How old is this overcurrent protective device please?

[1shortcircuit]

Never seen one of these before but I'm sure plenty of you guys have. Please could someone be kind enough to tell me more about it:thumbsup

Would this be part of the distributors equipment or the consumers?

Many Thanks in advance

 

[Spudnik]

Interesting thread, in so much that if you were there just to change the consumer unit, how far would you need to go?

Would you need to replace the Bill for an RCD due to installation methods or would you leave it?

I mean after all, we are only responsible for the work we do.

 

[Astro800]

1950s Bill, seen these as cartridge fuses & rewirable. This quite often involves wrapping 4 x 15 Amp strands of fuse wire across it with a bit of bell wire for the earth. Before all this new terminology, we just called them the main fuse.

There used to be fused Live & Neutral DBs in nice wooden cabinets with glass fronts. They were works of art, but the Neutral would blow & the Live would stay intact, switching off the circuit but leaving it lethal.

 

[1shortcircuit]

Interesting thread, in so much that if you were there just to change the consumer unit, how far would you need to go?

Would you need to replace the Bill for an RCD due to installation methods or would you leave it?

I mean after all, we are only responsible for the work we do.

With regards to the RCD protection being added to replace the Bill. What do we think would be the outcome if someone was seriously injured as a result of the 16mm twin and earth being penetrated by someone drilling a hole to make a fixing in the wall?

Who would be liable? Previous Electricians? Home Owner? or Tradeperson for not taking precuations perhaps before commencing their work?

:thumbsup

 

[GLENNSPARK]

as has been mentioned earlier....bet theres a 63A BS88 in there....

 

[alarm man]

These were the top makers of isolators and switchfuses The name Bill would go hand in hand with industrial and domestic equipment
They were fitted quite often with seperate units for sub main or power or lighting with usually one or two ways

Removing the cover to get at the fuse holder was often the case,there is an interlock mechanism to prevent them being opened live
Switching them on when they were open required that little bar to be depressed

The ones used on industrial sites were more usuially hinged at the top with the isolator handle on the side and with 2 thimbscrew retainers with the same feature of interlock,I believe they have been merged with mem

theres loads of bill db's out there in old factories still,the thing i remember about the old stuff like that,before all the locking off and isolating,you had to be brave as a lion to plug one in live,if the fault was still there they dont half make a bang,im sure they had some sort of asbestos pad in too,

 

[Astro800]

Yes I remember them, they had asbestos pads. If you dropped the fuse on the floor they would break or shatter.

 

[Astro800]

Des, are you a member of the Old Farts club?

I'm well on the way. When I see things on here that most electricians haven't seen, I think, I'm not that old am I? Where does the time go?

 

[Engineer54]

I'd also say 50's mid to late 50's!! One thing about these older units, you won't see them in molten blobs on the floor where they have melted, Not with the core of the unit being made of a heavy porcelain type material. Built to last, and last they have. And with a BS 88 cartridge fuse, still be utilised and last another good many years too...lol!!

I wonder how much of the modern stuff were installing today will see 60 years or more of service with no sign of deterioration, ....my guess, is not many (if any)!! lol!!

 

[Dcf]

bet u that old switch will outlast any of the cack u get these days. the bill tp boards had some amount of exposed parts if i mind right.and as alarm man says u were a brave soldier indeed to put a fuse back in if there was a fault u didn't know about!!! like when my laddie screwd through a micc ring main i was changing sockets on and never told me....this was in the days before every circuit was tested prior to energising i might add

 

[Engineer54]

bet u that old switch will outlast any of the cack u get these days. the bill tp boards had some amount of exposed parts if i mind right.and as alarm man says u were a brave soldier indeed to put a fuse back in if there was a fault u didn't know about!!! like when my laddie screwd through a micc ring main i was changing sockets on and never told me....this was in the days before every circuit was tested prior to energising i might add

But this unit is a single Switch fuse, would you not switch it ''Off'' before you pulled or inserted the fuse?? And being a cartridge fuse, you'll only get the crack/bang from the blades as they touched..... no almighty bang as you would from a rewirable blowing!!

 

[alarm man]

But this unit is a single Switch fuse, would you not switch it ''Off'' before you pulled or inserted the fuse?? And being a cartridge fuse, you'll only get the crack/bang from the blades as they touched..... no almighty bang as you would from a rewirable blowing!!

weve moved on to old bill db's e54,keep up auld fella..:icon10::icon10:

 

[Dcf]

a general overview of bills finest products mr 54. the bill board i dealt with was tp and rewireable as my black hand and brown boiler suit would testify.the lad got a good fixing for his light fitting tho!

 

[1shortcircuit]

Sounds like if I end up changing this beauty I should keep it and store it in a glass box

Sure don't make things like they used to but I'm pleased that this thread has created an interest and has turned up some very informative posts.

Thank You everyone for your posts, very much appreciated as always:thumbsup

1SC

 

[Engineer54]

weve moved on to old bill db's e54,keep up auld fella..:icon10::icon10:

Oooops !! i was still talking about this Switch fuse!! lol!!

As for final circuit DB/CUs I preferred the Wylex units. Just as robust and virtually just as old. The rewirable fuse carriers were far superior in that the fuse element was almost totally enclosed, but did tend to flash upwards and downwards where your fingers were holding the carrier...lol!! We used the Wylex units in the factories offices etc but used the cartridge carrier derivative (long before the MCB units were available). I wouldn't mind betting that those CU's are still there too, why fix what's not broken...lol!!!

 

[alarm man]

Oooops !! i was still talking about this Switch fuse!! lol!!

dont worry about it e54,treat yourself to another werthers original...we understand auld man..