Old style Wylex fuse box and wiring

[flameport]

as they don’t conclude that a plastic CU is a reason to give an unsatisfactory EICR

No one else mentioned plastic consumer units.

The discussion was about a Wylex rewireable fusebox from decades ago.

 

[SUNRAY]

My question was aimed at the OP

Apologies I should have deleted your second line question, I was merely commenting the Wylex boxes were available well into the 1990's as I purchased an 8 way to upgrade the installation in my home which Mrs Sunray points out we moved in November 1994

 

[Murdochcat]

No one else mentioned plastic consumer units.

The discussion was about a Wylex rewireable fusebox from decades ago.

I’m merely pointing out that an EICR would code a plastic CU as a C3 which would give you a satisfactory EICR

So it’s acceptable

 

[securespark]

The vast majority of Wylex 3036 boxes fitted in domestic premises in the past would have been non metallic.

 

[SUNRAY]

I’m merely pointing out that an EICR would code a plastic CU as a C3 which would give you a satisfactory EICR

So it’s acceptable

I think it's a big shame, even a shambles, that the requirement for non combustable CU's in residential property escape routes appears to have become universally applied to all CU's on EICRs.

My local church hall had an inspection several years back and the 4 plastic CUs with RCD as a main switch

were graded as C1 and the only comments being combustable and single RCD, th same contractor charged ~£3K to replace them with a metal CU without any space for expansion filled with RCBOs (and B32 for SPD which is nearly always in the tripped state).
The location of this is just about as far away from an exit as possible in a store room with 1 hour fire doors, the only thing I may have had concerns about; All fed with 16mm² tails from the Henley blocks but MCBs totalling:
82A (2xB32 rings, 3xB6 for 1.2KW fluo - now upgraded to 1.35KW LED),
92A (2x B32 ring, B16 boiler with 3A SFCU, 2x B6 for 200W of fluo & 240W of b22's - all LED),
<60A (combination of 3, B16 & B20 for stage lighting)
32A (C32 for commercial dishwasher). So none really in a hazardous load situation but all fed by a 100A cutout.

The private meter and metal switched 80A fuse are 10mm² tails feeding a 16mm² SWA to the smaller hall where a fully populated plastic CU with an extension unit and I believe RCD as main switch still exists and no codes on the EICR

 

[morqthana]

@mderoy you may find this article and documents of use. Keep in mind the possibility of asbestos in your current fuse box.

EICR Myths

electrical.theiet.org

https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/media/0b5ifhuw/best-practice-guide-1-issue-5.pdf

https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/media/mi1oqkur/best-practice-guide-4-issue-7-1.pdf

Be that as it may, I can tell you (1st hand from a friend who owns a flat he rents out) that no matter what any best practice guides may say, once a landlord has had his property fail because the electrician ignored them, he's hosed.

 

[Deleted member 142255]

Be that as it may, I can tell you (1st hand from a friend who owns a flat he rents out) that no matter what any best practice guides may say, once a landlord has had his property fail because the electrician ignored them, he's hosed.

That may well be the case unfortunately. The only option would be if they are registered with NICEIC, Elecsa or such, would be to lodge a complaint. May not achieve much but would be on file possibly to be followed up on the next annual assessment.

 

[SUNRAY]

Be that as it may, I can tell you (1st hand from a friend who owns a flat he rents out) that no matter what any best practice guides may say, once a landlord has had his property fail because the electrician ignored them, he's hosed.

As a PL myself with 4 rentals I use someone who I trust implicitly for my inspections, as it happens someone I have done a lot of work for as a non qualified sub contractor including inspection and testing on his behalf. As such anything he says will be done, however in my small properties any work highlighted couldn't cost the earth, even if the EICR inspector was taking the p155.

 

[Murdochcat]

That may well be the case unfortunately. The only option would be if they are registered with NICEIC, Elecsa or such, would be to lodge a complaint. May not achieve much but would be on file possibly to be followed up on the next annual assessment.

So the NICEIC used to try to ensure their sparks doing EICRs used the guidance for coding from the Best Practice Guide No 4 - think it’s now issue 7

NAPIT produce a book called Code Breakers which gives some dubious codes

This is just a shambles which unsuspecting customers can get bad reports and advice

 

[Murdochcat]

Be that as it may, I can tell you (1st hand from a friend who owns a flat he rents out) that no matter what any best practice guides may say, once a landlord has had his property fail because the electrician ignored them, he's hosed.

I’ve reviewed many EICRs over recent years and often guide customers to challenge so called sparks to justify their coding in writing - you’d be surprised how many change their reports.

 

[Deleted member 142255]

I’ve reviewed many EICRs over recent years and often guide customers to challenge so called sparks to justify their coding in writing - you’d be surprised how many change their reports.

Its sad that they try and gain extra work by ripping people off. I always refused to do any remedial work on the grounds of being honest.

 

[SUNRAY]

Its sad that they try and gain extra work by ripping people off. I always refused to do any remedial work on the grounds of being honest.

I wish that were true of all, not like this charlatan: https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/armoured-cable-using-steel-for-earth.560613/

 

[Ragnar_AT]

There is one advantage to plug-in MCBs: you can safely reset a tripped one without turning off the main switch and killing power to the whole house. Very much not recommended with rewirable fuses.

 

[plugwash]

While wylex fuseboxes had "switch off before handling fuses" embossed on them, I'm pretty sure this was widely ignored.

 

[Ragnar_AT]

While wylex fuseboxes had "switch off before handling fuses" embossed on them, I'm pretty sure this was widely ignored.

Certainly, the question is whether you really want to ignore it. Personally I wouldn‘t want to replace one of these live if there was a dead short.