Wylex NSC20 - rare as Hen's teeth

[mfarrow]

Hi

I'm trying to find a fuse carrier for a Wylex consumer board locally in the Birmingham area, to save me spending a fortune (£13+) on shipping one in from a website.

The particular board replacement I'm planning is in a summer house, where some 1.5mm SWA feeds a shed which then has a socket circuit from a 16A MCB. I wish to avoid the 20A MCB tripping in the event of an earth fault on the socket circuit, which would be very likely to occur if both were MCBs.

I realise that the two values are quite close together, but at the calculated earth loop of over 100A, a BS1361 fuse would discriminate nicely. But finding a holder for one is a different matter!

If anyone has any pointers (I've tried the usual chains) I would be very grateful.

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[JohnW2]

The particular board replacement I'm planning is in a summer house, where some 1.5mm SWA feeds a shed which then has a socket circuit from a 16A MCB. I wish to avoid the 20A MCB tripping in the event of an earth fault on the socket circuit, which would be very likely to occur if both were MCBs. ... I realise that the two values are quite close together, but at the calculated earth loop of over 100A, a BS1361 fuse would discriminate nicely. But finding a holder for one is a different matter!

Such a scientific approach is very laudable but, if your time (in considering all this, and trying to source a component without having to pay p&p) is worth money, I think I would probably ask you how often you contemplate a earth fault of negligible impedance occurring in your shed? ... and hence also whether you really need an OPD in the shed at all. Would walking from the shed to the house 'once in a blue moon' (maybe never!) to reset an MCB be all that much of an inconvenience?

Kind Regards, John

 

[mfarrow]

John, for the most part I agree, and the shed is only a few yards from the summer house, however I go to great pains in my work to ensure contractors 'do their best' to achieve discrimination when working on existing installation such as this, and I would not want to seem hypercritical.

Plus, the units are in the current hager catalog, so it's not like I'm asking for anything which isn't current.

 

[JohnW2]

John, for the most part I agree, and the shed is only a few yards from the summer house, however I go to great pains in my work to ensure contractors 'do their best' to achieve discrimination when working on existing installation such as this, and I would not want to seem hypercritical.

I'm not so sure about that. If we're talking about your own house, many of us do not necessarily 'practice what we preach' within our homes Anyway, as I said, do you really need to invoke the discrimination issue at all - if the two buildings are only a few yards apart, why not have an MCB is the summerhouse as the only one protecting the sockets circuit in the shed - then no discrimination issue to worry about

Plus, the units are in the current hager catalog, so it's not like I'm asking for anything which isn't current.

Being 'current' doesn't necessarily indicate a large enough demand for people to stock it; in fact, I suspect the demand is very low (TLC have recently stopped selling it). As you know, if you Google it you can find plenty of on-line sources, from about £13 (including p&p and VAT) upwards. Even if someone found you a stockist 'in the Birmingham area', I suspect that you could well end up paying almost as much in petrol (not to mention your time) as you would for the p&p from an on-line seller!

Kind Regards, John

 

[mfarrow]

The shed also has a B6 protecting a lighting circuit.

Now, can anyone assist me with my question?

I can't believe that in a world where TLC still sell holders for Standard Range, which B&Q were still selling full boards of in 2010, that no-one stocks a fuse carrier for a modern Wylex board.

 

[JohnW2]

The shed also has a B6 protecting a lighting circuit.

Why not an FCU (and no CU)?

Now, can anyone assist me with my question? I can't believe that in a world where TLC still sell holders for Standard Range, which B&Q were still selling full boards of in 2010, that no-one stocks a fuse carrier for a modern Wylex board.

Have you tried CEF? It's in their catalogue click here and they list 10 brancjhes within 8 miles of the centre of Birmingham - if you phoned around, hopefully at least one would have it in stock.

Kind Regards, John

 

[mfarrow]

The original setup came with boards in both buildings, and I have a desire to retain the one in the shed. The exisitng boards are both GE, who's MCB characteristics naturally match each other quite well, but because GE alfa series is now discontinued, and the Summer House board needs to be expanded, I need to find another make. I don't really wish to go down the route of removing the discrimination yet, or (last resort) going to an 800KMF.

Unfortunately CEF have none in stock anywhere in the UK, even though it's in their system as you rightly point out John.

 

[JohnW2]

The original setup came with boards in both buildings, and I have a desire to retain the one in the shed. The exisitng boards are both GE, who's MCB characteristics naturally match each other quite well, but because GE alfa series is now discontinued, and the Summer House board needs to be expanded, I need to find another make. I don't really wish to go down the route of removing the discrimination yet, or (last resort) going to an 800KMF.

Fair enough - it's for you to decide how you want to do it, and why. I was merely pointing out that, if you so desired, you could probably remove the discrimantion issue completely.

Unfortunately CEF have none in stock anywhere in the UK, even though it's in their system as you rightly point out John.

I see. I guess that gives some support to my suspicion that demand is probably pretty small. If an empire as large as CEF has none in stock, anwhere, I fear that might bode badly for your chances to find one near Birmingham. I have to say that, if I were you and wanted to use one of these things, I would have 'cut my losses' (in terms of 'chargeable time', if nothing else) by now and invested my £13 (which would just about get me a tandoori mixed grill, without any rice, from my local takeaway!) for one which is seemingly freely available (and, allegedly, 'in stock') on-line!

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Any if it's anything like the one I usually use, a smaller TMG than it was a few years ago.


I saw a newly opened restaurant once whose menu promised tandoori mixed girl, but it turned out to be a misprint.

 

[JohnW2]

I saw a newly opened restaurant once whose menu promised tandoori mixed girl, but it turned out to be a misprint.

Do you mean that it should have read "tandoori mixed girls"?

Kind Regards, John

 

[mfarrow]

Right, well, I got it and, erm, well it's not exactly a fit with the busbar of either NSB or the new NXH stuff.

There's no tunnel for the comb busbar, but the top screws line up exactly and a piece of forked busbar fits perfectly:

View media item 65328 View media item 65330
Aside from this, I also spotted that the old and new breakers also align if using forked busbar - maybe this is where the so-called 'compatibility' between the old and new breakers comes from on some suppliers websites ????

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[kai]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/1814....0.0-L&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=122&ul_noapp=true

 

[RF Lighting]

Why are you digging up ancient threads? This obsession with crappy consumer units needs to stop.

Also it's unlikely that a C type 20A breaker will offer much if any discrimination from a B type.

 

[EFLImpudence]

as it is far simpler just to install a C20 breaker upstream of a B20 breaker to achieve proper discrimination.

How does it do that?

 

[JohnW2]

Also it's unlikely that a C type 20A breaker will offer much if any discrimination from a B type.

Indeed. If the fault current is at least 200A, it's pot luck as to which (or both) will operate first.

Kind Regards, John