How old is this rewireable fuse box?

RTElectrical · Jul 28, 2022

UNG · Jul 28, 2022

Could easily be upto 60+ years old

impish15 · Jul 28, 2022

I took out one recently I’m guessing 1960/1970 but that’s just a guess

westward10 · Jul 28, 2022

No it's pre-70s known as the Wylex Standard range their longevity is quite remarkable I believe they were still producing them up to 2008.

timhoward · Jul 28, 2022

Back of frame made of wood?
It’s funny- most things I rip out without mercy - I always carefully keep all the bits of those and out them carefully back together for some reason.
I thinks it’s a sort of subconscious respect!

impish15 · Jul 28, 2022

timhoward said:
Back of frame made of wood?
It’s funny- most things I rip out without mercy - I always carefully keep all the bits of those and out them carefully back together for some reason.
I thinks it’s a sort of subconscious respect!

Not highjacking this post but the one I previously took out, the back was made from wood. Does that narrow down the date of the board?

Dustydazzler · Jul 28, 2022

Most houses I re-wire that have one of those with the original vir rubber wiring were built 1940s - 1950s

ipf · Jul 28, 2022

impish15 said:
Not highjacking this post but the one I previously took out, the back was made from wood. Does that narrow down the date of the board?

Pre 70's if timber frame. Could be 50's, even. 1957 catalogue, below.

impish15 · Jul 28, 2022

ipf said:
Pre 70's if timber frame. Could be 50's, even. 1957 catalogue, below.

View attachment 99853

Thanks for the info

7029 dave · Jul 28, 2022

Yup that could be 60 years old, It was deemed good practice to have the largest rated circuit nearest to the DP switch and the lowest at the end of the CU.

UNG · Jul 28, 2022

impish15 said:
I took out one recently I’m guessing 1960/1970 but that’s just a guess

I took one out on Monday that was the original CU when the house was built I reckon that was mid to late fifties install

ipf · Jul 29, 2022

One really good point about them is the double screw terminals.
Until the latest models, all the outgoing Live and Neutral terms were double screwed, as well as the incomers.
Good positions for the 2 bars also, IMO.

Dustydazzler · Jul 29, 2022

ipf said:
One really good point about them is the double screw terminals.
Until the latest models, all the outgoing Live and Neutral terms were double screwed, as well as the incomers.
Good positions for the 2 bars also, IMO.

The dual screws were good workmanship , unlike the rubbish we install today

pc1966 · Jul 29, 2022

It would be interesting to compare dual-screw fixing of a cable versus the modern cage-clamp design for reliability if both are done up right. Certainly I never really liked the single screw style of fixings as a bit of compression over time or some thermal cycling loosening the screw and you have big trouble.

Wonder when we will get Wago-style spring-clamps on MCB/RCBOs?

UNG · Jul 29, 2022

pc1966 said:
Wonder when we will get Wago-style spring-clamps on MCB/RCBOs?

I don't think that will happen with too many variables with different cable sizes and some with one cable or two or possibly three

Dustydazzler · Jul 29, 2022

UNG said:
I don't think that will happen with too many variables with different cable sizes and some with one cable or two or possibly three

See in lots of other countries you are only allowed 1 cable in 1 device , it is against their regs / code to 'double up' in a single device.
In these countries it would be pretty easy to simple to make a mcb/rcbo that has a single lever that could accept a single cable up to 6mm ?

pc1966 · Jul 29, 2022

UNG said:
I don't think that will happen with too many variables with different cable sizes and some with one cable or two or possibly three

For now at least. Though it is not beyond belief they would regulate to 2 cables per breaker (e.g. RFC or two light feeds) and then it would be practical.

Dustydazzler · Jul 29, 2022

pc1966 said:
For now at least. Though it is not beyond belief they would regulate to 2 cables per breaker (e.g. RFC or two light feeds) and then it would be practical.

Exactly
You could have Single lever and Double lever
Or
Do away with the RFC and have all Single lever
In a modern board you don't really need to double up feeds like you had to in the old smaller way boards

Dustydazzler · Jul 29, 2022

I would do one step further and do away with the single screw type busbar and make all breakers rcbos plug in with back stabs so their is no exposed bar anymore

pc1966 · Jul 29, 2022

I still think the RFC has its place, more so given the move to expensive AFDD and so a good way to have enough sockets without too many circuits.

But it is disappointing we don't have plug-in RCBOs with live and neutral both having shrouded busbars, and to make them all follow the same damn standard for it!

UNG · Jul 29, 2022

pc1966 said:
For now at least. Though it is not beyond belief they would regulate to 2 cables per breaker (e.g. RFC or two light feeds) and then it would be practical.

But two cables of what CSA it would certainly make the configuration of a 32A MCB / RCBO interesting

UNG · Jul 29, 2022

Dustydazzler said:
I would do one step further and do away with the single screw type busbar and make all breakers rcbos plug in with back stabs so their is no exposed bar anymore

Why lose the versatility we have now

Dustydazzler · Jul 29, 2022

UNG said:
Why lose the versatility we have now

Plug in breakers can just as easily be swapped out / moved around as breakers that screw to a traditional busbar

pc1966 · Jul 29, 2022

UNG said:
But two cables of what CSA it would certainly make the configuration of a 32A MCB / RCBO interesting

Not sure, but some spring connection DIN terminals cope with 0.2mm to 10mm which would cover most domestic cases.

A sensible approach would be based on the rating, so 6A would only need, say 1mm to 4mm, where as 50A would be something like 6-16mm.