Appliance fuses

[JohnD]

wundaboy, my Philips kettle is 2kW. 3kW? They went out with the chrome Swans didn't they?

No.
Mine is 3kW, so was the one I used before that. (I have a usage monitor).
Perhaps you have been buying kettles intended for countries which lack our wonderful 13A socket system.

"All features... 3000W"
http://uk.russellhobbs.com/russell-...-stainless-steel-quiet-boil-kettle-20460.html

"The Dualit Classic Kettle is available in a selection of finishes and is fitted with a superfast 3KW element"
https://www.dualit.com/products/classic-kettle

"Featuring a concealed heating element and on/off switch with light indicator, this 3kW kettle has a pop-up stainless steel lid"
http://www.tesco.com/direct/tesco-stainless-steel-jug-kettle-17l-red/162-3418.prd?skuId=162-3418_1

 

[PBC_1966]

Common sense would say fit a 6A fuse.

Was there ever a 6A BS1362 fuse? I don't believe so. The full range as far as I can recall was/is: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10 & 13A.

In the early days of BS1363 plugs there was a recommendation to use 2, 5, 10 or 13A as appropriate. That was later changed to 3, 5 or 13A before being reduced to the suggested 3 or 13A of today.

 

[PBC_1966]

An example is a built in oven with cooling fans that keep the external surfaces cool. If the fuse blows while the oven is hot then the cooling will not occur and the heat from the oven may raise the temperature of the door to a dangerously high ( to touch ) temperature and side panels may be come hot enough to adversely affect the MDF sheets that the cabinet is made from.

Which to me, raises the question of just how suitable such a design which relies upon the fans operating after the heating elements are turned off is. What happens if there's a power failure while the oven is at normal operating temperature? The result would be the same.

 

[bernardgreen]

fans operating after the heating elements are turned off is

The hazards are not considered serious if there is only one or two incidents of a hot oven not having its cooling fans running while it is cooling down. Touching a un-expectedly hot door is unlikely to cause serious burns. Degredation of MDF board would be slight after one incident but repeated incidents ( as when the user often / always turns off the power before the oven interior has cooled ) can result in the cabinet wall becoming weakened.

 

[Risteard]

I think it's fair to say that Ray Tay hasn't a clue what he's talking about.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Not so much a case of a little knowledge being a dangerous thing;

more like no knowledge being an obvious thing..



Don't move to Europe; you'll be scared stiff.

 

[flameport]

Where is this mythical 4 amp / less than 1kW washing machine?

 

[sparkwright]

A central heating boiler requires a 3 amp fuse to protect the appliance. This is to prevent costly damage to the electronics inside.

I've never seen a working washing machine with a 5 amp fuse.

Rightly or wrongly I was taught it good practice to fit a fuse as near to the rating of the appliance, ie slightly larger than the appliance rating, as well as it being adequate for the cable size.

That said, I only generally use 3, 5 or 13 amp fuses.

Something like a table lamp could have a 3 or even a 5 amp fuse in it, as I would expect the cable to able to handle such a load.

 

[Risteard]

That said, I only generally use 3, 5 or 13 amp fuses.

The only preferred ratings in the Standard are 3A and 13A. If using other ratings you would need to check the manufacturer's data for Zs etc.

Because they are not preferred ratings every other rating other than 3A and 13A is coloured black.

 

[kai]

A washing machine normally has 1.5.sq.mm flex feeding it, due to the heating elements within it, 13amp will do just fine, as 1.5.sq.mm cable is rated at typically 16amps when NOT enclosed in conduit. There are safety cut-outs within the machine to protect components inside as required.
One example I installed in a previous house, was a 2kw Bathroom Down-flow heater, which draws around 8.5.amps resistive, I fed it using a B10 breaker, on a 1.5.sq.mm cable to a 20A DP switch with neon just outside the ground floor bathroom door, and then onto a Flex outlet plate on the bathroom wall near the heater, joining the two with 1.5.sq.mm immersion flex. Total Circuit length was less than five metres in total including the flex, on the RCD side of the consumer unit. A Ten Amp breaker in this case would have fully complied with the IEE Regulations that were in force between 2001 and 2011, and indeed the amendment three edition at present!!

 

[EFLImpudence]

This is getting even sillier.

Something like a table lamp could have a 3 or even a 5 amp fuse in it, as I would expect the cable to able to handle such a load.

What, a load of maximum quarter of an amp?

Why not a half amp fuse?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I see that washing machines come with a 13A fuse as standard when it may only draw around 4 amps.

Your WM only has a heater of a few '00 W?

 

[sparkwright]

This is getting even sillier.

Something like a table lamp could have a 3 or even a 5 amp fuse in it, as I would expect the cable to able to handle such a load.

What, a load of maximum quarter of an amp?



Why not a half amp fuse?

I've moved on from matching fuses to the rating of the appliance.

My point now is how a fuse can be much higher from the rating of the appliance and still be ok to protect the cable. Lighting cable is often much bigger than it needs to be (look at house wiring), but it will be big enough to match a common (prefered I'm reliably told) fuse size of 3 amp. I usually only carry 3, 5 or 13 fuses - so a 5 amp will often be ok as well.

 

[DaveHerns]

I suppose Ray Tay's washing machine has a .5mm 3 core flex if a 4 amp fuse is sufficient?

 

[EFLImpudence]

Sparkwright - sorry I misunderstood your intention.