Fuse box fire with photos

[Marvo]

You could probably trim that materials list to just a bit of tape if it was a Friday afternoon and you're late for your golf game.

 

[uksparks]

Thanks for the pointers about the cheap rubbish, never bought it before, certainly won't now!

 

[Taylortwocities]

Hager all the way for me, never had a problem. Solid stuff, easy to install.

It won't stop a "handyman" not torquing a shower connection properly though.

Hey, why is it always the neutral that goes? Seen a few melted shower pull switches and immersion heaters. Its always seems to be the neutral that fries, and yet Kirchoff says it should be the same..

Theories, on a postcard please >>>>

 

[Marvo]

Hey, why is it always the neutral that goes? Seen a few melted shower pull switches and immersion heaters. Its always seems to be the neutral that fries, and yet Kirchoff says it should be the same..

Theories, on a postcard please >>>>

I don't have a postcard handy but the load on the live and neutral is often not equal unless the load is linear. Think harmonics

 

[William Martin]

Looks like a case of loose / not tightened screws, a case for torque setting screwdriver to ensure correct tension of terminations

 

[uksparks]

I like Hager, I've just put an Invicta 3, 4 way board, three phase in to the board then split all onto single phases for storage heaters, this is in a domestic setting. See photo below, it was obviously not complete at this point, but feel free to comment...



I am putting a metalclad MK box below for the 24 hour box. You may say why didn't i use the channel thing at the top of the Hager box, well it visually looked better doing what I did, i put 50mm pipes up the wall and put the cables in that and fed it straight into the back of the box.

 

[Taylortwocities]

I don't have a postcard handy but the load on the live and neutral is often not equal unless the load is linear. Think harmonics

I hadn't considered harmonics to be an issue on an electric shower....My
theory is that showers and immersions tend to be installed by jobbing plumbers - the little treasures!

 

[HandySparks]

I don't have a postcard handy but the load on the live and neutral is often not equal unless the load is linear. Think harmonics

In a single phase circuit, line and neutral will always be the same, won't they? Apologies if I'm taking seriously, something that was said in jest.

 

[SPARKY89]

it seems that this is a school boy error the screw terminals have not been tighten so as a result caused arcing

 

[Phoenix]

My old man told me years ago that 'most of your problems will be on the Neutral' don't know why, but to date I've found that to be good advice. I would love to know if others find this to be the case, and why...

 

[DPG]

I remember this debate years ago but relating to 13A plugs. The neutral in these was found to be loose much more than the live was. Can't remember what the outcome was and can't be ar*ed to wade through loads of tripe on Google though Daz

 

[Tiny Spark]

My guess would be that the neutral in a plug top is bent back on itself and when done by your average DIY'er nearly always across the top of the earth which puts it in a funny angle and causes stress on the conductor.

Just a theory like but I have found more badly terminated neutrals this way than any other.

 

[telectrix]

for some strange reason, it's usually the neutral that gets burnt. went today on a problem with a 2.2kW grill on a plug. customer complained that the plug was too hot to touch. on stripping down, found the N pin burnt both on the plug and in the socket. was coming close to meltdown. swapped the socket for a 20A D/P switch and hard wired appliance. ( circuit in 6mm on own 32A MCB) .

 

[DPG]

There was a theory, with the plug-tops, that the neutral connection got more stress from plugging/unplugging as it was directly onto the rectangular prong of the plug. The live on the other hand is 'isolated' mechanically by the fuse (no direct connection to the prong). Not sure I go with this, but it is an obvious difference. Daz

 

[Tiny Spark]

There was a theory, with the plug-tops, that the neutral connection got more stress from plugging/unplugging as it was directly onto the rectangular prong of the plug. The live on the other hand is 'isolated' mechanically by the fuse (no direct connection to the prong). Not sure I go with this, but it is an obvious difference. Daz

Although I can see the logic if the plug is decent then the neutral pin should not move at all.
The plugs we use have the pins locked in place by little plastic hooks, However I have seen some really **** plugs.

The worst ones being those stupid clamp down type where you have to bend the wire around the pin and then a little nut screws down ontop to hold them in place.