In article ws.net,
:::Jerry:::: wrote:
You give the impression it's so common to be a serious problem. But
if it

It's more common that you seem to think though, taking the nation as a
whole and not just personal experience.

Where's your evidence?

was, I'd suggest changing to radial circuits would make things worse
by having less sockets therefore more overloaded extension leads, etc.

How do you work that one out, radial circuits don't mean less outlets at
all, it's true that it could mean more circuits though. Perhaps you are
you more worried about cost than safety...

All radials tend to have a limit on the number of socket outlets per
circuit. And judging by posts from those where such circuits are the norm,
they're soon reached in practice. And your ideas on 'safety' seem to
suggest that they would be protected in such a way as to also protect the
appliance, which would mean something like 16 amp maximum. So easily
exceeded by a couple of normal household appliances. In a normal household
with reasonably well thought out rings, this really can't happen.

As for replacing fuses, it's the fact that they are still a user item
designed to be replaced by everyone from expert to idiot rather than a
fix unit that is reset (such as a MCB). If MCB's were fitted into plugs
and the appliance came with the correct MCB-plug that would be one way
to make the abuse of ring circuits that bit more difficult / common.
This would also allow for backwards compatibility.

Are you serious? MCBs cost many pounds each. And do you think you could
fit one into a plug without making it a stupid size?

I really think you're trying to find a solution for a problem that simply
doesn't exist - or basing it on some dodgy workshop you've had the
misfortune to work in. And I've seen many of those - but then rings aren't
designed for this sort of use.

--
*Young at heart -- slightly older in other places

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.