Crabtree Starbreaker CU

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I've got one of these. Really can't remember when I installed it. It's split load and conformed to the then regs, if that helps. I'd guess at mid

90s.

I have a separate radial for the AV equipment, and that (I think) tripped the RCD today. Not really surprised given the number of SMPS on it. Unplugged things not in use immediately and it fired up and held. My guess is the recently installed (but quite old) desktop PC.

There are two spare ways on the non RCD side, so would like to swap the AV radial to there on an RCBO. But there appears to be more than one Starbreaker design. Any tips on how to identify the right one from an Ebay pic?

[ARW]

I need a photo of the CU to help you.

Are they the "plug in" MCBs?

[PeterC]

Crabtree and Wylex are parts of the same company. Measuring as well as I can, it seems that a miniature RCBO wil fit in place of an MCB. Has the advantage of breaking N as well. My board is Wylex from about '91 - '92, so possibly similar to yours.

I've been looking at Wylex min. RCBOs on ebay - they're available and a lot cheaper than from the usual sources but I don't know about Crabtree, although it might not matter.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Thanks - but no pics to help me identify. One of the Crabtree ones on Ebay do seem to look the same, though - the other very different.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Hmm. Can't remember. I'd need to take off the cover to check.

[ARW]

I can probably tell from your front cover.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

That's what the link above is to. ;-)

[ARW]

It was a long day....

That is the same CU I fitted at my brothers house and at my parent's holiday apartment. Both were then updated to the 17th edition by installing RCBOs like these

If you want I'll have a look on the shelf tomorrow at work. If we have one it's yours for the postage costs.

How critical is the C16 rating? Would a B16, B20 or a C20 be acceptable if there are no C16s?

[ARW]

And the last two MCBs on the right were fitted 5 years later?

[stephenten]

And a B16 MCB for ground floor lights? Has the OP got 500 watt halogen lighting units? :-)

[ARW]

Dave you should have email showing my brothers CU.

[ARW]

Could be fine for 1.5mm T&E.

[stephenten]

Probably at or over the limit for 1.5mm dependent on what it's clipped to.

Typically for 20A circuits, 2.5mm is the minimum required...?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

At one time, more than a 6 would handle. If everything on full belt.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Yes - thanks Adam. Helped be identify the ones on Ebay. I was just surprised how different the bit which shows looked.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I bought the unit off Ebay at a (much) better price than I could find from my usual suppiers, but with a set number of MCBs. Got the extra ones locally.

[ARW]

Same breaker, just Crabtree made them slightly greyer some time in the

90's. It must have been a marketing ploy.

You probably got the CU cheaper because it was the "old whiter stuff":-)

[ARW]

It's not a 20A MCB.

[ARW]

It's good job you could find one one EBay as we do not have any.

Any reason why the kitchen sockets have no RCD protection?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

It arrived this morning.

Possibility of leaking heaters in washing machine, etc?

I'm single so don't need to worry about others doing stupid things, and everything is left plugged in anyway.

But I might well fit an RCBO to that too now.