Neat blade fuse idea

Isn't that an old "trick" for forcing oneself to make up ones mind?

Get a coin, and say heads it's 'A', tails it's 'B'; toss it in the air,
and before it comes down you'll probably have decided which way you want
it to land.

That's the theory, anyway. Whether it works in practice is another matter.

 

Well, something like that anyway.

The cash is always the problem for me. Although that situation looks
like it should improve shortly.

< snip >

But why did you decide to sell it? Does whatever convinced you to make
that decision still apply?

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, the man with no

They do. Circuit breakers.

The only problem with them on the lighting circuit is that when a bulb
blows it trips the breaker, killing all the lights.

Unless anyone knows a better solution...

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - There are few things in life more sinister than a
public toilet with the lid closed.

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha GTS1000

 

A circuit for each light?

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, the man with no

<waggles feet, realises he's out of depth>

Dunno mate. I found some doo-hickeys that plugged straight into the
wossname, replacing my cartridge fuses with circuit breakers.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - There are few things in life more sinister than a
public toilet with the lid closed.

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha GTS1000

 

Yep, some CUs were sort of future-proofed with that in mind, but these
days yer standard MCB mounts on a DIN rail, which most of the old fuse
boxes didn't have.

As an aside, the previous generation leccy fuse boxes common in Ireland
were made and supplied by Siemens - which handily enough have a DIN rail
inside.

 

All circuit breakers have an ampere rating, e.g., 20 amp & 30 amp, the most
common household ratings.

All circuit breakers and household circuits employ the "selectrive
tripping" principle. I.E., the further the circuit from the common circuit
breaker, the fewer amps it takes to trip. In other words, a light bulb
should burn out before the circuit breaker trips.

It makes sense, actually. Why put a 10 amp fuse to protect a 20 amp
circuit?

The problem with these new blade fuse circuit breakers is the same problem
with any thermally-protected circuit: the more they trip, the lower the
current they trip at. And binding them down with tape or any other method
is pretty much the same as just replacing them with solid 4-gauge wire, if
they can even be held down and maintain continuity in the first place,
which is highly doubtful. Almost all thermo-trip devices need a cooling-off
period before they can be reset. Holding them down just ensures they never
get the chance. Sort of like the pop-up indicator on a Butterball turkey.
Tape that baby down and you'll have the driest bird in town.

More likely, though, is that nothing will happen: taping down the reset
button never allows the circuit to reset since the excess current never
stops, and the likely result is either no current at all or melting of all
all insulation and all small-gauge wires between the problem and the source
of power. In other words, if there's a short circuit, bypassing the
protective circuits gains you diddly-squat. You're shit-out-of-luck. You're
up shit creek without a paddle.

You're boned.

If your circuits blow a fuse, or a circuit breaker, or one of these
marvelous, expensive blade-type resettable hoo-haws, you still have a
problem and haven't fixed it. Anytime a protective device actuates, you
better find out why before you attempt to reset it, and fix the problem
that caused it. Ohm's Law, gentlemen, has so far proven to be immutable:
decrease the resistance and you'll increase the current. That protective
device gave maximum resistance when it tripped; that's what's we want: no
electrical current. Reset it and you give minimum resistance and, ergo,
maximum current. Ever watched your motorcycle's wiring harness shrivel up
and smoke as you're doing the ton?

Best,
doc

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, doc

Fascinating.

I expect.

Meanwhile, back on planet Earth...

Anyone know a good solution (other than putting the wire fuse back) to
my (really rather minor) problem of why my CB trips whenever a bulb
blows?

(For the terminally paranoid amongst us, the CB can be reset immediately
after it trips, so long as you can find the fucking thing in the dark).

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - There are few things in life more sinister than a
public toilet with the lid closed.

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha GTS1000

 

Wicked Uncle Nigel emerged from their own little world to say

Use a new fangled low energy, long life bulb you fucking pikey

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, wessie

Ah, but how would this work with the dimmer that I use to get Mrs WUN in
the mood for conjugal wossnames?

Answer me THAT!?

Anyway, they still blow (eventually) and they take too long to "warm
up".

And they look funny.

Apart from that, good idea.

Well done.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - There are few things in life more sinister than a
public toilet with the lid closed.

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha GTS1000

 

Wicked Uncle Nigel emerged from their own little world to say

Do they? Never had one go yet.

The Phillips ones that Powergen sent as a freebie are hopeless in that
respect

Only because you are a reactionary git

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, wessie

Have you *seen* my garage?

Of course I am.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - There are few things in life more sinister than a
public toilet with the lid closed.

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha GTS1000

 

So you say.

Why, pray tell?

No doubt; no doubt, sir.

Of course, sir; of course one doubts. It's akin to saying that the Earth
rounds the sun, isn't it? Pure poppycock and blasphemy, eh? Pure poppycock
and blasphemy, indeed!

Ahh, I see. Georg Ohm's laws don't apply to Twits or Brits.

German, wasn't he?

Deuced shame he wasn't British! Pity!

One lump or two, m'lord?

And how's the British Empire doing these days, m'Lord? Just asking for us
wogs, of course, m'Lord. We couldn't understand, of course, m'Lord.

You have a short-circuit. Your circuit is drawing more current than it's
designed for. Any time a circuit draws more current than it's designed for,
the protective circuits will activate. In your case, it's a fuse. The
solution for you, as a Brit, is to keep increasing the amperage of the fuse
that you use until it stops blowing.

For non-Brits, check each branch circuit. Use the standard
open-circuit/closed circuit troubleshooting method.

For Brits, replace everything at the greatest expense until it's either
fixed or you invoke the Royal "**** it! It's good enough!" Then install
anything from Lucas.

Pity that Georg Ohm was a German, eh? You Brits might have escaped Lucas
electrics!

Still love you, though,
doc

 

Learn to snip, newbie....

 

My main house rcb tripped last night at about 2am under as light a load
as it's likely to get. It does that once every 3 or 4 months, any
suggestions as to why?

 

Rats.

We had rats in one of the farm buildings attack the wiring once. My
father was milking, suddenly there was a bang, the machinary stopped and
the lights went out. A rat had been chawing its way through the cables
and suddenly made contact.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, doc

No I don't, you stupid bastard.

The CB trips whenever a bulb blows. Other than that, it's fine.

Point me to the bit where I increased the "fuse" rating. I just sigh,
reset the CB and all is well. Until the next CB blows.

Now do me a favour and **** off, eh?

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - There are few things in life more sinister than a
public toilet with the lid closed.

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha GTS1000

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, The Older

Mea Culpa.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - There are few things in life more sinister than a
public toilet with the lid closed.

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 OMF#6 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha GTS1000

 

Replace the MCB, it's probably drifted down in sensitivity.

Or just put a nail across it.

 

Do you actually have any idea what you're talking about?