How old is this overcurrent protective device please?

[1shortcircuit]

Never seen one of these before but I'm sure plenty of you guys have. Please could someone be kind enough to tell me more about it:thumbsup

Would this be part of the distributors equipment or the consumers?

Many Thanks in advance

 

[TaffyDuck]

As its on the consumers side of the meter its your customers responsibilty. Age , guess at 60s maybe early 70s but thats a guess.

 

[1shortcircuit]

As its on the consumers side of the meter its your customers responsibilty.

Having a tired moment

This will need upgrading then as it would appear the 16mm twin and earth supplying the consumer unit upstairs is buried in the wall and I cannot see any evidence of mechanical protection.

 

[TaffyDuck]

Well an upgrade yes. Depends on the max demand in the flat but you could consider putting the supply cable on a MCB.

 

[Plonker 3]

Looks all OK to me, 16mm T&E with a OCPD next to the DNO equipment which in turns looks like it feeds a DB in the 2nd floor flat.

 

[Knobhead]

It’s in the realm of the consumer.

It’s a 60 year old Bill 60A switch fuse. Despite what it looks like you will probably find the fuse isn’t a re-wireable but a TIA60A to BS88

 

[1shortcircuit]

1 x Socket radial supplying fridge and washing machine, 1 x lighting radial and 1 x ring final circuit.

My coffee cup is larger than the kettle currently in there lol.

 

[TaffyDuck]

I`d put it on an B63, would cover it by the sounds

 

[Plonker 3]

I`d put it on an B63, would cover it by the sounds

Why should it be changed for a MCB? Surely if it did need changing looking at the installation method it would need RCD protection if it did.

The OP hasn't asked about a replacement just who owns it.

 

[Des 56]

These were the top makers of isolators and switchfuses The name Bill would go hand in hand with industrial and domestic equipment
They were fitted quite often with seperate units for sub main or power or lighting with usually one or two ways

Removing the cover to get at the fuse holder was often the case,there is an interlock mechanism to prevent them being opened live
Switching them on when they were open required that little bar to be depressed

The ones used on industrial sites were more usuially hinged at the top with the isolator handle on the side and with 2 thimbscrew retainers with the same feature of interlock,I believe they have been merged with mem

 

[Knobhead]

Des, are you a member of the Old Farts club?

 

[ipf]

These were the top makers of isolators and switchfuses The name Bill would go hand in hand with industrial and domestic equipment
They were fitted quite often with seperate units for sub main or power or lighting with usually one or two ways

Removing the cover to get at the fuse holder was often the case,there is an interlock mechanism to prevent them being opened live
Switching them on when they were open required that little bar to be depressed

The ones used on industrial sites were more usuially hinged at the top with the isolator handle on the side and with 2 thimbscrew retainers with the same feature of interlock,I believe they have been merged with mem

Bill/MEM have been merged a good while. Come under Eaton these days.

 

[Des 56]

Des, are you a member of the Old Farts club?

I am not an old fart,Old farts are grumpy and forget things

Now come to think of it, I have just remembered that I was an old fart :mad2:

 

[MarkieSparkie]

The last time I saw one of those being fitted was July 30th 1966, it was World cup final morning and the sparks were rushing to get finished so they could watch the match.

 

[High Tower]

Bill switch gear used to be on Aston road, perry Barr, Birmingham, used to go past it a couple of times a week

 

[Spudnik]

Interesting thread, in so much that if you were there just to change the consumer unit, how far would you need to go?

Would you need to replace the Bill for an RCD due to installation methods or would you leave it?

I mean after all, we are only responsible for the work we do.

 

[Astro800]

1950s Bill, seen these as cartridge fuses & rewirable. This quite often involves wrapping 4 x 15 Amp strands of fuse wire across it with a bit of bell wire for the earth. Before all this new terminology, we just called them the main fuse.

There used to be fused Live & Neutral DBs in nice wooden cabinets with glass fronts. They were works of art, but the Neutral would blow & the Live would stay intact, switching off the circuit but leaving it lethal.

 

[1shortcircuit]

Interesting thread, in so much that if you were there just to change the consumer unit, how far would you need to go?

Would you need to replace the Bill for an RCD due to installation methods or would you leave it?

I mean after all, we are only responsible for the work we do.

With regards to the RCD protection being added to replace the Bill. What do we think would be the outcome if someone was seriously injured as a result of the 16mm twin and earth being penetrated by someone drilling a hole to make a fixing in the wall?

Who would be liable? Previous Electricians? Home Owner? or Tradeperson for not taking precuations perhaps before commencing their work?

:thumbsup

 

[GLENNSPARK]

as has been mentioned earlier....bet theres a 63A BS88 in there....

 

[alarm man]

These were the top makers of isolators and switchfuses The name Bill would go hand in hand with industrial and domestic equipment
They were fitted quite often with seperate units for sub main or power or lighting with usually one or two ways

Removing the cover to get at the fuse holder was often the case,there is an interlock mechanism to prevent them being opened live
Switching them on when they were open required that little bar to be depressed

The ones used on industrial sites were more usuially hinged at the top with the isolator handle on the side and with 2 thimbscrew retainers with the same feature of interlock,I believe they have been merged with mem

theres loads of bill db's out there in old factories still,the thing i remember about the old stuff like that,before all the locking off and isolating,you had to be brave as a lion to plug one in live,if the fault was still there they dont half make a bang,im sure they had some sort of asbestos pad in too,