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EICR - Old Rewireable Fuse boards are these acceptable?

Former Community Member
Former Community Member
Hi, 


I need verification that it is ok to keep old style Wylex rewireable fuse boards to pass the EICR. Initially the electrician said this was ok providing they have a cover for the fuses. However he has now changed his mind and saying they need to be replaced with a new consumer unit. Some of the homes do not have a cover on the fuse board and others have had the cover taken off so plug in mcb's can be accomodated. Is this still ok?
  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    Yes, these fuseboxes are in 1980's residential park homes. They were installed and certified by the manufacturer of the homes. They generally have wylex consumer unit with switch and rewireable fuses, 3 to 4 way. The incoming has RCD protection before tails go to the consumer unit. Some of the CU's do have hard wood back boxes. Main problem with replacing with more modern consumer unit is that the modern ones are less compact and won't fit in the available space and when they do the wiring has to be extended to reach both the neutral bar and the live feeds of the mcbs.
  • 0
    If you want fairly compact three way consumer unit the cast aluminium BG IP rated units would be my recommendation.

    https://www.bgelectrical.uk/circuit-protection/consumer-units/enclosures


    You would get what you a consumer unit with a 30 mA RCD main switch and three MCBs for around forty quid.
  • 0
    John Peckham:

    If fitted with fuses and the cover is missing then C2 and needs replacing.


    John, why do you consider the cover to be so important please? If there is an interlock which allows the cover to be removed only when the main switch is off, I can see the point. However, I envisage just a rather flimsy cover secured by a wee knurled screw. If that can be removed whilst the fuses are still live, and IP2X is maintained, why not C3?


    I might add that C3 hides a multitude of sins. I never felt inadequately protected when we had these fuse boxes when I was a small boy; but then again, I didn't feel inadequately protected before we has seatbelts.


  • 0
    Sparkingchip:

    If you want fairly compact three way consumer unit the cast aluminium BG IP rated units would be my recommendation.

    https://www.bgelectrical.uk/circuit-protection/consumer-units/enclosures


    You would get what you a consumer unit with a 30 mA RCD main switch and three MCBs for around forty quid.


    I had one as a temporary fix at home. I cannot comment on the quality of the RCD, but the enclosure is built like a brick dunny. As Sparkingchip says, v. good value for money.


  • 0
    If needed 80 and 100 amp Type A 30 mA RCDs are available.

    https://www.screwfix.com/p/british-general-fortress-100a-30ma-dp-type-a-rcd/101hv


    I tend to buy the garage units then swap the RCD if required, at the moment I can always find a job for a spare 40A/30mA Type AC RCD.
  • 0
    Chris


    When a fuse element blow you get heat, light, arcs, sparks and particles which are known as the products of the arc. In a cartridge fuse they are contained by a ceramic tube filled with silica sand.


    The old Wylex fuse boards had a protective cover over the fuse carriers held in place by by a slotted screw or a screw with a plastic knurled thumb screw. The open backed boards should have also been fitted with a paxolin back but often this was left out as cost a few shillings more. The idea of the rear cover and the removable cover over the fuse links was to contain the products of the arc to prevent them spraying out and starting a fire.


    This goes back to the days of the 1st Edition were the early lighting was carbon arc lamps which sprayed out starting fires. This regulation lives on in 421.1.1 Note 1.


    Circuit breakers have arc chutes inside to to break the arc and suppress the products. If you look at the rear of any 60898 circuit breaker you will see a little vent hole to release any pressure generated by the arc.




    JP
  • 0
    When I did the 16th Edition course the lecturer said the Wiring Regulations favour cartridge fuses and they are should be the first choice for a protective device upfront of an installation.
  • 0
    The actual fuse wire is held pretty snugly in its carrier in an old Wylex consumer unit. If it blows it is unlikely to send molten particles out into space. If that did happen, the molten fuse particles wire would rapidly cool and solidify before they hit the floor. The hardwood back frames  to the Wylex consumer units are made of specially selected hard wood to reduce the risk of fire. The P.V.C. cable insulation is more flammable than the wooden frame. The fitting of Wylex M.C.B.s or G.E. Mini trip M.C.B.s would add safety and ease of use to the Wylex consumer units. They are still available new on fleabay.


    Old Wylex consumer units were of very good quality and can still be used in certain situations. Having said that, inquisitive children with a long wire  may access live parts through gaps in the front of old Wylex consumer units.


    Having just looked at my cream coloured 4 way  Wylex consumer unit in my flat, fitted with Wylex M.C.B.s there is hardly any access from the front of the unit, the gaps are very small.



    Old Wylex consumer units had proper brass and copper internal parts and screws, not like the electroplated steel crap in most cheap modern electrical equipment. Also the two screws per terminal made for good solid connections.

    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/303928734389?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-153316-527457-8&mkcid=2&itemid=303928734389&targetid=4585238371038824&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=&poi=&campaignid=398826048&mkgroupid=1306220073419050&rlsatarget=pla-4585238371038824&abcId=9300501&merchantid=87779&msclkid=abb5502cb01f150d291130adbd531423


    Z.




  • 0
    Zoomup:

    The actual fuse wire is held pretty snugly in its carrier in an old Wylex consumer unit. If it blows it is unlikely to send molten particles out into space.


    That was my feeling. Even without the lid, the metal would be contained.


  • 0
    The actual fuse wire is held pretty snugly in its carrier in an old Wylex consumer unit. If it blows it is unlikely to send molten particles out into space.

    I'm not so sure. When I were a lad it wasn't that uncommon to see scorch marks on the front cover of a wylex CU. If you look carefully at the shields (the colour coded covers that screw down over the terminals) I think you'll see a notch at on the top and bottom edges - which allows the arc products to escape.


    I would agree that the heat seemed to dissipate quite quickly so, and by its nature it's a rather short lived event (unlike say dropping from an arc lamp), so I'd tend to agree it's unlikely to set anything on fire several feet away.


       - Andy.

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