GEC System 4 Panel Boards Help required

[ipd1961]

Hi All
I have been tasked by my company to find out as much information on the Panel Boards we have fitted at present. It is a GEC System 4 and is older than gods dog. If anyone has any info of any sort concerning this item that should be in the National History Museum would be grateful. We have to put together something to take to our Business Stream in order to get it changed completely to a new Merlin Gerin/Schneider

 

[Knobhead]

System 4 is still a current range and well made.
For information http://www.scatco.co.uk/system4

I must ask, why do you want to change it? It’s still up to modern regs, well made and well supported for spares.
I’ve only ever had one problem with a 630A switch over heating and that was down to the fuses being incorrectly fitted.
The last company I worked for still had System 4’s forerunner Fortress gear, still in good order after 50+ years.
It would make more sense to upgrade the larger switches to M-Pact ACB’s and keep the existing board.
I can change a 630A switch in 5 minutes, how long to change an entire board? Bear in mind the down time for the change. It doesn’t make economic sense.

Before anyone asks, no I don’t have an interest in System 4, other than I like it.

 

[Engineer54]

Just been having a look at this GE system 4 and your right it does look like a well made and well thought out layout, and the compartmentalisation is well upto modern standards. The only thing i'm not keen on, ... and this is personal, is that it works around fuse switches rather than MCCB's.

The reason i prefer MCCB's over fuses, for the distribution side of things is that you can adjust the parameters over quite wide ranges to suit the needs of the the load and/or cable your protecting. You also don't have the age old problem of up stream single phasing. These day's MCCBs can also match the high breaking capacities that were once only associated with HRC fuses.

So if this System 4 range can be retro fitted with MCCB frames, it would be a winner...

 

[fadox21]

Hey guys I've have to isolate a panel fed from a system4 old submain panel but cannot seem to get the isolator handle down to a fixed off position. It is on a spring which as soon as I realise it goes back to the on posistion. I have used all my strength but it seems am missing a trick somewhere. There is no load from my panel, any help or ideas would be great

 

[fadox21]

Forget last post sneaky pull out handle ha

 

[Knobhead]

I’d have been impressed if you’d managed it with the handle retracted.