Plug-in MCBs

[stuartmichaels]

I have an old MEM consumer unit, with rewirable fuses. Does anyone know of a simple plug-in breaker that can be used in the MEM to swap for the old fuses? The Wylex type have their pins too close together and do not seem to want to fit.

 

[RF Lighting]

Wylex MCBs will not fit your MEM CU, as it is made by MEM and not wylex


I have seen MEM plug in MCBs in use, but I've not seen them for sale anywhere as long as I've been in the trade.

 

[JohnD]

you are more likely to find cartridge fuseholders to fit.

Is this an old one with white porcelain fuseholders?

what is the reason you want to change to MCBs?

 

[stuartmichaels]

Thanks for the swift replies! Having had a wired fuse pop recently (simply old age, I think) I thought I might swap them all over for MCBs, which people seem to think are superior. At first, it looked like just a case of a simple swap. However, reading thru the posts here has put me off - the insulation & calculation issues are much more significant than I first thought, and I can't get a good MCB replacement for the wired fuse anyway, it seems.

The best answer is of course, a new CU plus probably a rewire - ours is over 25 years old - but apart from the recently blowing fuse, it has never once given trouble since we bought the place 18 years ago, and in the end, I think the optimum course is "if it aint bust, dont fix it"! So thanks to the 'DIYnot' board for good advice and for saving me from opening a can of worms! (If we have to sort it when we sell, so be it, but until then, stuff it!)