Hot fuse - fishy smell !!

[emanresu]

Having dinner at my in-laws a while back, I smelt fish, which wasn't on the menu! Smelt (no pun intended) it again recently and traced it to their fuse box, which is in the same room. The "fishy" smell was actually coming from the casing of the fuse cartridge melting.

Having turned of the electricity, I needed oven gloves to remove the fuse as it was so hot. It was also looking a bit worse for wear so I replaced it with a spare cartidge. BTW, this was the 30A fuse for the downstairs ring main. Noticed this fuse soon got hot as well. Investigation shows this happens when the washing machine and (brand new) dryer are on together. If either are on separately then the fuse case is cool to the touch.

Obvious answer is not to run both together, but sometimes that is difficult. Are there any dangers in replacing the fuse with a 45A unit?

Thanks for your help...

 

[Adam_151]

Don't whatever you do fit a 45A fuse

You should ensure that the fuse carrier is clean and making good contact with the fuse, that the legs of the carrier and the clips in the board are clean and making good contact with each over, and the outgoing circuit cables are tightly terminated in the top of the fuse way

I'm assuming a wylex standard board, is this correct?

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Images/Products/size_2/WY304.JPG

(they were also produced in brown)

Edit: with a BS1361 in carrier fitted:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Images/Products/size_2/WYC30.JPG

 

[Adam_151]

on second thoughts, if its the inlaws....

 

[Steve]

Once when we had a Wylex standard, my dad was working on the shower circuit upstairs and I saw a flash come from under the steps. Turned out the MCB had jumped out of its socket. Cant remember how, now, i was only a kid.

emanresu, they dont have the immersion heater on the downstairs ring too do they? And cooking dinner - was the toaster / kettle on?

But as Adam said, check all the connections, and recommend they have a new modern CU fitted - there may now be a problem with the springiness of the metal sockets of the fuse holders (especially with getting very hot as you describe - and the fuse is therefore not making proper contact.

 

[Jaymack]

The fishy smell is a characteristic of burnt bakelite, commonly used before the introduction of thermoplastics for electrical equipment.

 

[emanresu]

Thanks for all those posts, especially the second one!
All very helpful/informative.

I'll check it out on Sunday, hope to post back early next week.

Cheers....

 

[emanresu]

Checked out the board, it is a Wylex 804 IVY.
Hard to see why that fuse alone is having problems; noticed it getting hot in general use, not just when the washing is being done. Clips could possibly be loose, hard to tell once it is pushed in! Didn't think to clean them though.

Anyway, have advised them to get in qualified electrician and that he'll probably replace the CU.

Thanks.