FCU advantages?

[mrscalex]

I'm trying to understand why I would want an FCU connected to a wall-plate with hard-wired connection for my kitchen appliances as opposed to a switch only connected to an unswitched socket where the fuse would obviously sit in the plug?

I can only think of ergonomic reasons:

1) There may not be room for a plug behind the appliance
2) If the fuse blows it's not so convenient to have to pull yer dishwasher out.

The thing is, I'm pretty keen on a grid switch and, if such a thing exists I'm thinking it would look really ugly with a 2nd row to house the fuse modules.

Any guidance please?!

Thanks,

Robert

 

[ban-all-sheds]

1) is unlikely to be true

2) is the main reason to go for it, but to be honest, how often do appliance fuses blow without there being a reason for it anyway?

If you want to use grid isolation switches, there's no reason why you shouldn't have a bank of normal unswitched FCUs in a cupboard somewhere, supplying the grid switches which then go on to the appliance outlets.

 

[mrscalex]

Thank you.

Just out of interest, is it possible to buy fuse modules for grids and link them to the corresponding switch in the upper gang?

Also, how is the ring daisy-chained between switches in a grid? Is it by small lengths of cable installed yourself or is there actually a live power grid created by insertion of the modules?

Thanks,

Robert

 

[plugwash]

all the modules are electrically seperate

if you wan't connections between them you have to use link wires

nothing to stop you having say an 8 module grid plate with switches in the top row and fuses in the bottom row (the fuse modules are fairly hard to get though)

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Just out of interest, is it possible to buy fuse modules for grids and link them to the corresponding switch in the upper gang?

Yes and yes. And it doesn't look that bad, really.

Also, how is the ring daisy-chained between switches in a grid? Is it by small lengths of cable installed yourself or is there actually a live power grid created by insertion of the modules?

There is no infrastructure intrinsic to the grid - they are just switch, dimmer, fuse etc modules fixed into a frame. They have normal screw terminals, and you wire them up to each other in whatever configuration you need, using cables appropriate for the load(s)

Some ranges are available with the switches engraved with appropriate legends such as Fan, Fridge, Freezer, Boiler etc.

 

[Lectrician]

MK grid is the best, fuse modules are off-the-shelf at our wholesalers.

 

[pipme]

MK