UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Powered By Google Custom Search Vintage Radio and TV Service Data

Go Back   UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum > Specific Vintage Equipment > Other Vintage Household Electrical or Electromechanical Items

Notices

Other Vintage Household Electrical or Electromechanical Items For discussions about other vintage (over 25 years old) electrical and electromechanical household items. See the sticky thread for details.

Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools
Old 21st Apr 2018, 11:44 pm   #61
broadgage
Nonode
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: North Somerset, UK.
Posts: 2,129
Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

7 amp BS1362 fuses are used in "green ginger" theatre lighting dimmers, one to protect each channel. This despite the maximum permitted load on each channel being a little over 7 amps.
The designers obviously took the view that that slightly overrunning the fuse was a price worth paying to give better protection than would be achieved with a 10 amp or 13 amp fuse.

Some form of recommendation or code of practice also recommends 7 amp fuses for "semi fixed" socket outlets built into office furniture.
This is to ensure discrimination between the 13 amp fuse in the upstream supply plug, and the 3.15 amp mini fuses fitted to the sockets on the desktop.
broadgage is offline  
Old 22nd Apr 2018, 12:17 am   #62
IanBland
Hexode
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Northampton, Northants, UK.
Posts: 380
Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

Quote:
Originally Posted by broadgage View Post
7 amp BS1362 fuses are used in "green ginger" theatre lighting dimmers, one to protect each channel.
Gosh yes, I certainly would have seen them there!
IanBland is offline  
Old 23rd Apr 2018, 9:39 pm   #63
Dave Moll
Dekatron
 
Dave Moll's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: West Cumbria (CA13), UK
Posts: 6,118
Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sideband View Post
I think BS1361 covers 5A - 100A but they are shorter or fatter than BS1362...can't remember which so that there is no danger of them being fitted to a 13 amp plug.
The 15A BS1361s I have are about the same length as a BS1362 one but much fatter. The 30A one is fatter still and a little longer. I don't have any of the higher-rated ones, but I think the higher the rating the larger the fuse.
__________________
Mending is better than Ending (cf Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)
Dave Moll is offline  
Old 23rd Apr 2018, 11:07 pm   #64
Refugee
Dekatron
 
Refugee's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Worksop, Nottinghamshire, UK.
Posts: 5,549
Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

Higher ratings sure are a lot bigger than plug fuses.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	DSCF5100.jpg
Views:	137
Size:	73.8 KB
ID:	161681   Click image for larger version

Name:	DSCF5101.jpg
Views:	130
Size:	75.0 KB
ID:	161682   Click image for larger version

Name:	DSCF5103.jpg
Views:	93
Size:	65.3 KB
ID:	161683   Click image for larger version

Name:	DSCF5104.jpg
Views:	110
Size:	68.8 KB
ID:	161684  
Refugee is offline  
Old 24th Apr 2018, 1:04 pm   #65
gramophone1
Pentode
 
gramophone1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 168
Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

Just out of interest.

When I purchased some vintage Marbo BS1362 fuses off eBay, I noticed during my search I came across fuse wire wrapped around a cardboard template.

I can't remember ever coming across this before.

What was it used for?
gramophone1 is offline  
Old 24th Apr 2018, 1:07 pm   #66
Nickthedentist
Dekatron
 
Nickthedentist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Oxford, UK.
Posts: 17,820
Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

...for rewireable fuses in domestic fuseboxes. Still sometimes encountered in houses that haven't been rewired for 30++ years.

For example: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wt6qvSdrQ8...reble_fuse.png
Nickthedentist is offline  
Old 24th Apr 2018, 1:14 pm   #67
Refugee
Dekatron
 
Refugee's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Worksop, Nottinghamshire, UK.
Posts: 5,549
Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

My house still has rewirable fuses in a Bakelite consumer unit.
Refugee is offline  
Old 24th Apr 2018, 1:16 pm   #68
Station X
Moderator
 
Station X's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK.
Posts: 21,192
Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

Quote:
Originally Posted by gramophone1 View Post
Just out of interest.

When I purchased some vintage Marbo BS1362 fuses off eBay, I noticed during my search I came across fuse wire wrapped around a cardboard template.

I can't remember ever coming across this before.

What was it used for?
For rewiring fuses in consumer units using rewireable fuses. These have been largely replaced with consumer units using MCB's, but I stlll have rewireable fuses in one of my workshops.
__________________
Graham. Forum Moderator

Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron.
Station X is online now  
Old 24th Apr 2018, 1:20 pm   #69
gramophone1
Pentode
 
gramophone1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 168
Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

That's really interesting, thanks. It is possible we had this setup when I was a kid, but never paid any notice. Instead of trip switches in your fuse box, did they use the fuse wire instead? Cutting off the electricity when the fuse wire melted?

Might sound like a stupid question, but I am genuinely interested.
gramophone1 is offline  
Old 24th Apr 2018, 1:21 pm   #70
Station X
Moderator
 
Station X's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK.
Posts: 21,192
Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

Correct.
__________________
Graham. Forum Moderator

Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron.
Station X is online now  
Old 24th Apr 2018, 2:46 pm   #71
Dave Moll
Dekatron
 
Dave Moll's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: West Cumbria (CA13), UK
Posts: 6,118
Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

Yes, these behave in exactly the same way as cartridge fuses except that the fuse wire isn't sealed inside a ceramic (or glass) tube. These were a cheaper alternative to using BS1361 cartridge fuses before largely being replaced by resettable circuit breakers.

