Do I need to update my house's fuse box?

[AL_n]

GB wrote in news:mm8oi1$32o$ [e-mail]:

Given a choice of the two, I'd probably opt for the lotter win.

Al

[Jim x321x]

Graham. wrote in news:ob8goalbvo9ptee6d1njgjotrlv5snr5um@

4ax.com:

That sounds like a good idea. That would stop say, a toddler from poking a knife past the back of the MCB and barbequing himself, wouldn't it? I might do that myself. (Cut the face off the cover, and then fix the remaining part where it was intended to be.)

Jim

[Charles Hope]

when I redecorate out stairwell - which is quite an epic, in going put in an LED fitting in the ceiling; 2Ds only last about 4 years. And - I'm going to get one with an emergency battery pack.

[Charles Hope]

In our previous house, which used wired fuses, I always had ready wired spare fuses to hand.

[Charles Hope]

I did mine in the late 70s - shortly after we moved in here. The Electricity Board man came at 8am - first call - to isolate. I suggested that if he came back at 10am to reconnect, I'd be able to put the kettle on when he'd finished. He arrived at 10- on the dot - and we had the kettle going shortly afterwards.

[Charles Hope]

mine has - more than once. But if a single one doesn't work, why should more than one?

[Charles Hope]

If you modify the cover corectly, you are left with a retaining frame which holds the MCBs in place/

[GB]

As all marriages end either in divorce or death, it's amazing that divorce is not more popular, really.

[tabbypurr]

What I meant is in some cases you will have no power because the install trips the RCD when powered

Death risks all come with injury risks too. Its harder to get injury risks, but if you tabulate them its still not a priority on the table of preventable risks.

How do you conclude that all those are injuries? Last time they wanted to admit me all I needed was tea & aspirin.

NT

[ARW]

It's a close run race. And there all those thousands of separated but not divorces couples.

[ARW]

Cost?

But then Eatons RCBO do have an earth lead.

[Andy Burns]

The batteries only last about 4 years, if you're trying to avoid having to access it again, might be worth modifying the wiring so the battery is e.g. in the loft for easy access ...

[ARW]

What new regs?

BTW I have been suggesting for years that landlords and home owners whilst I am there for other work and making a mess of a wall whilst installing a cable for some other job should fork out a litle bit extra for a mains powered interlinked smoke alarm install.

[ARW]

The cover probably has knockouts on it to do that.

[Charles Hope]

a sensible idea - but I'd expect a bit longer life from the btateries.

[Charles Hope]

The later ones certainly did

[ARW]

They would be better off going to the launderette.

[ARW]

So what what would you prioritize?

Smoke alarms would be my number 1 - even if they are just battery powered ones.

Number 2 would be to have an escape plan if there was a fire and the smokes sounded.

And number 3 for safety in the home IMHO is RCD protection at the CU (at least for the socket circuits).

[ARW]

What is wrong with rectifying a fault?

[tabbypurr]

Look at the top 10 killers.

The top 2 are heart disease & cancer. They kill half the population. Expert concensus is half these deaths are readily avoidable by healthier eating, not smoking & some exercise. These are the number 1 priorities.

The rest of the list is different here versus US. Traffic accidents, septicaemia & medical errors featuer highly here, all of which are fairly straightforward to reduce.

Accidents: diy causes no lack of those, so getting informed re power tool risks etc.

Diabetes risk can be reduced by avoiding high sugar diet.

There were 1000 deaths a year in house fires before they became the norm, now its about 200.

20 odd deaths a year there.

I think we suffer warning fatigue. 'Yes I know I've heard it 1000 times but don't know how to' sort of thing. Its good to look at diy specific risks but I think its good to slot them into the big picture.

NT