"Martin Angove" wrote in message
...
In message
ws.net,
":::Jerry::::" wrote:



With our 240V 30/32A rings, 30/32A, 20A and 16A radials we are
allowed,
effectively, an unlimited number of sockets. My house has
(ignoring
the
kitchen) 24 double sockets. Because it is relatively small,
these
could have been (though they aren't) supplied by a single ring
or
even a
single 30/32A radial. If the circuit fuse pops, that's a lot of
appliances to check.

Exactly, if one appliance caused the circuit protection to trip
you
take the whole lot down, with a radial circuit you only take one
or
two down - there is nothing to stop local appliance protection
being
used at the plug - belt and braces without the huge step from 3 A
to
30 A if some idiot does something stupid - nor the chance of
every
appliance from the 'teas-maid' to the freezer (or computer...)
being
taken down by a faulty table lamp.


This is some interesting definition of "radial" I've not heard
before.

You are confusing what is with what (IMO) should be, yes, the ring
final circuit is far safer than what we had before but it has many
flaws - some of which can make the whole thing less safe than what
came before....

Anyway, all the radials I've ever come across have only one or two
outlets per circuit, and certainly didn't cross room or floor
boundaries.

Even US-style radials are likely to have (as I understand it)
several
outlets per circuit. Popping the circuit protection *is* going to
take
out a lot of appliances. Popping a plug fuse in our system is going
to
take out *one* appliance, or possibly a few if the fuse which pops
is in
a multiple-outlet adapter.

Yes, and so would any radial circuit with local plug protection, you
are failing to see that I'm not at all convinced that an unlimited
number of sockets can be protected by one fuse, especially when that
final protection is at twice the maximum rating allows for anything
plugged into the socket.


The alternative is to have radials which feed just one or two
sockets
each. That is one heck of a big distribution board in most modern
houses, and a darned expensive one to boot. *And* it will *still*
take
out several appliances in one go.

No it won't, it will only take out those that are on that circuit,
not ones in another room or even another floor - as is possible with
(domestic) ring circuit.


I think we're all getting a bit tangled up now though. I replied to
you
thinking you were defending US-style 15A or 20A radial circuits,
but I
discover that you're (probably) not. If you were, I'd also take you
to
task for saying "there's nothing to stop local appliance protection
being used at the plug" because I don't know, apart from GFCI
outlets,
how this would be done in the US. And even GFCI outlets are
(usually)
wired to protect all outlets downstream...


Very much a GMT chap, and even if I was a EDT chap there would not be
anything to stop the adoption of fused plugs.