Fuse Box

[JohnW2]

Maybe I wrote it bad ... I dont know the calcs john. ... I leave that for you
Too high to trip type 4 breakers in the expected time they wanted I assume

I was going to say that, without looking it up, I didn't know about the characteristics of a Type 4 (or Type 2) - but Adam has helped me out there!

Kind Regards, John

 

[securespark]

Don't know why you are going all shock horror about the age of the board.

It can't be any older than the oldest Wylex and I don't hear shock horror every time one of those crops up.

Sure, they're old, but they are not about to burst into flames.

 

[JohnW2]

Don't know why you are going all shock horror about the age of the board. ... It can't be any older than the oldest Wylex and I don't hear shock horror every time one of those crops up. ... Sure, they're old, but they are not about to burst into flames.

I imagine that the concerns are probably primarily about the MCBs, if they are originals. We have no idea how long MCBs last, and they effectively can't be tested, but those ones might well have had "a good innings" by now! A Wylex still with it's re-wireable fuses, or even with relatively 'recently' (last decade or two!) retrofitted MCBs will be no worse than it ever was.

If modern MCBs/RCBOs and RCDs were combined with the engineering quality of Wylex Standards, I doubt that many people would buy anything else!!

Kind Regards, John

 

[Iggifer]

@Iggifer yeah well spotted, the one for the cooker (extreme left) does turn on but once we turned the other one on that turns off too. We did think of just turning the cooker on but as we don't need it for now we thought might as well not fiddle with it.

Very strange. But it holds in without the socket circuit on?

 

[333rocky333]

@Iggifer yeah well spotted, the one for the cooker (extreme left) does turn on but once we turned the other one on that turns off too. We did think of just turning the cooker on but as we don't need it for now we thought might as well not fiddle with it.

Very strange. But it holds in without the socket circuit on?

It was quite common with C50 boards I recall, dont ask me why

 

[333rocky333]

Maybe I wrote it bad ... I dont know the calcs john. ... I leave that for you
Too high to trip type 4 breakers in the expected time they wanted I assume

I was going to say that, without looking it up, I didn't know about the characteristics of a Type 4 (or Type 2) - but Adam has helped me out there!

Kind Regards, John

Apologies john, yes I was tryiing to say the circuits wernt up to it, similar to sticking type D everywhere nowadays.
Adams surely right, but I will check one tomorow now as someones give me a bum steer

 

[SteveP86]

Hi John thanks for your kind reply. I have uploaded some pics. The Green earth wire which is showing loose was screwed in while the spark happened. I have included the pic of consumer unit too. Thanks again for your help.

Is the exposed copper from the Red cable possibly making contact with the earthed metal back box when you cram the socket back into the wall, thus creating a L-E fault, tripping the mcb?

 

[ericmark]

I do see the problem with the Loadmaster MCB with high prices for new and unknown trip setting with old where some one has fiddled with the adjuster screw they are the only MCB I actually checked would trip I remember going around a caravan site with a 2kW fan heater on a 16A plug seeing if the 6A Loadmaster MCB's would trip as people had working live turned the screw to stop them tripping to get extra power. Also scraping off the 1 on 16A versions so first glance it said 6A. I suspect many MCB's can be fiddled but in the main we don't use second hand but with the Loadmaster no real option.

They had their own special mount was not DIN rail so swapping to another make was a problem and also there was one with a red plastic clip on sleeve with 100A marked on them which were not MCB's but isolators and from outside looked just like the MCB. One place I was working we found many where the previous electrician had clearly thought they were MCB's.

Yes the Wylex is just as old but the MCB's are still made so your using a new one not a second hand one and at a reasonable price. Also the Wylex are plug in no need to even remove the fuse box/distribution unit lid to replace.

Clearly the poster is a DIY man so having RCD protection makes a lot of sense also two Loadmaster MCB's cost as much as a whole consumer unit so replacing the distribution unit with a consumer unit makes a lot of sense. Yes the Loadmaster was sturdy so were the old Bill fuse boxes but now time to replace I would think.

As to the fault other than earth not connected can't see what it is. But not all faults are visible that's why after doing a job we test as well as inspect.

 

[333rocky333]

Eric, loadmaster are Dorman smith, the Ops board is crabtree C50 range

 

[EFLImpudence]

Crabtree's are Loadstar.