1950's fusebox.

[Fin170]

you cant beat a wylex

Accept for when you do see a old domestic Bill or mem board they are much better built (I'm guessing they were more expensive back in the day), take OPs for example, I've never found a old wylex to hold up anywhere near as nicely


And in modern times? Anything other than proteus I'd take over a new wylex

 

[7029 dave]

Accept for when you do see a old domestic Bill or mem board they are much better built (I'm guessing they were more expensive back in the day), take OPs for example, I've never found a old wylex to hold up anywhere near as nicely


And in modern times? Anything other than proteus I'd take over a new wylex

yes agree mem were a good board and bill .Dorman smith on the industrial front good too.

 

[Engineer54]

Accept for when you do see a old domestic Bill or mem board they are much better built (I'm guessing they were more expensive back in the day), take OPs for example, I've never found a old wylex to hold up anywhere near as nicely


And in modern times? Anything other than proteus I'd take over a new wylex

You must be joking!! Well made, ...Yes, more expensive, not sure, but probable as those old fuse boxes needed a separate supply switchfuse. For a start most of those ceramic fuse boards were replaced by the old Wylex CU's out of necessity because the fuse holders were of a fixed rating and no longer served a useful purpose, as power circuit demands increased over the years!! They were also constructed primarily for conduited wiring, not for T&E...

As for longevity, i've seen, as well as i'm sure many other here have, original metalclad Wylex CU's still in pristine condition.

The Wylex CU was, what amounted to a revolution in circuit control and protection when they first hit the market, and dominated that market right up until modern times!! And why virtually every existing domestic (and small/light commercial installations) that hasn't had it's electrical installation updated/modernised will STILL have a Wylex CU and still working perfectly, whether converted to HRC fuses, MCB's or still having 3036 rewirable fuses!!


Fully agree with you on their modern CU offerings!! Probably the company has been taken over by the accountants, like so many other formally respected well known companies.....

 

[johnboy6083]

At the water company sites I work on, a lot of the gear is old English Electric or Bill switchgear.
it is in perfect condition, and I much prefer it over any modern gear I fit.
unfortunately, we have had drive by EICRs done, and the report always mentions that the gear is unfit for continued use, due to as asbestos.
now from what I'm aware, LUL have an awful lot of old gear, and they got by the asbestos issue by spraying it with a type of varnish.
Asbestos won't hurt anyone if it is still solid and sealed.

 

[Engineer54]

At the water company sites I work on, a lot of the gear is old English Electric or Bill switchgear.
it is in perfect condition, and I much prefer it over any modern gear I fit.
unfortunately, we have had drive by EICRs done, and the report always mentions that the gear is unfit for continued use, due to as asbestos.
now from what I'm aware, LUL have an awful lot of old gear, and they got by the asbestos issue by spraying it with a type of varnish.
Asbestos won't hurt anyone if it is still solid and sealed.

Or you could just replace the old asbestos strip with new. That was one of my shutdown jobs as an apprentice, went round with about 3 or 4 different sized rolls of white asbestos strip, to suit the fuse holder size's. Probably won't be asbestos now, but a substitute material... When you think about it and listen to all the scaremongering that goes on about the old white asbestos flash suppression strips, i should be well and truly long gone by now!!

 

[SPARTYKUS]

E54

as long as you didn't snaffle a bit & use it as chewing tobacco while you worked.

 

[Geordie Spark]

Or you could just replace the old asbestos strip with new. That was one of my shutdown jobs as an apprentice, went round with about 3 or 4 different sized rolls of white asbestos strip, to suit the fuse holder size's. Probably won't be asbestos now, but a substitute material... When you think about it and listen to all the scaremongering that goes on about the old white asbestos flash suppression strips, i should be well and truly long gone by now!!

Yep .. it's all about everything in moderation.

My Dad used asbestos to make gaskets in his job as a maintenance fitter at a chemical plant but this was not an everyday task & he servived to be 74 years old.

I used asbestos to make gaskets for model and full-sized steam locomotives in my hobby and so far am still here.

My Mother's uncle used it all day and everyday in his work as a power station lagger and he died before the age of 60.

 

[Ohmagain]

Aye well ................. they weren't made in China, Malaysia or India. They were made in Great Britain when Britain WAS Great and we actually MADE things and we made them well !!

We certainly dont make anything like we use to.... That is if we make anything at all these days

 

[Engineer54]

Yep .. it's all about everything in moderation.

My Dad used asbestos to make gaskets in his job as a maintenance fitter at a chemical plant but this was not an everyday task & he servived to be 74 years old.

I used asbestos to make gaskets for model and full-sized steam locomotives in my hobby and so far am still here.

My Mother's uncle used it all day and everyday in his work as a power station lagger and he died before the age of 60.

The thing is that the white glazed asbestos that was used for for the majority of 3036 fuse carriers as flash suppression, wasn't made of the really bad stuff which is known to be the Blue and Grey powdered asbestos. Couple that with the tiny quantities used in the old fuse boards and electricians are at the extremely low risk end of the spectrum. But you still get the odd post here, of guy's thinking they are doomed to certain death, if they pull and old 3036 fuse!! lol!!

 

[Paultrim123321]

Trouble is its not always the electricians who have a fear of removing the asbestos arc shields its the companies they work for. One of our clients are hysterical over asbestos arc shields in old rewirable fuse boards to the extent that they now have prohibition notices to work on them. We carry out EICRs and they request we issue C1 on any rewirable boards or fused isolators containing asbestos. The companies nowadays have a fear of insurance claims against from staff due to exposure to asbestos.

Mind you, I have met a chap who had contracted asbestosis during his working life at ICI. He sorry his widow received a six figure sum in compensation.

 

[Engineer54]

Sorry i don't understand that philosophy at all?? Why are there any 3036 boards still in place if they are that paranoid about arch shields being present?? lol!! Most wouldn't have a clue about 3036 fuse boards and switch fuses!! Never in my whole working career have i ever known a client/customer/company request that an electrical installation report/survey to fail!!! So i'm going to take this post with a large pinch of salt!! lol!!

 

[Paultrim123321]

They request it to ensure the upgrade work is programmed in as part of their preventative maintenance schedule immediately. They have over 600 distribution boards on site, some over 35 years old at least so as you can imagine logistically keeping track of defects requires planning and thought and its something that they request to ensure they keep the electrical installation to a satisfactory level and one they can easily maintain with modern equipment.

 

[Engineer54]

So why hasn't the maintenance manager not completed a survey of this site, of 600 odd DB's and identified those boards that requires updating?? Come to that, why is this company contracting out testing and inspection work, if they have a maintenance dept and a planned preventative maintenance system in place??

 

[Flanders]

We used to eat the flash pads For breakfast now we can't even open a board containing asbestos,If were doing an EICR we have to Give it a code 1 and if they want the board changing we get a specialist asbestos company to remove it

 

[Paultrim123321]

A vast number of the DB's fall within the amusement device industry which legally requires third party inspection and secondly their maintenance department is not sufficient in size to carry out the remaining inspection work.