Wylex fiire!

[richardb]

Hi
I got a call out last night to a local hotel, they rang and said that a fuse board was on fire, ouch! They had turned it off and the smoked stopped but they where in the middle of a wedding,not good.
Anyway when I got there it was a Wylex wy110m switch fuse supplying the kitchen fuse boards via about a 15m length of 16mm split concentric. The fuse carrier had melted very badly, i had to break it up to get it apart. If the kitchen was running flat out as I suspect it was then it would have been pulling over 100A. All the terminals where good and tight I cant see why the fuse carrier melted but didn't blow the fuse, I can only presume it was the right size fuse, I cant read it anymore its to black.
Has anyone else had this problem with a wy110, Wylex has been around long enough it should be pretty good stuff. I think the original sparks is getting a phone call this morning, glad its him and not me! Without checking I think 16mm is rated at a nudge over 100A so he hasn't really done anything wrong as he cant know whats going to be plugged in after install. Any thoughts?

 

[chocolate]

I would definitely say 'oops' to the electrician who installed it. 16mm might well take slightly over 100A but I wouldn't risk protecting it with a 100A fuse. No more than a 80A, and that's a gamble at that, esepcially with a 15m run. Sounds like some serious overloading was the event of the night.

A bit of a disappointing wedding night for those involved.

 

[lurch]

I'm sure bride n grrom made up for it oth there own fireworks!

 

[nickblake]

Big opps ide say if the cable is enclosed in trunking the rating would drop dramatically even clipped on the surface with the ambiant temperature in a hotel ,theyr always hot and if it past through the kitchen even hotter ,i agree with cholcolate no more than 80 or even less should have been 25mm or even 35 mm would be better at least for that load over that distance especially supplying a kitchen be safe over rate !!
if you look at 16 mm 70 degree twin and earth installed method C clipped direct its only rated at 85 amps 57 if covered by insulation , i know its a slightly different cable but

 

[rocker]

I'd be willing to bet that they've put a masonry nail instead of fuse wire at some point.

 

[Guest123]

I'm sure it's sorted now....the thread is over a year old!!!

 

[Tapouchoke]

I'm sure it's sorted now....the thread is over a year old!!!

on top of your game lenny read all the post till yours and realised i work too hard imm off for a beer
cheers