"Pete C" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 27 Jul 2005 09:58:48 +0100, Gerd Busker
wrote:

The fundamental difference between "continental" installations and UK
installations is that here in the UK the plug is fused. This allows for
higher
capacity circuits (such as 30A rings) as you have some degree of over
current protection in the plug.

In Spain, or the Netherlands, there is no fuse in the plug, so you will
need
to reduce the circuit rating to keep things safe. In NL most circuits
are
fused at 16A.

There's not /that/ much difference between a 30A ring and 2 16A
radials. MCB's are cheap these days, also rings are harder to fault
find and the ring can get a break in it.

Anyway a 13A plug fuse can take 26A for up to 30 mins before breaking,
I'm sure a 16A MCB can do better than that.

When comparing both ring and radial, IMO the ring just gets it. A radial
can have a break in it as well as a ring, and if there is a break in a
radial you know about it sooner, whereas a ring can be fed from the backend
and the fault goes undetected. A ring has two paths back to the CU (very
important for safety).

The fuse in the plug tips it for me regarding the British system. Others
can introduce these on radials for extra protection, but they haven't. The
British have for 60 years. There is nothing more annoying when an appliance
trips out the whole house, when a fuse could have just dropped out the
faulty appliance. Rings for over 50 plus years have proven to be very safe.
Installation cost is low too. The British wiring regs are regarded as the
best, and safest, in the world, and I would go along with that. BTW, and
rings are not mandatory.