Wylex Fuse Covers

[securespark]

Ban, you have answered in your own inimitable style.

I know some of these hazards are not present with the OP's board. Mine was just an example of the many IP issues that can crop up with the old Wylex boards.

HOWEVER, all Wylex boards of that early design have live parts accessible when the fuse cover is removed and for that reason the board fails the IP4X test without the fuse cover fitted.[/b]

 

[JohnW2]

I will try and find a picture. You can see them with the fuse cover off, but more importantly, without that cover, they are not IP protected to 4X, so are a potential shock risk.

I don't believe that is true of insulated Wylex Standard CUs. The fuse holders stick out relatively little, with very little gap around them. There is certainly no access to anything live through the upward facing parts of the holders (which one might argue needed to be IP4x, if fuse holders count as an enclosure!). If there is any scope for wiggling a bit of bendable wire past the fuse holder to touch anything live (which I think would be extremely difficult), it would be from the front face, which only needs to be IP2x.

This is a good example. Being the MC version, there is a bigger gap round the fuses and the neutral bar is accessible with the 1mm wire used in the IP test.

See above - neither I nor the OP are talking about metalclad ones, which are a different kettle of fish. Also as above, even with an MC one, you could only get your 1mm wire in from the front face, which doesn't need to be IP4x.

Some people clearly disagree, but in the cases of an insulated Wylex Standard, I really don't think that the absence of a fuse cover represents a significant hazard (nor contravenes IP requirements) - certainly not something I wouldn't be happy to live with (in fact, I did live with several (insulated) Wylex Standards for many years, and at least some of the fuse covers were usually off )

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

Look what exposed conductive parts are visible with the cover off.

Which exposed-c-ps can you see? (and, if you can only see them, but not touch them, I'm not sure they can count as exposed-c-ps, anyway, do they?).

I will try and find a picture. You can see them with the fuse cover off, but more importantly, without that cover, they are not IP protected to 4X, so are a potential shock risk.

I forgot to add - my point (perhaps too subtly expressed!) was that you were using incorrect, and hence somewhat confusing, terminology. If there were any exposed-conductive-parts then the regs would require you to earth them. I presume that you in fact meant 'exposed (just about) live parts - and to earth them would obviously be potentially interesting!

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Ban, you have answered in your own inimitable style.

I know some of these hazards are not present with the OP's board. Mine was just an example of the many IP issues that can crop up with the old Wylex boards.

My apologies. Given this exchange:

Look what exposed conductive parts are visible with the cover off.

Which exposed-c-ps can you see? (and, if you can only see them, but not touch them, I'm not sure they can count as exposed-c-ps, anyway, do they?).

Kind Regards, John

I will try and find a picture. You can see them with the fuse cover off, but more importantly, without that cover, they are not IP protected to 4X, so are a potential shock risk.

for some unaccountable reason I thought you were attempting to answer JW2's question about exposed parts on the OP's fuse boxes, not attempting to explain that different ones would have hazards that the OPs don't.