fuse wire

vivienmooney · Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2004 10:27 pm Post Subject: fuse wire

can anyone tell me if I put 30 amp fusewire into a 20 amp fusecartridge will it make a difference or matter at all? I cannot find any 20 amp fusewire at all anywhere near me, Lancashire, only 30 amp, please help, thanks.

andemz · Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2004 10:29 pm Post Subject:

Hi Have you tried searching over the net for the fusewire?

plugwash · Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2004 10:38 pm Post Subject:

vivienmooney what is connected to this 20A fuse and with what cable?

if the CU is a wylex standard you can get a plug in breaker to replace the fuse
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/WYB20.html

tlc also do sell 20A fusewire though only on 200g reels which may be a littel more than you are after
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/TLFW20.html

also tlc charge about a fiver for delivery so a local wholesalers may be a better bet

vivienmooney · Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2004 10:56 pm Post Subject:

andemz wrote:

Hi Have you tried searching over the net for the fusewire?

Ihave had a quick look, mainly though it is just big reels of the stuff.

plugwash · Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2004 10:59 pm Post Subject:

yeah i think your only way to get 20A wire is to buy one of those 200g reels i mentioned

if your CU is a wylex i would reccomend replacing it with a plug in mcb instead

also it would be usefull to know what cable type and what it feeds so we can give other suggestions

vivienmooney · Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2004 11:00 pm Post Subject:

plugwash wrote:

vivienmooney what is connected to this 20A fuse and with what cable?

This fuse cardridge serves some of the downstairs electrics, i.e. tv, video, fire, etc... The lighting is not included or affected when this fuse wire blows.

plugwash · Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2004 11:13 pm Post Subject:

i wouldn't uprate it to 30A without some serious chacking first

you could use 15A wire safely but you may have problems with it blowing repeatedly if you do that

i get the feeling that your house really needs a rewire or at the very least a new CU

its probablly a good idea to get a sparky in, its very hard to advise people remotely when they themselves don't know much about electrics

BR · Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2004 11:15 pm Post Subject:

could be a socket radial. At the end of the day putting 30A fuse wire in here probably won't make a huge difference, (in this case) provided the circuit isn't overloaded with appliances (fire? Bar heater perhaps?) Having said that it is certainly not good practice and the solution suggested by plugwash would be a much better idea. (plug in MCB’s)

Have you considered installing a new modern cu having a PIR prepared on the rest of the installation?

Lectrician · Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2004 6:36 am Post Subject:

I would either fit a plug in 20amp yellow MCB, or replace it with a plug in cartridge fuse.

And then consider a fuseboard ugrade

vivienmooney · Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2004 11:47 am Post Subject:

Thanks everyone that replied, that has answered my question.

ban-all-sheds · Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2004 2:55 pm Post Subject:

BR wrote:

could be a socket radial. At the end of the day putting 30A fuse wire in here probably won't make a huge difference, (in this case) provided the circuit isn't overloaded with appliances (fire? Bar heater perhaps?) Having said that it is certainly not good practice and the solution suggested by plugwash would be a much better idea. (plug in MCB’s)

Have you considered installing a new modern cu having a PIR prepared on the rest of the installation?

If it's a 2.5mm radial, a 30A rewirable fuse is a bad idea.

Even if it's a 4mm you'd need to know the length and the Ze to be sure that a 30A fuse would be OK.

__________________
I mustn't warn people that the "experts" on the plumbing forum can't be trusted to tell the truth.

plugwash · Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2004 4:30 pm Post Subject:

30A *FUSEWIRE* on 4mm is not ok

most fusewire installs will not comply with current regs (cables have to be significantly derated with rewireables because it takes more than 1.5 times overload to blow them in an hour)

and then there is the issue of rcd protection for sockets

i would stick some 15A fusewire in there for now and get a sparky to check everythign out asap

Millennium_Boy · Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2004 7:48 pm Post Subject: fusewire

I hope the government ban the use of Wire Fuses as soon as possible - it shows that the UK is still in the Victorian era when it comes to domestic circuit protection!

plugwash · Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2004 7:55 pm Post Subject:

well they as good as have banned them by requireing you to apply very high derating factors to cables used with them

MB we know you dislike fuses

but you keep making statements about things likely to be in the 17th edition regs and saying you have inside info when other sparkys have got quite clear info that becase they wiring regs are now a birtish standard there will neve be any new editions only ammendments

and whenever you make one of theese statements you refuse point blank to give any more details or info on sources

frankly you seem like a b*llsh*tter

besides banning fuses wouldn't eleminate the huge installed base

Millennium_Boy · Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2004 7:59 pm Post Subject: wire fuses

I HOPE they ban them, with all this 2005 part p regulation, and new immersion heater safety laws from this year etc coming in, it is surprising they didn't think of that.