Slightly off-topic, but the fact that MCBs are more easily reset is both an advantage and a disadvantage: in the case of a trip caused by a one-off overcurrent such as a power surge, power can be restored immediately. When the problem is caused by a fault, the inconvenience of replacing or rewiring a fuse encouraged one to find and rectify the fault before restoring power.
__________________
Mending is better than Ending (cf Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)
Dave Moll is offline  
Old 24th Apr 2018, 3:02 pm   #72
1100 man
Octode
 
1100 man's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Ventnor, Isle of Wight, & Great Dunmow, Essex, UK.
Posts: 1,377
Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

There must still be many, many thousands of rewirable fuse consumer units in use in the UK. One drawback is people were often tempted to fit larger fuse wire if a fuse kept blowing!

You may also be interested to know that it takes much more current than 13A to blow a 13A fuse!
Looking at the characteristics, shows that a 13A fuse will pass 20A continuously without blowing. It takes between 0.2 Seconds and 100S to blow at 40 Amps.

Cheers
Nick
1100 man is offline  
Old 24th Apr 2018, 3:41 pm   #73
Guest
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

Quote:
people were often tempted to fit larger fuse wire if a fuse kept blowing
Or ran out of the right wire. Possibly using any old bit of wire, never seen a fusebox that had a place for a selection of fuse wire ready for action.
 
Old 24th Apr 2018, 3:56 pm   #74
Dave Moll
Dekatron
 
Dave Moll's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: West Cumbria (CA13), UK
Posts: 6,118
Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

Quote:
Originally Posted by 1100 man View Post
There must still be many, many thousands of rewirable fuse consumer units in use in the UK. One drawback is people were often tempted to fit larger fuse wire if a fuse kept blowing!
At least the fuse blocks were designed so that you couldn't fit, say, a 15A block in a 5A position.

Quote:
Originally Posted by merlinmaxwell View Post
never seen a fusebox that had a place for a selection of fuse wire ready for action.
But I seem to recall that the card of fuse wire had a hole at the top for hanging it up which could be fitted over the cover-retaining screw of the consumer unit.

As I haven't had a fuse blow for years (says he, tempting providence), I haven't checked whether the card is still hanging there. Yes, I still have consumer units with rewirable fuses.
__________________
Mending is better than Ending (cf Brave New World by Aldous Huxley)
Dave Moll is offline  
Old 24th Apr 2018, 4:09 pm   #75
emeritus
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Brentwood, Essex, UK.
Posts: 5,316
Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

We still have wire fuses, other than the garage and shed, which are protected by ELCB and circuit breakers. However, we are about to have a small extension built and the builder thinks that the wiring for the extension may need to be protected to current standards. He was going to consult his electrician.
We have been in this house for more than 35 years, and the only time I have needed to rewire a fuse was when I put a double 5' fluorescent light in the loft, wired in parallel with the existing four 100W GLS bulbs and all controlled by a single switch fed from the upstairs lighting circuit. Occasionally the current surge on switch-on blew the fuse. Fixed by providing the fluorescent and GLS lamp circuits with individual switches.
emeritus is offline  
Old 24th Apr 2018, 4:17 pm   #76
Hartley118
Nonode
 
Hartley118's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Cambridge, Cambs. UK.
Posts: 2,196
Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

Quote:
Originally Posted by gramophone1 View Post
That's really interesting, thanks. It is possible we had this setup when I was a kid, but never paid any notice. Instead of trip switches in your fuse box, did they use the fuse wire instead? Cutting off the electricity when the fuse wire melted?

Might sound like a stupid question, but I am genuinely interested.
You've prompted me to check that our stock of vintage fusewire is still sitting in readiness on top of the Consumer Unit where it's been since we moved into this house when it was brand new and wired to the latest standard 40 years ago . Here's a picture of it still unused in its polythene packaging - totally troublefree.

Unlike the MCB/RCDs in my workshops, the wired fuses never provide a source of irritation!

Martin
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	Fusewire (Medium).jpg
Views:	178
Size:	79.8 KB
ID:	161712  
__________________
BVWS Member
Hartley118 is offline  
Old 24th Apr 2018, 4:39 pm   #77
barrymagrec
Octode
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Morden, Surrey, UK.
Posts: 1,552
Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

Quote:
Unlike the MCB/RCDs in my workshops, the wired fuses never provide a source of irritation!
Likewise,my parents house, we moved into it in 1961, new build with a MEM metalclad fusebox and ceramic rewireable fuses - none of which have ever blown, to my knowledge, they are still there after nearly 58 years.
barrymagrec is offline  
Old 24th Apr 2018, 4:42 pm   #78
gramophone1
Pentode
 
gramophone1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Tyne and Wear, UK.
Posts: 168
Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

Which system do you think is safer, ? Fuses with fuse wire, or modern Circuit Breakers ?
gramophone1 is offline  
Old 24th Apr 2018, 4:59 pm   #79
Station X
Moderator
 
Station X's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK.
Posts: 21,192
Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

Back on topic please.

I doubt there's much more to say about fuses to BS1362. No matter how good they are they won't improve the sound of a Hi-Fi system.
__________________
Graham. Forum Moderator

Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron.
Station X is online now  
Old 24th Apr 2018, 7:48 pm   #80
McMurdo
Dekatron
 
McMurdo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK.
Posts: 5,263
Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

The wire in a BS fuse should be welded to, not trapped under, the cap.
__________________
Kevin
McMurdo is offline  
Closed Thread

Thread Tools



All times are GMT +1. The time now is 11:19 pm.


All information and advice on this forum is subject to the WARNING AND DISCLAIMER located at https://www.vintage-radio.net/rules.html.
Failure to heed this warning may result in death or serious injury to yourself and/or others.


Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright ©2002 - 2023, Paul Stenning.