"EricP" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 24 Jul 2005 15:39:36 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
babbled like a waterfall and said:

In article
ws.net,
:::Jerry:::: wrote:
And when there were different sizes of plugs, what was to stop
an
idiot using a five amp one for a 3 kW heater?


True, but then the final protection would trip...

You weren't around in the days of those radial circuits? It was
common to
see both 5 and 15 amp plugs on the same circuit.

And nails in the fuse box


A bit like now, what with people bridging the fuse space of BS1363
plugs with nails or bolts and replacing fuse wire with large cross
section wire that would still be good for many hundreds of amps.....

No system is going to prevent blatant abuse, the problem with the
BS1363 type plug and 30amp ring circuit is that it's far to easy for
someone to fit an incorrectly rated fuse and not even be ware that
they have done anything wrong.