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Old 20th Apr 2018, 11:41 am   #21
Rubberfingers
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Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

If these are marked BS1362, they are fake!
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Old 20th Apr 2018, 11:53 am   #22
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Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

I fear Rubberfingers is right. Bussmann don't make BS1362 fuses with a rating higher than 13A http://www.cooperindustries.com/cont...042_TDC180.pdf and I strongly suspect they never did. If you want to do a bit more investigation then here is some help with spotting fake Bussmann fuses https://www.pat-testing-training.net...fake-fuses.php. It's a bit hard to tell from the picture but I think your fuse end caps are bright and shiny, which may not be a good sign ...

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Old 20th Apr 2018, 12:04 pm   #23
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Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

Not unique: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ceramic-Dom...-/360731507547

Take good photos and drop Bussmann a line to see what they've got to say.
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Old 20th Apr 2018, 12:04 pm   #24
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Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

I have a suspicion that 15 or 16 amp fuses that fit UK 13 amp plugs may have been used in mainland Europe and possibly still are.

Whilst UK type plugs are rare in Europe, UK type fused connection units seem to be creeping in. I have seen a UK type fused connection unit marked 13/16A. Implying perhaps that they are rated at 16 amps overseas.

Edit to add, at least one ebay seller is offering 15 amp and 20 amp fuses to fit 13 amp plugs. This does not of course imply that such items are safe or sensible to use.

Last edited by broadgage; 20th Apr 2018 at 12:13 pm. Reason: to add last bit about availability.
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Old 20th Apr 2018, 12:28 pm   #25
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Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

Schuko and French sockets are rated for 16A (=3.5kW) whereas BS1363 are only rated for 13A (=3kW). The amount you would probably save making a device good for only 13A when you were already making one that was good for 16A probably wouldn't make up for having the extra SKU. In countries where there is no requirement to use BS1362 fuses, there is no way to stop anyone fitting 16A fuses (that can't meet BS1362, by definition) in a 25x6.3 barrel.

Most people (mis)using such fuses in the UK will get away with it by sheer, blind luck; and of the inevitable tragedies that no doubt will be front page news, some probably would not have been prevented in practice by using a genuine BS1362 13A fuse.
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Old 20th Apr 2018, 2:49 pm   #26
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Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

I didn't realise that BS1362 permitted anything higher than 13A.

Returning to the historical colour coding, am I right in thinking 5A always were black? And to complete the picture, as I don't have any myself, what colour were 7A?

edit: I wrote the first paragraph without noticing that there was another page of posts in this thread.
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Old 20th Apr 2018, 3:36 pm   #27
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Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

7 amp plug fuses are black or grey, and have been for many years

1 amp, used to be green, now black
2 amp, used to be blue, now black
3 amp used to be blue, now red.
5 amp used to be white with black markings, now mainly black or grey
10 amp, used to be yellow, now black
13 amp always brown.

15 amp fuses to fit 13 amp plugs, varies present ones are blue.
16 amp, orange, very rare.
20 amp, have never seen one in person, those listed on ebay are yellow.

I would advise against use of the last three, but mention them only out of interest.
I used to have a large supply of the 16 amp orange fuses to fit UK plugs, I THINK that I purchased them in a French supermarket in about 1998 when shopping for cheap drink. The packages were labelled "for air conditioners" in several languages. My then employers used them for large portable air conditioners that were marginal on a 13 amp fuse. I can not recommend such practices though.
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Old 20th Apr 2018, 3:48 pm   #28
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Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

Thanks for that. It would appear that the 15A and 20A BS1362-sized fuses are following the BS1361 colourings, which appear to be:

5A white
10A black
15A blue
20A yellow
30A red
45A green

(BS1361 also available in 60A and 100A)
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Old 20th Apr 2018, 4:45 pm   #29
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Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

I overheard a chap asking for 15A plug fuses in a branch of Wilco on Wednesday. He was probably just confused, and wanted it for his table lamp or similar.
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Old 20th Apr 2018, 5:14 pm   #30
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Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

I have a selection of many different fuses. One of the older fuses I have is Nettle.
I must be pre ASTA, as the only markings are BS1362 and the rating of 13 amp.

