gu10 halogen bulbs go and take out the circut fuse?????

[m8tte]

Hello

I have halogen spots downstairs and everytime a bulb goes it takes out the fuse in the fuse box its a 5 amp fuse) for the downstairs lighting circuit

Why?????

the fuse box is one with the old plug in adapter things with fuses that are approx 3/4 size of a standard plug fuse
not an rcd tripping modern one!

Can any one advise why!

help please !

Cheers!

(amended - i had done a typo and put '95' amp fuse should correctly be 5 amp fuse! amended now)

Mat

 

[securespark]

When a lamp fails, there is a small surge: This can take the fuse or mcb out.

You need good quality lamps with ballotini fuses inside them. Usually the box and/or lamp are marked "fused" or "safety fused". Some mention ballotini fuses on the box.

The vast majority of cheaper lamps have no fuses built in.

With these fitted, the fuse in the lamp fails instead of the main fuse.

Beware - if you have a dimmer switching these, the dimmer will be rendered useless if an unprotected lamp fails.

 

[m8tte]

Many thanks for the reply -


Understand cheers - I will replace them with fused ones!

(no dimmers fitted)


Cheers

Mat

 

[securespark]

Ban & breezer will rip me to bits over this, but I wholeheartedly recommend OSRAM. They have been very good for me, with only one premature failure (which OSRAM replaced immediately) and they have fuses built in!

 

[breezer]

each to their own.

you may be interested to know that osram is anangram of omar's

 

[securespark]

Omar's what?

 

[breezer]

no idea, unless he invented the osram Co

 

[m8tte]

Actually just thinking about replacing the bulbs - This is going to cost loads becase i have at least 40 of these bulbs in the house!!

Would changing the fuse box (getting an electrician to do it) to a moden one with circut breakers or trips in it - would this stop the fuse blowing everytime one of the current non fused bulbs goes ??

Also when i went to buy a fuse it was £2.75 as well - so every time a bulb goes its new bulb and new fuse and switching off the main fuse box to remove/replace the fuse a real hassle!

Can any one advise?

Cheers

Mat

 

[breezer]

mcbs are more "sensative" than fuses, i would stick with the idea of getting good quality lamps, but chage them as and when required

 

[securespark]

Yes, I omitted to stress that! Change the lamps as they blow....

I realise this could cost you a few limbs in fuses, but there you are...

BTW which fuses are they? If you let me know via e-mail, I could post you a few.

 

[m8tte]

Thanks for the advice!

I will replace them as they blow!!

The fuse is a 5 amp fuse 'for consumer units' as on the packaging at B&Q!
Similar to the usual one found in a plug but not quite as long!


I bought a number so have got some spares now!!
Should probably have searched on the internet first to get some - must be loads cheaper!!!

Thanks very much for the offer tho Securespark thats VERY kind of you but hopefully won't need any for a year now!!!!!

Cheers again!!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Ban & breezer will rip me to bits over this, but I wholeheartedly recommend OSRAM. They have been very good for me, with only one premature failure (which OSRAM replaced immediately) and they have fuses built in!

Why would I rip you to bits?

I still haven't got round to buying Osram - all I've ever said is that I use a quality, fused make (GE), and my 6A Type 2's trip every time.

I have now run out of my stock of GE R80s (believe it or not, the cheapest place I found last time was RS!), so I need to get more - must track down some Osram.

M8tte - do you know what size your lighting cable is? You might be able to use a bigger fuse....

 

[kai]

You could buy a plug in type MCB to replace the fuse holder, that way you can just flick the lever back on after changing the bulb - only around a tenner - the cost of four blown fuses!

 

[securespark]

But only if the board is Wylex/Proteus with RW fuses originally.

Ban - I said that cos you said I worked for Osram or had my Osram hat on or something similar!

 

[Damocles]

No one has explained why the fuse keeps blowing. Is it now accepted that halogens will blow 5A fuses as a matter of course? Normal bulbs just about never ever blow 5A fuses.

What wattage are these bulbs? How many lights are on one 5A fuse? It might be that the circuit is overloaded or running at its maximum capacity, so that the surge when a bulb blows is enough to tip it over the edge and blow. In that case, the solution would be a re-wiring one.