06-11-2017, 05:47 PM
Ours is the only major plug/socket system in the world with fused plugs. Don't know if any have fused sockets. The point is that a 32A fuse/MCB just won't protect a lot of thinner flex against a short circuit. A 20A MCB will do this, which is why they don't need fused plugs on the continent where 20A radials are the norm.
I emphasise short circuit protection, where the fault currrent is high enough to blow the fuse almost instantly. Overload protection is a trickier business. If an appliance is taking too much current it's the job of it's own internal fuses, thermal cutouts or whatever to disconnect it before things get too hot. The MCB in the distribution board can't do it, the plug fuse isn't meant to do it and is unlikely to.
I emphasise short circuit protection, where the fault currrent is high enough to blow the fuse almost instantly. Overload protection is a trickier business. If an appliance is taking too much current it's the job of it's own internal fuses, thermal cutouts or whatever to disconnect it before things get too hot. The MCB in the distribution board can't do it, the plug fuse isn't meant to do it and is unlikely to.
www.borinsky.co.uk Jeffrey Borinsky www.becg.tv
