New Member ~ Would like to post in diy forum?

[Claire Fowler]

Hi all, I turned my downstairs light on this morning the bulb blew and also blew the fuse in my fuse box...when I pulled the cartridge out it said 5amp on the cartridge but the fuse inside was 13amp with some wire round it? I have since just installed a 5amp fuse and lights are now working, any ideas as to why 13amp with wire round and should I have done the same thing? Any help greatly appreciated.

Many thanks
Claire

 

[kingeri]

Absolutely you should not replace it as it was! You have done the right thing. Someone has done that to bypass the functionality of the fuse, probably because it was blowing (possibly due to a fault). If the 5amp fuse blows repeatedly then you'll need to get an electrician in to find the fault. Under no circumstances should a fuse be bypassed like it was, if it blows then it is doing it's job!

 

[kingeri]

By the way, you wouldn't normally have a 13amp fuse in a main fusebox anyway, they are generally 5amp, 15amp or 30amp. Where exactly was this fuse? Is it in what we call a spur, i.e. a small box or single socket sized faceplate?

 

[Claire Fowler]

Thanks for your reply... my upstairs lights fuse is the same aswell should I put a 5 amp in there too? We have lived in the house 8 years no problem before... the fuse was in a black cartridge labelled downstairs lights.

 

[telectrix]

sounds like someone has bodged in a plug-top fuse. they're fractionally bigger, but can be forced in. as above. replace with a 5A, available from electrical wholesalers. shgould be marked BS1361, not 1362.

 

[Claire Fowler]

I have replaced it with the 1362 from my local wickes...is this wrong? What is the difference?

 

[telectrix]

usually, if it's in a fuse board, then the physical size of the fuses are slightly different. if it fits and it's 5A, then you're OK. once one of the mods has seen this thread, you'll probably be granted access to the DIY forum.