Wylex 404 4-way CU

[jgharston]

If anybody's chucking away a Brown Wylex 404, 4-way rewirable three-piece consumer unit, ie wooden base, bakelite body, bakelite fuse cover, a 4-way version of one of these:

you be willing to chuck it my way? The tenants in the shop have managed to bash the side of the CU snapping the corner off. Usually the fuse cover goes missing from these CUs, but in this case the cover is fine, it's just the case that's damaged. Trying to replace the entire CU would be a hellava bugger, it would require ripping out a cupboard, removing an alarm control unit, shifting cables, probably extending cables. On testing it's electrically sound, so removing and replacing the case would work. The whole installation's protected by a RCB DP isolator upstream

I'm doing the usual eBay browsing every few days. I know I can order one brand new from Israel, but that may be going a bit too far ;)

Ta.

JGH

[jgharston]

Should've scrolled down. ;)

JGH

[Tabby]

Whoever wrote that page didnt understand the earth terminal setup. A 6 way connector wuold serve 5 with one in each, 4 way was used because more than one wire goes in a hole. These things were still being installed decades after lighting earths were compulsory.

NT

[Lobster]

I replaced binned one exactly like that about 3 months ago - sorry!

Can you not repair with Araldite or similar?

David

[Andy Wade]

Bear in mind that those don't comply with wiring regs now (flammability of material enclosing connections). For a like-for-like maintenance replacement though I suppose it would be OK.

[Owain]

Although would it comply with Electricity At Work Regulations (premises are a shop) and satisfy the landlord's responsibility to provide a safe electrical installation?

Owain

[jgharston]

Can't find enough of the broken bits. Currently temporarily protected from finger ingress by covering the hole with insulating tape, with attached warning label, though said finger would have to be squeezed into the service cupboard and bent through 90 degrees to ingress, but never underestimate idiots ;)

Yes, for a new installation or major upgrade, eg as in the pottery workshop next door which is getting a full rewire for the new kiln.

Taking that strictly by the letter, I should rip out the wooden enclosing service cupboard ;)

Owa> Although would it comply with Electricity At Work Regulations

As the landlord and the landlord's designated qualified electrician and considering the load use, etc, I am satisfied that replacing the cover would adequately provide blah bah etc.

JGH

[Tabby]

If you're replacing the cover rather than the whole CU, I take it its only the cover that one need consider, and the cover isn't flammable.

NT

[ARWadsworth]

Now I cannot find major PIR code failure for using these old fuse boxes, however I do agree that a like for like swap on a bit of broken plasic is acceptable.

[Owain]

If that means what I think you mean, you've nae your troubles to see with that one.

Owain

[ARWadsworth]

Is your email a working one?

[Andrew Gabriel]

However, if you look inside one, it's rare not to find some part is overheating and damaged, because there are several places where they have contacts which don't have good longevity.

I chucked out a couple over 10 years ago, a 3-way, and a 4-way.