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Lets assume for now the switch has a metal plate. Now suppose that the earth wire to the switch becomes disconnected from the earthing system, but the neon is still connected to the switch plate. Now the current flowing through the neon has "nowhere to go". The switch plate becomes "live". If...

Taking a quick look (IANAL, I may well have missed something( Many of the regulations in the ESCQR are scoped to generators or distributors, but there seems to be at least one regulation that is scoped explicitly to consumers , and some of the regulations relating to underground and overhead...

I agree, that is the most likely cause, but it needs to be confirmed. It's also possible (but less likely) that the issue affects the entire installation.

Yes this needs to be addressed. The next step would be to test the continuity of the earth wiring from that fitting location back to the main earth terminal. This is not teriiblly difficult but does requilre a long temporary cable to be set up. If that is bad, then the fault is within the...

Some electricians don't like them, but I think anyone saying they are "no longer as thing" is stating their opinion as fact. There are three main options for socket circuits, 20A radials, 32A radials and 32A rings. A 20A radial is only enough for one full-sized load (e.g. kettle or electric...

Getting rid of or relocating accessories is problematic, for two reasons. 1. There are rules about joints that are not accessible for maintaince. Spring terminals can be used, but only if part of a "maintaince free junction box" and I haven't seen one of those designed for burying in plaster...

Arc faults can be detected by looking for broadband noise, but there are other things that can create that. Some loads (brushed motors) have a degree of arcing in normal operation. Some loads generate high-frequency "noise" for other reasons (powerline communications gear seems a particular...

My preffered option would be to have the SWA come up through the floor and terminate inside. Failing that, PVC conduit through the wall between the external box and the CU.

Looks like a basic earth-pin operated shutter to me.

This thread was not about a domestic installation. but yes, having done the research and sums it seems almost any MCB you are likely to find in a domestic environment will provide adequate upstream protection for a BS 646 fuse in a shaver adapter. Wall-warts are still a mystery though. Sunray...

Yup. A C50 has a fast-trip of 500A max giving a substantial overlap with the 1000A breaking capacity of a BS646, A D32 or B63 would give a smaller overlap. A D50 OTOH would be right on the margin of leaving a gap, and a D63 would leave a substantial gap.

The upstream device only helps us if it trips rapidly. What we want to avoid is leaving a "gap" where the fault current is high enough to overwhelm the downstream protective device, but not high enough to rapidly trip the upstream one.. It's weird that BS1363 apparently specified a high...

I don't know if it's explicitly addressed in BS7671, but IMO it is reasonable to consider "what upstream protection is acceptable/reasonable for a 13A socket". BS1362 fuses seem to have a breaking capacity of 6KA, but BS646 fuses (allowed by BS1363 for adapters, used in shaver adapters to this...

From an "electrical principles" point of view if rings with 20A cable and 32A breakers are OK, and 13A sockets on 50A cooker circuits are OK then it's hard to see how a ring with 40A cable and a 45A (or even 50A which seems more common nowadays) breaker would not be ok. If it hasn't already...

Indeed, if you wall-mounted it horizontally, half the sockets would be "upside down". A possible solution to this would be to wall-mount it vertically, so all the plugs are sideways, Is there a requirement for them to? I presume you are referring to the BS7671 requirement for "top surfaces of...

I think the "upside down plug opens shutters" "issue" is mostly if not entirely limited to extension sockets and multi-plug adapters. "Standard" UK plates are pretty big, and while the sockets are sometimes off-center, they are more often below-center than above center. There do exist some...

I just grabbed a tub of extension strips of various brands and ages (but afaict all of which were aquired from legitimate UK suppliers) and found 4 extention strips (branded Philex, PMS, Jo-Jo and Masterplug) that allowed this easilly. 1 extension strip (branded PMS) that barely allowed this...

Traditionally people would have said yes. And yet, we have (and have had for a fair number of years now) computers that can not only match, but absoloutely thrash the top chess grandmasters. Brute force number crunching/data lookup/machine learning can go a long way to replicating many of the...

IME the prices on Hager's website have pretty much nothing to do with reality.