Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
|
UK diy (uk.d-i-y) For the discussion of all topics related to diy (do-it-yourself) in the UK. All levels of experience and proficency are welcome to join in to ask questions or offer solutions. |
Reply |
|
LinkBack | Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Consumer unit Œ
Greetings from New Zealand.
Will some kind soul tell me whether I am correct in guessing that what is now refured to as a consumer unit is what I knew as a fuse box? If so, ehen did the name changes. David -- David Love Happiness is a way of seeing good in everything and everybody. |
#2
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Consumer unit Œ
"David Love" wrote in message ... Greetings from New Zealand. Will some kind soul tell me whether I am correct in guessing that what is now refured to as a consumer unit is what I knew as a fuse box? Correct :-) If so, ehen did the name changes. Not sure, but at a guess I would say, when they stopped using fuses and used MCB's! Sparks... |
#3
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Consumer unit Œ
Sparks wrote: "David Love" wrote in message ... Greetings from New Zealand. Will some kind soul tell me whether I am correct in guessing that what is now refured to as a consumer unit is what I knew as a fuse box? Correct :-) If so, when did the name change? Not sure, but at a guess I would say, when they stopped using fuses and used MCB's! Sparks... .. Oh! You mean the main circuit breaker/fuse panel. Right? From the Canadian part of North America. |
#4
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Consumer unit Œ
Sparks wrote:
Not sure, but at a guess I would say, when they stopped using fuses and used MCB's! Long before that. Circa 1947 would be my guess, when BS 1363 and the ring circuit first came along. A consumer unit is the combination of a main switch (or main switch-fuse, as they usually were, pre-war) and a fuse box. Double-pole fusing was also the norm before WW2, leading to all kinds of dangers. -- Andy |
#5
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Consumer unit Œ
In article ,
David Love wrote: Will some kind soul tell me whether I am correct in guessing that what is now refured to as a consumer unit is what I knew as a fuse box? If so, ehen did the name changes. It changed when fuse boxes were combined with the main switch. -- *I will always cherish the initial misconceptions I had about you Dave Plowman London SW To e-mail, change noise into sound. |
#6
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Consumer unit Œ
Owain wrote:
Such a unit (also incorporating a cooker control switch) was marketed as a "Kitchen Control Unit" for new post-war housing in 1947, but I don't see a reference to "consumer unit" as such. There was an article in a recent /Wiring Matters/ [1] on the origins of the BS 1363 and ring circuits, etc. This focusses on a report [2] published in 1944 which established much of the basis for wiring practices which are still with us sixty years later. The article refers to the report "mak[ing] proposals for single-pole fusing, a novel compact design of consumer control unit, the cooker control unit [etc., etc.]" That would put the first use of the term "consumer (control) unit" at somewhere between 1942 (when the work started) and 1944. [1]http://www.iee.org/Publish/WireRegs/WiringMatters/Documents/Issue18/2006_18_spring_wiring_matters_bs_1363_plug_and_soc ket.pdf [2] Post-war building study no. 11 - Electrical installations. -- Andy |
#7
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Consumer unit Œ
It changed when fuse boxes were combined with the main switch.
At least in a technical context. As far as the average user is concerned, it changed when MCBs and RCDs replaced the old "fuse box". Christian. |
#8
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Consumer unit Œ
In article ,
Owain wrote: Double-pole fusing was also the norm before WW2, leading to all kinds of dangers. DP fusing necessary because the supply at that time wasn't reliably tied to earth. Giving twice the chance of the wrong one blowing? ;-) Could have dated from DC days, too. -- *Reality? Is that where the pizza delivery guy comes from? Dave Plowman London SW To e-mail, change noise into sound. |
#9
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Consumer unit Œ
On Tue, 24 Oct 2006 06:48:31 +1300, David Love wrote:
Greetings from New Zealand. Will some kind soul tell me whether I am correct in guessing that what is now refured to as a consumer unit is what I knew as a fuse box? If so, ehen did the name changes. David Fuse Boxes did become Consumer Units but I have no idea when ....Possibly when an alternative to fuses was found ....Circuit Breakers . Stuart |
#10
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Consumer unit Œ
On Tue, 24 Oct 2006 14:26:22 +0100 Stuart wrote :
Fuse Boxes did become Consumer Units but I have no idea when .... Possibly when an alternative to fuses was found ....Circuit Breakers . No, I think it was when one box with multiple fuses of different values replaced a collection of miscellaneous switch fuses - one for lighting, one for power, on for immersion etc. Part of the reason for the latter is that in the early days you paid different rates for lighting and power so had two meters. -- Tony Bryer SDA UK 'Software to build on' http://www.sda.co.uk |
#11
Posted to uk.d-i-y
|
|||
|
|||
Consumer unit O
No, I think it was when one box with multiple fuses of different values
replaced a collection of miscellaneous switch fuses - one for lighting, one for power, on for immersion etc. I have never heard a non-electrician refer to any unit containing only fuses (rather than MCBs) as a consumer unit. It is invariably a fuse box, whether it contains one fuse or ten fuses, whether it has an isolator switch or not. IME, DIN rail = consumer unit, Wylex/MEM = fuse box. Christian. |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
mosquito magnet | Home Repair | |||
install new consumer unit?? | Home Repair | |||
Advice needed on expanding electrical consumer unit | UK diy | |||
Volex Consumer Unit | UK diy | |||
My Consumer unit, and outside power system | UK diy |