Double pole fusebox picture

[pcboffinuk]

I posted about this setup some time ago, but thought that people might like to see a pic of the fusebox that is currently running my father's lighting circuits.....

I'm sure others have seen older systems still running, but until they prove it I claim the prize for oldest system still in use

Yes it is fused in both Neutral and Phase (the Phase fuses are 5 amp and the Neutral 15 amp at the moment to ensure the phase blows first).

And yes I know it needs replacing! I am planning to do it in the next few months. Having investigated a bit more I am going to ignore the existing conduit and run new 1.5mm2 T&E, though I hope to use the existing switch drop conduit. Are there any issues I should consider with regard to leaving the defunct conduit/wiring in place?

I then plan to replace this fuse box with a more suitable one just for the upstairs/downstairs lighting circuits with 6A non-rcd MCBs.

If anyone has had experience of replacing something like this I'd welcome any advice - I may end up using it as an assessment visit for Part P registration, so would like to do a 'good' (in Part P's opinion) job as well as a safe one.

Gavin

 

[Spark123]

Mind, there may asbestos in the fuse holders!!

 

[RMS]

The only advice i can give is to sort this asap.

Spark123, where abouts in cumbria are you from?

 

[Spark123]

South Cumbria, nearish to Barrow in Furness.

 

[securespark]

Hey PC!

That's a great picture! Could you take a wider view of the whole unit (open) that I can use as a teaching aid?

You can get my e-mail in my profile, or post it here. If you can help, that would be great.

 

[pcboffinuk]

Mind, there may asbestos in the fuse holders!!

Thanks for the warning, but they appear to be all ceramic holders, so hopefully no problems there.

Securespark - I will take a photo next time I'm there and email it to you...

In the meantime, here's the full horror of the installation, but with the fusebox closed

Gavin

 

[RF Lighting]

Cut it all off right now.

Thats an order

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I posted about this setup some time ago, but thought that people might like to see a pic of the fusebox that is currently running my father's lighting circuits.....

Why does he also use it as a barbecue?

 

[towman]

I like the fact it's all right next to the gas meter! Presumably the axe is to use as an emergency cut-off

 

[Steve]

hmmm . . . i'm no expert, but i would certainly rather go without lights than know that this fusebox was LIVE and running them. It is WELL past its useful life, has at some point been on fire, and the cables it feeds are very worn and tatty. PLEASE turn it off and disconnect it!!!! Even if you have to pay someone to do it!

Have to agree with RF's post. Get this decomissioned ASAP. Its not big, and its certainly not clever, to keep this running.

 

[RMS]

Looks like the electric supplier has fitted an new digital meter and some point.

Surely they should have refused to supply this installation under the eletricity supply regs 1988.

Part 6 relating to supply to consumer's installation. (Regs 25-32)
Breifly states that the supplier has the power to inspect the installation and with-hold the supply if they are not satisfied.

RMS

 

[RF Lighting]

Yesterday, I commited this to old-fusebox-heaven
It had plastic cables, and didn't appear to have been on fire
But it was far too old and had to go.
It had the asbestos flash pads too

 

[securespark]

Oh, bless it. I hope you gave it a dignified burial.

It may be old, but it's a heck of a lot better built than today's ABS (or even metalclad!!) gear...

 

[pcboffinuk]

hmmm . . . i'm no expert, but i would certainly rather go without lights than know that this fusebox was LIVE and running them. It is WELL past its useful life, has at some point been on fire, and the cables it feeds are very worn and tatty.

It's certainly not pretty I agree, but the picture maybe makes it look worse than it is. The blackening above is actually dirt and cobwebs, not fire damage, and the blackening to one of the fuse holders is from when a fuse last blew. The wiring is certainly not in good condition either, although the bits I have investigated behind switches, etc. do look rather better - it is also limited to 5A, albeit with fuse wire, and is only running perhaps 400W of lighting per circuit.

Have to agree with RF's post. Get this decomissioned ASAP. Its not big, and its certainly not clever, to keep this running.

I certainly plan to get rid of it as soon as I can (this Summer for sure) but its not easy persuading my father that the 'old ways' aren't perfectly acceptable - he works on the basis that its been working fine for 50 years so what's the rush.

I wonder though - I can't believe this is the worst situation some of the people on here have ever seen? Are lots of people just very lucky?

Anyway, I will try to persuade my father to let me rig up some temporary surface wiring to bypass this in the short term while we agree how to run the wiring properly without destroying his 'lovely' wallpaper....

Gavin

 

[Adam_151]

If its been like that for a long time, statistically its not much more likely to go up in flames this week than last week...

I'd do an IR test to try and get a little piece of mind, don't touch the outgoing circuit cables though incase they drop apart, try and get on the busbars of the box (if there is an isolator and it works*)


*I know I'll be flamed for this, but in the absense of a working isolator...Vde approved screwdriver and the henley blocks, if your happy doing that...