:::Jerry:::: wrote:

There is nothing to stop any idiot, who can open a plug, replacing a
3amp fuse with the shank of a 8mm bolt, with radial circuits and
final protection back at the distribution board that is not so easy,
especially if that final protection is via circuit breakers - so yes,
the final 'ring circuit' is wide open to abuse. It was years before
all appliances came pre-fitted with plugs and the correct fuse, how
many people fitted a plug without then changing the supplied 13amp
fuse to the correct lower rating?...

As I said, the final ring circuit is a 'one size fits all' solution
that is open to abuse.


Decades ago we had exactly that system. All sockets were on radials,
all fused at the fuseboard. There were 3 ratings, 2A, 5A and 15A,
ensuring each apliance was ideally fused. Each appliance had the right
plug fitted, and there was no plug fuse to tamper with.

There are a veritable list of good reasons why we moved away from that
system to what we now have. It was riddled with problems inherent in
its design, as well as the more well known problems in its
implementation.

The whole point of having fused plugs is that a faulty appliance that
pops a fuse is disconnected, so if its plugged in again, to another
socket, it isnt live once more, and dangerous once more.

The whole point of having appliance fuses in plugs rather than at the
fuseboard is so that it is practically possible to fit the right fuse.
It doesnt guarantee it by any means, but it means the right fuse will
frequently be used. When the fuse is at the board, the applince will
simply use whatever fuse supplise that socket, regardless.

The whole point of having both a plug fuse AND a fuseboard fuse or mcb
is that if one is defeated, there is a backup still working.

The whole point of rings instead of radials is to increase safety,
reliability and socket availability.


As I said, the final ring circuit is a 'one size fits all' solution
that is open to abuse.

EVERY system is open to abuse. Our ring system puts safety backups in
place in case of abuse. Your all-radial vision does not.

And your radial system leaves dangerously faulty appliances in a
dangerous state. And the risk of fixed wiring fire is significantly
higher, and so on.

Does anyone understand the ring system these days?


NT