MCB thingymajig

[ditchcrawler]

2 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Deffo tripped. Did it last week so I reset it and did it today, weird innitt

But it probably wont trip tomorrow

[Guest]

1 minute ago, ditchcrawler said:

Replacing a 13 amp fuse in a plugtop with a piece of nail will work,but its not safe

We used to call such fuses "clog irons." Another favourite was a straightened paper clip in an old rewirable fuse.

[nicknorman]

If it can trip on its own, but doesn't have a test /trip button, then it is an MCB ie a fuse. If you have replaced it with a 100A version then you have effectively replaced the 13A fuse in the plug with a large rusty nail.

[ditchcrawler]

2 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Deffo tripped. Did it last week so I reset it and did it today, weird innitt

But it probably wont trip tomorrow

[matty40s]

 

does that look better - it will handle the extra and not kill anyone

 

you have an Edmunds Electrical in Burton, they will stock them.

Edited January 9, 2018 by matty40s

[mrsmelly]

Right so I have been intut cupboard. After this switch there are two consumer units with 3 sperate thingies that say mcb on one says ringmain one says washing machine and one says inverter so it seems I have rcbs anyway. This deffo tripped and I think as Nick says as I thought I have just replaced with a 100 amp fuse which I will er replace with a smaller one 

17 minutes ago, matty40s said:

 

does that look better - it will handle the extra and not kill anyone

 

you have an Edmunds Electrical in Burton, they will stock them.

It aint one of those but I will go to Edmunsthingys it was just a quick fix from Wickes today 

[AndrewIC]

It's worth noting that RCDs, despite being marked e.g. 32A, do not usually provide any over-current protection. You need to provide that  separately. RCBOs, usually half the width and with a flying lead neutral connection, can provide both over-current protection and residual current protection, but are usually only single pole.

[jonathanA]

Some not entirely accurate replies on this thread...

if the original device has no test button and tripped due to over enthusiastic use of electric then it is simply a double pole MCB and you should replace it with one of the same rating. Eg 16A.  If all  The other circuit breakers have a test or trip button on them they could be combined overload/rcd breakers. In which case your wickes jobbie is doing what’s is supposed to do and is how you isolate everything downstream. It is not a fuse or trip. The 100A refers to its Current carrying  capacity nothing more.

[Batavia]

Another point to note is that a 2 pole 100 Amp MCB would almost certainly be 3 modules wide, rather than 2 - I am not aware of any major supplier who makes a 2 pole, 2 module wide MCB rated at more than 63 Amps.

Chris G

[mrsmelly]

10 hours ago, jonathanA said:

Some not entirely accurate replies on this thread...

if the original device has no test button and tripped due to over enthusiastic use of electric then it is simply a double pole MCB and you should replace it with one of the same rating. Eg 16A.  If all  The other circuit breakers have a test or trip button on them they could be combined overload/rcd breakers. In which case your wickes jobbie is doing what’s is supposed to do and is how you isolate everything downstream. It is not a fuse or trip. The 100A refers to its Current carrying  capacity nothing more.

Thanks again. Having looked at the setup I think its not an mcb as downstream there is one for everything. Thing is how could it switch itself off? Could it have just been faulty that made it switch off? It physicaly works on off and snaps into on/off positions but its certainly creamed as no current passes through it. I am going to show it to some leccy bloke but I think its as you say just the current it can carry and the safety stuff is all in order anyway? 

[rusty69]

Just now, mrsmelly said:

Thing is how could it switch itself off?

Could be the hand of God again.

Your open forum disbelief of his omnipotentcy will cause numerous inexplicable events over the coming weeks

[alan_fincher]

11 hours ago, jonathanA said:

Some not entirely accurate replies on this thread...

if the original device has no test button and tripped due to over enthusiastic use of electric then it is simply a double pole MCB and you should replace it with one of the same rating. Eg 16A.  If all  The other circuit breakers have a test or trip button on them they could be combined overload/rcd breakers. In which case your wickes jobbie is doing what’s is supposed to do and is how you isolate everything downstream. It is not a fuse or trip. The 100A refers to its Current carrying  capacity nothing more.

Yes, but mrsmelly insists what he removed "tripped", but what has gone back clearly does not have that capability - it's just a switch.

So if what failed really did trip, what is there is now is definitely not equivalent to what was there before.

If all the other breakers really are combined overload / RCD breakers, (which I rather doubt), why would it have been felt correct to put them in series with something else that was also some kind of trip?  I suppose it is just possible it was a current trip intended to limit the total draw on the land-line to less than the combined rating of all the other overload breakers in series with it?

If he has replaced something that actually tripped before anything else did, it was clearly offering some protection that he no longer has, and it should not now be deemed unnecessary without being absolutely sure it was.

