I'm not sure what you're sorry about, but if you are referring to the fact that the wording of those MIs is bizarre, then I would agree!
As has been said, as far as regs are concerned, that would depend only upon the CSA of the cable downstream of the fuse (i.e. between plug and lamp) - any fuse size less than the current-carrying-capacity of that cable would satisfy the regulations (unless, at least until next year, the manufacturer's instructions for the lamp called for a smaller fuse than would be required to protect the cable).
Yes, I rather suspected that. I'm quite possibly older than you (I'm older than a lot of people
), but can't comment about "wiser and well educated"!Wiring doesn't become magically unable to fail just because it's a flexible cable or internal wiring in an appliance rather than fixed wiring in a building.
I haven't suggested otherwise. Unless one takes EFLI's view about loads that are unlikely create overloads (which I think is probably a more extreme view than many would take, even if reg-compliant), as I said, the flexible cable between plug (or FCU) and appliance should be adequately protected by the fuse in the plug (or FCU), unless the circuit's primary OPD already affords adequate protection to that flex.
That's a little different. If the manufacturer of the appliance does not provide adequate internal protection for the internal wiring then, as you go on to say, it's for them to dictate what external OPD is required to provide that protection. In an ideal world, all appliance would have adequate internal protection of the internal wiring, so that electricians would then only have to concern themselves with what was going on external to the appliances/loads.
As you probably know, I'm playing Devil's Advocate here. I am personally a great believer in using 'the smallest possible fuse for the load in question' (I'm probably one of the world's greatest users of 1A BS1362 fuses
), not the least because I do not necessarily trust what goes on inside appliances/equipment - but that is me, and is not required by regulations (unless, as above, specified by manufacturers to protect their inadequately-internally-protected internal wiring).
Quite so. I don't think we've sorted this. As I wrote:Did we sort the cable issue?? ... If there is no cpc in the flex to the heater, what is the cpc in the flex from the switch connected to??
That's a definite possibility, which none of us has really considered. In fact, it might be probable, given that the switch rocker is so far 'off centre'. Were it just a switch, I would expect that rocker to be in the centre of the plate. However, as I've said, I don't think there would be any need for "panic" even if it weren't an FCU - if the flex is up to 16A (and, per EFLI's view, perhaps even if it isn't), then there is no electrical need for an FCU, and the MIs I've seen don't appear to call for one.
That would obviously make some sense, but I find it fairly hard to believe that the one which looks black is actually G/Y. However, that would still raise some issues, since the MIs I've seen (albeit not for exactly the same model) seem to indicate that the heater cable should have a black 'control' conductor and no earth - are you therefore suggesting that the one which looks black is actually G/Y, but is being used as a live ('control') conductor in the lead extension?
As I've just written, now the thought has been put in my mind, I'm coming to doubt that it is just a switch/isolator, given the seriously off-centre position of the rocker.
That appears to be the case.
You're right. I am familiar with such MK switches, but wasn't thnking of them
- I was thinking of virtually every other make, for which the rocker is central!Indeed.
OK, so it's a switch, not an FCU - which is what all of us were assuming until someone raised doubts. I wouldn't worry about that for the time being.
I'm still a bit confused by these wire colours. However, if it were me, at least until I'd got things worked out properly, I'd be inclined to "leave it how it is", electrically, but not physically. With all the power off (in view of that label!), I'd get all that tape off the connector block, make a very careful note of which colour is connected to which in that block, and then replace the connector block with a proper in-line cable connector such as was pointed out to you fairly early in this discussion, being careful to duplicate the colour-color connections that were present with the connector block.
If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.
Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.
Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local
