"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote:

In article ,
David Looser wrote:
BTW did anyone here ever come across the alternative design for a UK
fused plug? I only met one once, it had round pins and looked fairly
similar to the old 15A plug, but the live pin *was* the fuse. The fuse
had a threaded stud on one end and simply screwed into the face of the
plug to form the live pin. I guess it was a different designer's take
on the same design brief that lead to the BS1361 plug. At least if we
had gone with that design it would have been much harder to bypass the
fuse!

One of the alternatives to the now standard 13 amp plug which was around
from about the start of the final ring circuit. Made by D&S and used by
some councils in their estates. They love to be different. ;-)

Used by the BBC too from about the mid '50s for a couple of decades for
the technical supply in studios etc. To prevent accidental use for none
technical equipment.

They were a horrible design. The fuse could work loose, and remain
sticking out of the socket when the plug was removed. They also had a very
poor cable clamp - merely a rubber grommet.


You used that crap, then condemn the US system?


--
You can't have a sense of humor, if you have no sense.

Jerry wrote:

As others have pointed out in this thread, not just bits of bolts
or screws, simple (and readily available) kitchen foil, or bits
of copper wire.


That thin foil covered paper from a pack of ciggarettes was common in
burnt up guitar amps.


--
You can't have a sense of humor, if you have no sense.

On Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:35:24 -0500, JW wrote:

Yeah, but we're smart enough to not put them in our living room.

What makes you think we do?

Why else would you care what it looks like?

Because we don't like heavy industrial looking stuff in our homes,
even in the boiler or utility room.

--
Cheers
Dave.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
: In article ,
: Jerry wrote:
: Nothing what so ever to do with an appliance needing more
than
: 13amps, that is something you introduced in an attempt to
troll,
: it's everything to do with the appliance fuse blowing at 5pm
on a
: Sunday and there being no replacement - husband is being
screamed
: at by SWMBO because she wants to get the washing, hovering or
: what ever done so hubby goes off in search of something - of
: course those with common sense will rob Peter to pay Paul.
:
: Most home in the UK will have many many devices fitted with 13
amp plugs,
: and many of those also with 13 amp fuses.

Yes as I said, but many of those devices will, or might need to,
be in use to. In any case most people do not act like Magpies or
Wombles, hence why one sees so many serviceable or otherwise
appliances and electronic goods at the local waste/recycling
dumps.

:
: It would take a true idiot to spend time cutting a nail or
whatever to fit
: rather than taking the fuse from one of those other devices.
:

How long would it take to, as others have pointed out, wrap such
a fuse in kitchen foil, a length of wire or paperclip etc...

Paul Ratcliffe wrote:

On Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:32:50 -0500, Michael A. Terrell wrote:


Dave Liquorice wrote:

On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 12:40:57 -0500, Michael A. Terrell wrote:

The NEC requires an outlet every 10 feet along a wall, and all
materials have to be UL approved. Now for your next lies?

Just counted up how many double 13A sockets we've just put into the
refurbished *half* of this place: 38. That makes for one helluva fuse
board if each was a radial... They are split over four rings as it
is.


Are you really that stupid, or do you just play a fool on Usenet?
The US National Electrical Code is online. It goes into great detail
about what can and can not be done. Read it, and see if you can learn
anything.

**** off Yank. Patronising *******s aren't you?


Not as much as you Brits. You won't take anyone's word on the
subject, and you would claim the NEC is wrong, as well.


--
You can't have a sense of humor, if you have no sense.

Dave Liquorice wrote:

On Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:32:50 -0500, Michael A. Terrell wrote:

Just counted up how many double 13A sockets we've just put into
the
refurbished *half* of this place: 38. That makes for one helluva
fuse
board if each was a radial... They are split over four rings as it
is.

Are you really that stupid, or do you just play a fool on Usenet?
The US National Electrical Code is online. It goes into great detail
about what can and can not be done. Read it, and see if you can learn
anything.

Can't be arsed to read the regs of a foreign country, we have enough
of our own.


Yet we often are pointed to some UK or European 'standard' and told
to read it and that's OK?


You are over there and presumably know them so how many
breakers would be required for 38 double sockets in the US?


There is no fixed number. It depends on the floor plan of the house.
The only dedicated outlets are for refigerators, freezers, dryers and
electric stoves. Other circuits can have multiple outlets in a chain.
The maximum per circuit may depend on local code, but a typical breaker
panel is 20 slot and a few are empty for future use.

--
You can't have a sense of humor, if you have no sense.

tony sayer wrote:

Anyone here ever known of a problem or fire with a UK ring main other
then stupid people doing really stupid things like they could do on ANY
system?..

I've never come across one ever in the last 50 odd years...


So, you investigate house fires for a living?


--
You can't have a sense of humor, if you have no sense.

In article ,
Ron wrote:
You may have noticed that flex sizes have become more uniform recently
- all are now capable of blowing a 13 amps fuse in the plug regardless
in event of a short. As it seems using the correct fuse in a plug is
beyond most.

I suspect that's because the average person goes into a shop and buys
a mains plug for his (say) desk lamp. He gets it home to find it's
fitted with 13 amp fuse, either through not knowing any better or just
not having any 1 amp, 2 amp or 5amp fuses in the house, fits the plug
anyway.

Surely everything by law is now supplied with a plug fitted?

It's still not really a problem because the lamps mains cable is almost
certainly heavy enough to blow a 13 amp fuse if there's a dead short.
It's pretty academic anyway as these days all domestic appliances in the
UK are supposed to be supplied with a fitted plugtop with the
(hopefully)correct fuse.

Yup. Some seem to think the flex rating is that where it could only just
blow a fuse of that rating.

Jerry's favourite - 3 amp flex - has a cross sectional area of 0.5mm^.
Fusewire of the same cross section is rated at 30 amps...

Comparing the US and the UK domestic mains electricity installations is
pointless - as is arguing about them. (IMHO)

It's fun though.

--
*The colder the X-ray table, the more of your body is required on it *

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

In article ,
Michael A. Terrell wrote:

There is no fixed number. It depends on the floor plan of the house.
The only dedicated outlets are for refigerators, freezers, dryers and
electric stoves.

Think I prefer our system where all of these can be used on any outlet in
the house. Although fixed heating would normally have an individual radial
circuit. As would water heating.

Other circuits can have multiple outlets in a chain.
The maximum per circuit may depend on local code, but a typical breaker
panel is 20 slot and a few are empty for future use.

Local code - and you expect those in the UK to understand it? Why have
different numbers according to what side of a line you live?

--
*OK, who stopped payment on my reality check?

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

On 01/02/2012 17:52, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article4sWdnbbtSsxX7bTSnZ2dnUVZ_gednZ2d@earthlink .com,
Michael A. wrote:

There is no fixed number. It depends on the floor plan of the house.
The only dedicated outlets are for refigerators, freezers, dryers and
electric stoves.

Think I prefer our system where all of these can be used on any outlet in
the house. Although fixed heating would normally have an individual radial
circuit. As would water heating.

Other circuits can have multiple outlets in a chain.
The maximum per circuit may depend on local code, but a typical breaker
panel is 20 slot and a few are empty for future use.

Local code - and you expect those in the UK to understand it? Why have
different numbers according to what side of a line you live?

If you want to see some spectacular electrical fails, check out the
facebook group called 'Dodgy technicians'

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dodgytechnicians/

R