse folder once. After cleaning with a file it worked fine, dont forget power off at the main switch first

 

[piersc]

I'll explain what I was trying to do....

I've replaced some old spot lights with new ones. The wires coming out of the ceiling are black, red and an earth. Each spot light has 3 lights and I copied the wiring on the first 2 and they worked fine.

The light that has been giving me the problem (and it's exactly the same unit as the other 2 I've replaced) didn't have any of the red wires connected at all. Only the blacks. The reds were capped off and kept out of the way. I decided to connect them to the new unit as I had done with the others. What kept tripping the fuse was when any of the black wires touched one another (I'm sure on the other 2 I fitted all the blacks went into 1 hole?) so in the end I decided to use just 1 black and 1 red.

Why would the red wires have been capped off?

 

[Spark123]

They were connected together and to nothing else as they are the permanent lives. I suspect you have created a dead short by connecting the switch live to neutral.
//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:blackswlive