Are old vintage fuses safe to use ?
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Old 20th Apr 2018, 7:55 pm   #31
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Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

Quote:
Originally Posted by gramophone1 View Post
Are old vintage fuses safe to use ?
So long as they're not damaged, absolutely. Modern ones are just as good, but avoiding the fakes can be a minefield if you buy online or from market stalls etc.
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Old 20th Apr 2018, 8:07 pm   #32
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Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

The old screw in fuses were rated at 15A IIRC and could pass their full rating without getting warm at all. The fuse was actually one of the legs. I worked in London during the 1970s and the sockets were used mainly in GLC flats.
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Old 20th Apr 2018, 9:26 pm   #33
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Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

I have a shaver adaptor with a green 1A fuse which I bought in 2011, so the colour coding has been used until quite recently.
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Old 20th Apr 2018, 9:36 pm   #34
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Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

I am sure that 1 amp shaver fuses are smaller than standard plug fuses.

Would they still be BS1362 ?

Please correct me if I am wrong ?
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Old 20th Apr 2018, 10:08 pm   #35
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Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

They are smaller, the same size as a 20mm fuse, and the relevant British standard is BS646
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Old 20th Apr 2018, 10:30 pm   #36
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Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

Quote:
Originally Posted by broadgage View Post
I have a suspicion that 15 or 16 amp fuses that fit UK 13 amp plugs may have been used in mainland Europe and possibly still are.

Whilst UK type plugs are rare in Europe, UK type fused connection units seem to be creeping in. I have seen a UK type fused connection unit marked 13/16A. Implying perhaps that they are rated at 16 amps overseas.

Edit to add, at least one ebay seller is offering 15 amp and 20 amp fuses to fit 13 amp plugs. This does not of course imply that such items are safe or sensible to use.
I wonder if they'd be a slightly better option than a bit of pot spindle in the13A plug on a Farnell H60/50 PSU. Those things ate 13A fuses with their TX inrush at switch-on!
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Old 20th Apr 2018, 10:36 pm   #37
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Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

Well yes, an oversized fuse is preferable to a solid link, but still not ideal.
Possibly acceptable for use by a skilled person, but not to be generally recommended.
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Old 20th Apr 2018, 11:35 pm   #38
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Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

Surely a 15 or 20 amp fuse that can fit in a regular mains plug has to be totally illegal, and dangerous.

I think the insurance company would tell you to "go and whistle" if you tried to claim for fire damage caused by one of those fuses.

Can you imagine the size of cable needed to withstand a 20 amp current.
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Old 21st Apr 2018, 4:58 am   #39
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Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

A google search seems to sugg6st that 1.5mm^2 flex (which I routinely use for mains cables to minicomputers, etc) is good for 18A and that 2.5mm^2 flex (which I have used, but which is a right pain to get into a 13A plug) is good for 24A.
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Old 21st Apr 2018, 10:20 am   #40
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Default Re: Vintage BS1362 plug fuses

Use of these fuses would be unwise in most situations and can't be recommended for general use in UK type plugs.
They MAY have legitimate uses overseas, one ebay supplier states that "this item does NOT ship to the UK" That implies some legitimate use elsewhere.

It might be acceptable for a skilled person to consider use of an oversized fuse in a 13 amp plug, for an appliance with a large starting current.
It would be foolhardy in the extreme to load a 13 amp plug to more than 13 amps other than very briefly. Many types get alarmingly hot at 13 amps, and at 20 amps would be a significant risk.

We should remember that most portable appliances in other countries use unfused plugs on circuits protected by 15/16/20 amp fuses or MCBs. Low loading appliances are fitted with 0.75mm flex.
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