Fred wrote:
On Thu, 20 Mar 2008 11:11:07 +0000, Andy Wade
wrote:

Thanks. Where can I learn what all the codes, e.g. 6181Y mean?

Actually it should be 6181YH these days, the final H indicating the new
(harmonised) colours. These UK-specific codes originated in the cable
manufacturers' association (CMA). They don't seem to have a website, or
maybe don't even exist any more under that name. I found a couple of
lists on the web though:

http://www.voltimum.co.uk/news/1577/...l?fullsize=yes
and
http://www.pxcables.com/products.html

IIRC 16mm^2 is good for 80A and 25mm^2 is good for 100A.

More or less - the clipped direct ratings for a single-phase circuit are
87 and 114 amps respectively.

The fuse at the meter is 100A so I hope the tails to SF1 are 25mm^2.
The switch fuse is rated 80A and the CU is rated 63A so I think the
cable from SF1 to the CU is only 16mm^2.

Sounds OK.

Since SF1 is rated at 80A would I be right to use 16mm^2 to SF2?

16 will be fine. Actually you could probably use a smaller size since
the downstream fuse in SF2 provides overload protection and the 80 A
fuse upstream only has to provide s/c fault protection - but using 16
mm^2 will avoid the need for an adiabatic heating calculation.

Is there an advantage to using the metal or the plastic version? I
guess metal is stronger so takes a few knocks but on the other hand,
doesn't it pose a problem in that it must be earthed?

What John Rumm said. Also the metal type will have round knockouts, so
will be more suitable if you're going down the all-conduit road.
Plastic is more suited to surface-wired T&E, where you can trim the
cable openings to fit round the cables. Also look at MEM as another
manufacturer offering HBC fuse carriers.

--
Andy