Wylex MCB recall, bit late for me :(

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Hi,

Was just after a bit of advice. I was sitting in my lounge the other day when my lights started to flicker and then I could here sizzling and smell smoke coming from under the stairs at the consumer unit. Luckily I managed to flick the switch before it got too serious.

After making safe I removed the MCB and discovered it was completely burnt out heres the pics. //www.diynot.com/network/BGEngineer/albums/

On further investigation I have discovered these mcbs in particular mine ending RARA have been recalled. I have just contacted Electrium with my details and was just wondering if anyone knows how long they will take to get back to me (I did inform them one had allready caught fire)

Also do you know if they are just replacing the faulty mcbs or the whole board?

Many thanks in advance.
 
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Think it's just the MCBs they will replace, I had a letter of Electrium who own the Wylex brand name and there where going to pay me £75 a visit to check any of my installs for the faulty MCBs.
I won't install Wylex anymore due to quality issues I've had with them. I only fit Hager and MK Sentry now.
 
I had some quality issues with Square D RCBOs some years ago. I had to replace a lot of them.

I think from time to time some manufactures will experience issues. I put a Wylex board in some months ago, so hope all is well with those MCBs.
 
Yes but the whole electrium range was pumping out defective years for two years. Suppose thats the problem when they are churning out cheap tat for screwfix. Its cost them they're reputation amongst a lot of sparks, to sacrifice a household name like wylex was crazy buy they have done it. If you want affordable quality choose hager, MK quality has plummeted too in the last few years.
 
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To be fair electrium were very good, they were even going to get someone out same day as I called. I didn't get a reply to my emails though had to phone them in the end, but they are sending out merlin electrical services this Monday.
 
I think from time to time some manufactures will experience issues.
Indeed. We've just discovered a potentially faulty MCCB on a new install, which cost several hundred pounds. We only discovered it because we undertook a short circuit test on it, which came back at 7s as opposed to a designed 0.4s.

It will be interesting to see what the manufacturer comes back with for that one.
 
BGE

RARA (the last 4 characters on the 6A breaker there) is one of the affected codes.
 
Hi yeah there are a few lists of the affected ones on the internet and I found out that mine RARA was one of the affected ones. I was completely honest and told the guy from electrium that I had overloaded the circuit but as I said to him you expect it to trip not burst in to flames.

I don't think they are going to spontaneously catch fire, I think you actually have to get a trip situation, but unfortunately as this is what they are actually designed to protect from it is quite worrying.

I have 30 odd spot lights @ 50w per bulb on a radial so was asking 1500w where as the 6a @ 230v should only be 1380w max. I meant to split the downstairs into 2, but didn't plan on having spots throughout the downstairs, might still do this not sure yet. Have just ordered a load of low energy LED replacements. What is your guys experience of them. I have gone for 7w Phillips master 3000k £15 a bulb. Was planning on getting these when the price came down, but as I have spots throughout the house I think the savings I get from them should payback in a year or two.
 
I have 30 odd spot lights @ 50w per bulb on a radial so was asking 1500w where as the 6a @ 230v should only be 1380w max. I meant to split the downstairs into 2, but didn't plan on having spots throughout the downstairs, might still do this not sure yet. Have just ordered a load of low energy LED replacements. What is your guys experience of them. I have gone for 7w Phillips master 3000k £15 a bulb. Was planning on getting these when the price came down, but as I have spots throughout the house I think the savings I get from them should payback in a year or two.
As long as you have bought ones with a sufficiently wide beam angle and from a reputable make (Philips is) then I don't see you having any problems.

The difficulty is when people skimp and then the beam quality just isn't right. Even worse is CFLs as spots.
 

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