Fuse too big on fridge

[DPG]

BS1363 has standardised on 3A and 13A as values of fuses. There's no saying you can't still use the other 'inbeeteen' values, but those 2 satisfy any electrical products fitted with 13A plugs.

 

[John-SJW]

BS1363 has standardised on 3A and 13A as values of fuses. There's no saying you can't still use the other 'inbeeteen' values, but those 2 satisfy any electrical products fitted with 13A plugs.

3A and 13A is ballpark. The instructions that say a competent electrician, is their get out clause, handing it over to the installer.

The lower the fuse the greater the safety factor.

 

[DPG]

3A and 13A is ballpark. The instructions that say a competent electrician, is their get out clause, handing it over to the installer.

No, the regulations - I'm not talking about manufacturer's instructions.

 

[John-SJW]

No, the regulations - I'm not talking about manufacturer's instructions.

Where in the regs is that it only falls onto two fuse values? Bare in mind British Standards is only advisory, not mandatory.

 

[John-SJW]

BS1363 has standardised on 3A and 13A as values of fuses.

In table lamps plugged into 13A sockets, I put in 1A fuses. I am saying use common sense, not just go by what they all do, or just follow some cover-all reg.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Where are you getting these 6A plug fuses? 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 13 are the ratings I know of.

This discussion is about domestic appliances made to recognised standards and designed to be used by unskilled persons, not components of an electrical installation. Are you saying the instructions require the fridge to be installed by a competent electrician, even when simply being plugged into a socket outlet using the supplied plug?

Modern appliances are intended to safe when protected by a B16 or 16A gG fuse as this is what they will have in many countries. Outside the UK, the appliance flex and plug are protected against short-circuit by the same 16A MCB in the board that protects the wiring against short-circuit and overload. The appliance must have its own internal protection against overload. In the UK we have 13A sockets on 32A circuits so one OCPD can't protect both, requiring us to put a fuse in the plug as well. But for the most part, that is what the plug fuse does; deals with the discrepancy between a 32A circuit and a 0.75 - 1.25mm² flex.

By all means put 1A fuses in your lamps and 5A fuse in your toaster. There are no surges to consider and no harm in it. But the thread was about the specific case of a hermetic refrigeration compressor that can have a high stall current under abnormal restart, that is equipped with a Klixon to prevent overheating and a flex suitable for S/C protection at 16A, and for which the manufacturer recommends a 13A fuse. Here it makes sense not to go as low as possible simply to reduce the splash in the very unlikely event that the flex gets crushed.

 

[John-SJW]

I am saying use common sense, not go by instructions from manufacturers (some dodgy) from other parts of the world, which probably have never heard of a ring circuit, or some cover all reg. Make it safer.

 

[static zap]

Common sense disappeared with a 16A EU supply.
and 3A or 13A choices.
(I blame the accountants - if choice costs money -Why so many shampoos )
Come back 5A , my surge choice for below 750W. Will still fail in time on some.

 

[John-SJW]

Where are you getting these 6A plug fuses? 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 13 are the ratings I know of.

Typo. All are available.

Plug Top Fuses - BS1362

www.tlc-direct.co.uk

Make it safer.

 

[static zap]

Last lime I got 7A & 10As I was told may try and standardise to 3A and 13A ,
due to EU , modern flex size rules.
( and risk of customer incompetence - so is that an insurance thing ?)

 

[John-SJW]

I have seen integrated appliances that come with a 13A plug, with the instructions saying it must be used. This can be cut off and fitted to an FCU. But many take what the instructions say as gospel, fitting a 13A socket behind a screwed-in integrated appliance.

Socket and plugs are for portable appliances. Permanently fitted appliance with a high current draw should not use sockets and plugs.

 

[John-SJW]

and risk of customer incompetence

How many times have you seen a 13A fuse in a table lamp plug with a flimsy flex?

 

[brianmoooore]

Has anyone (Lucien?) measured the stall current of a typical domestic fridge, while it's bouncing off the klixon, waiting for the pressure to leak away?

 

[DPG]

How many times have you seen a 13A fuse in a table lamp plug with a flimsy flex?

Agree, and so a 3A fuse should be fitted. But you will always get people fitting fuses incorrectly.

 

[brianmoooore]

How many times have you seen a 13A fuse in a table lamp plug with a flimsy flex?

It would help if 13A plugs were sold with 3A fuses fitted by default, instead of almost always 13A.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Has anyone (Lucien?) measured the stall current of a typical domestic fridge, while it's bouncing off the klixon, waiting for the pressure to leak away?

Not recently, and we should. The OP has a point that the current is lower than it used to be, and might not be a problem on a smaller fuse which might be acceptable. Regardless, I contend that the 13A fuse is not 'wrong' as was the premise of the thread, any more than the 3A fuse in my heating system FCU is 'wrong' because a 2A would work.

 

[John-SJW]

Nothing wrong at all with a washer or dryer plugged in using a 13A plug and socket.

I saw in the innards of a 13A sockets supplying a well used dryer drawing 12A. Lots of burnt parts in the plug and socket. This happens:

 

[i=p/u]

Follow mf data lad , keep it simple.. you've probably read keep fuse as close to load or something .

 

[DPG]

I saw in the innards of a 13A sockets supplying a well used dryer drawing 12A. Lots of burnt parts in the plug and socket. This happens:

View attachment 86154

View attachment 86155

View attachment 86156

Different issue completely. That's a bad connection. I've also seen damage at the connections of 13A sockets due to loose connections.

Are you saying washers and dryers shouldn't be connected via 13A plugs and sockets ???

 

[Lucien Nunes]

It would help if 13A plugs were sold with 3A fuses fitted by default, instead of almost always 13A.

Then the people-who-don't-bother-to-change-the-fuse will use the 3A-equipped plugs on 1kW loads and cook the plugs and sockets. You can't win, except by getting rid of plug fuses. None of these issues in most of the rest of world; just plug the thing in and use it.