Ah. Fair enough.
Booster Box connected to electrical supply
- Thread starter sophiejazz
- Start date
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What is wrong is asking for something that is not available or compliant in much of the EU.
Do I take it that you know that when these items are sold outside of the UK, the instructions (in whatever language) 'ask for' an FCU?
Kind Regards, John
No. Normally items are sold with instructions in multiple languages. Sometimes there is an *, saying something about how to wire a plug in the UK, but I've never seen anything saying FCUs only in the UK.
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In view of what you go on to say, does that 'No' mean 'Yes'? (or is your true answer 'No', but you're guessing that it might be 'Yes'?)!
Not having ever bought electrical items outside of the UK, I personally haven't a clue what instructions they come with, so I can't argue with someone who apparently has such experience.
Kind Regards, John
The French rarely use fused plugs, does that mean we should not use fused plugs???????
Get a grip man, FCUs are not wrong!!!
Do you really use German, French or Polish wiring regulation when installing an electrical system in the UK and source your material from mainland Europe? I doubt you do!!!!
And would you refuse to install a FCU because you can not source one from a French or German wholesalers?
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There are some low power items not destined for the UK domestic market that have instructions to hard wire them and not to use a plug on them. These are vital function items that must not be powered down by being unplugged to free up a socket the the hair drier or mobile phone charger
Many boilers have related external components such as motorised valves, thermostats, programmers etc which are supplied direct from the FCU and wouldn't be protected by the boilers internal fuses.
But these items like all electrical devices should have their own internal protection. The function of an external fuse is to protect the cable.
The French don't used fused plugs as they don't have 32 amp ring circuits. We wouldn't need them if our circuits were 16 amp radials.
I would not install a FCU in France or Germany not because I could not get it there but because it would not be compliant.
There is a problem with ex pats in Europe doing electrics (and plumbing) the British way and then wondering why it has not been passed and having to remove it.
So you would think, but very few programmers have internal protection. Nor do motorised valves, and they come complete with 5 core fly-lead, the conductors of which have a low cross-sectional area.
Which is why most table lamps and hand held appliances have to to have flexible leads rated at 16 amps, only they are not as flexible as a lead rated at 5 amps protected by a 3 amp fuse in the plug.
And compare the "explosive power" of a 16 amp short circuit ( circa 4 kW ) to that of a 3 amp short circuit ( circa 0.75 kW ). It isn't that simple but the damage from a 3 amp protected circuit is less than the damage from a 16 amp protected circuit.
It was not illegal to fit UK sockets in Germany ( Duesseldorf area 1970's ) and some holiday lets had UK sockets fitted to allow UK visitors to use their electrical items without using adaptors and most important with a suitable fuse for the lead. Some of my colleagues used UK fused plugs for table lamps and other low amperageitems.
Yes, but we are talking (still, I think) about 6A circuits requiring fusing down.
What is the possible overload that could be created by a synchronous motor or even an external pump?
The valve conductors surely can cope with fault current.
Anyway, what do they do in Europe when fitting a boiler and associated parts to their 16A circuits?
Just because we are used to doing things does not really mean they are necessary.
Yes, I think we are still meant to be talking about that, and I agree that it's a bit silly. Even though I don't doubt that bernard will probably remind us that "double the power means 4 times the ('explosive') power", in the context we're talking about, I really don't think that the difference between 6A and 3A is of any real consequence.
I would not imagine that the little motors in MVs etc. could result in an overload (rather than fault) current which was very high, but I'm not sure what the stalled current of a circulator pump would be.
Kind Regards, John
On a recent visit to Croatia in a holiday let a Valliant combi boiler and all its perifferals were simply plugged into a Schoko socket.
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