As I said, pictures would no doubt establish the truth of the situation, but it seems that we are not going to get those, so my answers have been made assuming what we have been told is fully accurate.  If it isn't then all bets are off in my book.
 

[JamesFrance]

I would think the reason for fitting a 16 amp trip switch is simply so as not to trip the pontoon supply, which is what will happen next time mrssmelly uses everything at once.

[alan_fincher]

23 minutes ago, JamesFrance said:

I would think the reason for fitting a 16 amp trip switch is simply so as not to trip the pontoon supply, which is what will happen next time mrssmelly uses everything at once.

Hopefully that will not be in a locked box so that he can't quickly reset it then!

[mrsmelly]

2 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

Hopefully that will not be in a locked box so that he can't quickly reset it then!

Its not ive checked. I have removed swmbo electric kettle so thats 3kw she hasnt got to play with. We only ever bring it out of the cupboard when plugged in ocasionaly so just using gas one as usual anyway.

[MtB]

4 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

Hopefully that will not be in a locked box so that he can't quickly reset it then!

 

Au contraire, hopefully it IS in a locked cupboard so he can't re-set it and continue to over stress the shoreline and/or electricity bollard. 

[jake_crew]

As Ditchcrawler says - get a professional !

Also try to persuade you friend that living on a boat is not like a house - even if you are on shore power.  As has been suggested, you can only use one high current item at a time - ie kettle, toaster or microwave.   Even hair dryers and hoovers can be powerful.

[mrsmelly]

17 minutes ago, jake_crew said:

As Ditchcrawler says - get a professional !

Also try to persuade you friend that living on a boat is not like a house - even if you are on shore power.  As has been suggested, you can only use one high current item at a time - ie kettle, toaster or microwave.   Even hair dryers and hoovers can be powerful.

She hasnt got used to it yet, its only her 28th winter praps when more experienced at it will get it right.

[bizzard]

2 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

Its not ive checked. I have removed swmbo electric kettle so thats 3kw she hasnt got to play with. We only ever bring it out of the cupboard when plugged in ocasionaly so just using gas one as usual anyway.

You can pick up  cheap 1800w electric kettles, nearly half the 3kw one you say you have, sure its not 2200w?,  for £4.99p at several places, like Tesco, Curry's and possibly Argos ect.

[mrsmelly]

1 minute ago, bizzard said:

You can pick up  cheap 1800w electric kettles, nearly half the 3kw one you say you have, sure its not 2200w?,  for £4.99p at several places, like Tesco, Curry's and possibly Argos ect.

Hi Biz

Its 3kw .......she liked the colour  In fairness she didnt know all the crap was on at once. We are nearly always off grid and she is very good but because we are pretend boaters on a hook up for the winter  she got a tad carried away methinks. I had a quick tot up in my head and we had about 7kw draw minimum at the time so its not realy suprising something got a bit miffed  Strange innitt we never go anywhere near our max capabilities when out and about off grid but we must have dropped our guard so to speak whimping it out here.

[bizzard]

9 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Hi Biz

Its 3kw .......she liked the colour  In fairness she didnt know all the crap was on at once. We are nearly always off grid and she is very good but because we are pretend boaters on a hook up for the winter  she got a tad carried away methinks. I had a quick tot up in my head and we had about 7kw draw minimum at the time so its not realy suprising something got a bit miffed  Strange innitt we never go anywhere near our max capabilities when out and about off grid but we must have dropped our guard so to speak whimping it out here.

Well, yes, the cheap £4.99 kettles come in any colour as long as its brilliant white only.

[PD1964]

1 hour ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Au contraire, hopefully it IS in a locked cupboard so he can't re-set it and continue to over stress the shoreline and/or electricity bollard. 

Strange that the OP hasn't had the sense to realise he is overloading something with his electrical use, he may be able to reset his individual bollard before blowing everyone's, I doubt he would be very popular if he was to blow the main board supplying all the bollards, far easier just to use the gas to boil a kettle or switch something off.

Edited January 10, 2018 by PD1964

[mrsmelly]

5 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

Strange that the OP hasn't had the sense to realise he is overloading something with his electrical use, he may be able to reset his individual bollard before blowing everyone's, I doubt he would be very popular if he was to blow the main board supplying all the bollards, far easier just to use the gas to boil a kettle or switch something off.

Probably cos hes very inexperienced not been living aboard very long may be?

[PD1964]

2 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Probably cos hes very inexperienced not been living aboard very long may be?

Tell the truth your opening posts and consequent posts gives that impression, reads like something that should be in "New to Boating"

[mrsmelly]

2 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

Tell the truth your opening posts and consequent posts gives that impression, reads like something that should be in "New to Boating"

I just asked a genuine question. I am not an electrician so just what an mcb, rcb, even jcb I am not sure of. Well a jcb is a tractor thingy in all honesty. The missus didnt know what exactly was switched on. it happens. no one died.