Plug-in MCB's still available?

It was a melt type failure - ie just an aging piece of fuse wire - but it did make me wonder about the ease anyone else would have in sorting this out for her in comparison to just being able to flip an MCB back on.

Unfortunately the electrics is complicated by it being a three phase supply which my father split between various sections of the house in three 3 way fuse boxes. There is inadequate height to fit a 9/10 way CU without moving the meter which in turn might land us with Scottish Power looking for money and possibly a new incomer, etc.

So a plug-in MCB is attractive but can you still get them ?

Is it a Wylex fuse board? If so then yes.

It was a melt type failure - ie just an aging piece of fuse wire - but it did make me wonder about the ease anyone else would have in sorting this out for her in comparison to just being able to flip an MCB back on.

Unfortunately the electrics is complicated by it being a three phase supply which my father split between various sections of the house in three 3 way fuse boxes. There is inadequate height to fit a 9/10 way CU without moving the meter which in turn might land us with Scottish Power looking for money and possibly a new incomer, etc.

So a plug-in MCB is attractive but can you still get them ?

Is it a Wylex fuse board? If so then yes.

It was a melt type failure - ie just an aging piece of fuse wire - but it did make me wonder about the ease anyone else would have in sorting this out for her in comparison to just being able to flip an MCB back on.

Unfortunately the electrics is complicated by it being a three phase supply which my father split between various sections of the house in three 3 way fuse boxes. There is inadequate height to fit a 9/10 way CU without moving the meter which in turn might land us with Scottish Power looking for money and possibly a new incomer, etc.

So a plug-in MCB is attractive but can you still get them ?

Is it a Wylex fuse board? If so then yes.

Was that 1 reply for each phase Adam??

No. I am just using a s*it newsreader.

You can get them for Wylex style boxes:

(although check the supply impedance, because unlike DIN rail mounting MCBs that have 6kA braking capacity, these only have 3kA)

and the earlier push-button ones were only 1kA.

Also, check the Wylex CU carefully. It's common for old ones (well, probably all of them now) to have got some hot connections over the years. I've seen it on the blade contacts themselves, and also where other parts of current carrying metalwork are connected. Shows up as melted insulation on the wires at the terminals, and/or bakalite crumbling away.

Recent CPC flyer lists a whole range (of, I think, Wylex plug-in MCBs as fuse replacements, though I'm not sure if they're the same height as a fuse - if not, a new cover might be needed).

It depends on the age of the Wylex CU. I wanted to replace the re-wireable fuses in my 1975-ish CU, so took a fuse to Screwfix and asked to check it against their Wylex plugins and the prongs are smaller and closer together on the MCBs, so no joy.

TOJ.

It depends on the age of the Wylex CU. I wanted to replace the re-wireable fuses in my 1975-ish CU, so took a fuse to Screwfix and asked to check it against their Wylex plugins and the prongs are smaller and closer together on the MCBs, so no joy.

TOJ.

It depends on the age of the Wylex CU. I wanted to replace the re-wireable fuses in my 1975-ish CU, so took a fuse to Screwfix and asked to check it against their Wylex plugins and the prongs are smaller and closer together on the MCBs, so no joy.

TOJ.

It depends on the age of the Wylex CU. I wanted to replace the re-wireable fuses in my 1975-ish CU, so took a fuse to Screwfix and asked to check it against their Wylex plugins and the prongs are smaller and closer together on the MCBs, so no joy.

TOJ.

You have to cut a hole in the top of the cover. You must not leave the cover off.

They're all like that. The MCB's come with a contact cover with appropriate holes for their blades which you have to swap over, and the contacts underneath take both sizes.

Many thanks everyone. I've forwarded the posts to my brother who projects that he knows more than I on the subject !!

Rob

Ah! Thanks for that. Of course the bloke at Screwfix didn't know anything about them, he's only a box shifter.

TOJ.

Ah! Thanks for that. Of course the bloke at Screwfix didn't know anything about them, he's only a box shifter.

TOJ.

Bloody hell! Why am I seeing multiple posts again? I only hit send once!

I did a test send on uk.test and it only came up once. Only seems to happen on this ng.

TOJ.

All appear to be exactly 30 sec's apart, a coincidence?