Netherlands CU Fuses

Ginvariant · May 3, 2023

Visited my son in the Netherlands last month, and took these pics of his friend's flat (a renovation project). The screw-in white ceramic knobs contain a fused link in the centre (still available in Dutch hardware stores) and were apparently very common in the 70s and 80s.
CPC is the usual thin wire (<4mm) that seems to be common practice over there. Their earthing rods are a different matter altogether, 2m of really thick angle iron with a pointed end that you certainly wouldn't want to drop on your foot. . .

Risteard · May 3, 2023

They're Diazed fuses. These were succeeded by Neozed fuses.

Rockingit · May 3, 2023

Commonly found all over the world, basically a version of BS3036 style protection.

LastManOnline · May 3, 2023

Ginvariant said:
Visited my son in the Netherlands last month, and took these pics of his friend's flat (a renovation project). The screw-in white ceramic knobs contain a fused link in the centre (still available in Dutch hardware stores) and were apparently very common in the 70s and 80s.

You are looking at 3 circuits (not 6).Theyhad a fuse on the neutralas well.The white button on top is the circuit isolator

Ginvariant said:
Their earthing rods are a different matter altogether, 2m of really thick angle iron with a pointed end. .

How were you able to establish the earth rod was 2 mts long?

Marvo · May 3, 2023

Galvanised steel earth spikes are used worldwide, they usually have high/marine spec galvanising and I've seen galve spikes that have been in the ground 50 plus yesas and are still in servicable condition.

As mentioned above those fuses are still widely used, in South Africa we regularly come across the E27 version inside domestic stoves where they use them to fuse the individual spiral or solid plate elements.

Ginvariant · May 3, 2023

LastManOnline said:
You are looking at 3 circuits (not 6).Theyhad a fuse on the neutralas well.The white button on top is the circuit isolator

How were you able to establish the earth rod was 2 mts long?

I've seen them for sale in a DIY store (we know how to have fun on holiday) and they are a bit taller than me, and really heavy. A complete contrast with the weedy bit of copper they use as a main earth, and the plug sockets and where they put them (anywhere).

LastManOnline · May 3, 2023

Ginvariant said:
I've seen them for sale in a DIY store (we know how to have fun on holiday) and they are a bit taller than me, and really heavy

Thats of interest.Traditionally Holland had a TT supply system.I,m not as up to date with European standards as I used to but that 2 mt earth rod would,nt suffice for the electrical installation you showed in the picture as its resistance would be too high to blow a fuse under fault conditions.Unless there is an rcd present there as well somewhere? Have I missed it in the picture? There is a device to the right of the fuses but I can,t quite make out what it is.

pc1966 · May 3, 2023

Ginvariant said:
A complete contrast with the weedy bit of copper they use as a main earth,

In a TT system you would be surprised to see earth rod impedance Ra below about 10 ohms, so earth fault currents above 23A would be unusual, hence the use of thin-ish earth conductors (probably 4mm-6mm copper).

Lucien Nunes · May 3, 2023

If you look in the right place on my interview on BBC News today, you can probably see exactly that pattern of stoppenkast (CU) on one of the glass shelf units.

I've always been a fan of Diazed fuses, they were well ahead of their time when launched by Siemens over 100 years ago and still technically quite good performers.

Ginvariant · May 3, 2023

pc1966 said:
In a TT system you would be surprised to see earth rod impedance Ra below about 10 ohms, so earth fault currents above 23A would be unusual, hence the use of thin-ish earth conductors (probably 4mm-6mm copper).

Ah ! Thank you for that - you've put my mind at rest regarding my son's flat.

Ginvariant · May 3, 2023

LastManOnline said:
Thats of interest.Traditionally Holland had a TT supply system.I,m not as up to date with European standards as I used to but that 2 mt earth rod would,nt suffice for the electrical installation you showed in the picture as its resistance would be too high to blow a fuse under fault conditions.Unless there is an rcd present there as well somewhere? Have I missed it in the picture? There is a device to the right of the fuses but I can,t quite make out what it is.

I think the new white box on the rhs (Toonfrequentontvanger) could be a surge protection device ? Not sure about the old grey box next to the CU, isolation switch perhaps ? For obvious reasons I thought it best to keep my hands firmly in my pockets.

pc1966 · May 4, 2023

Ginvariant said:
Ah ! Thank you for that - you've put my mind at rest regarding my son's flat.

The main thing to check is there actually is an RCD (or all final circuits are RCBOs) and to periodically check it trips OK using the self-test button. That way you have high confidence that the protection is actually working,

LastManOnline · May 4, 2023

Ginvariant said:
I think the new white box on the rhs (Toonfrequentontvanger) could be a surge protection device ?

No.Its a receiver.Its also the property of the DNO

Ginvariant said:
Not sure about the old grey box next to the CU, isolation switch perhaps ?

Am equally uncertain but its also a part of the DNO,s property

Ginvariant said:
For obvious reasons I thought it best to keep my hands firmly in my pockets.

Good decision.

On closer inspection I can see that the device to the right hand side of the fuseboard is actually a main switchfuse and not an rcd.

It now appears increasing likely that there is in fact no rcd protection on the property.Not entirely surprising as Holland is one of the European countries which lagged behind when it came to the installation of rcd,s as standard.

Ginvariant · May 4, 2023

pc1966 said:
The main thing to check is there actually is an RCD (or all final circuits are RCBOs) and to periodically check it trips OK using the self-test button. That way you have high confidence that the protection is actually working,

The flat belongs to a friend of my son - I'm sure the electrics (and heating, plumbing, insulating, plastering, decorating. . . ) will be on the to-do list.

Ginvariant · May 4, 2023

LastManOnline said:
No.Its a receiver.Its also the property of the DNO

Am equally uncertain but its also a part of the DNO,s property

Good decision.

On closer inspection I can see that the device to the right hand side of the fuseboard is actually a main switchfuse and not an rcd.

It now appears increasing likely that there is in fact no rcd protection on the property.Not entirely surprising as Holland is one of the European countries which lagged behind when it came to the installation of rcd,s as standard.

It looks as though there hasn't been any work done inside for the last 30 years or so (quite a nice garden though !). I will certainly encourage them to get the electrics sorted out asap.