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A while back whilst connecting a bathroom fan via a 3 pole isolator, I noticed that it was only rated at 3A, whereas the MCB for the lighting circuit would normally be rated at 6A
I know that pendant drops become the fusible link in that part of the system, but it occured to me that many of these bathroom extractor fans seem to be provided with very small guage wiring and connections ( linked to a PCB for the timer)
recently during an Inspection it was pointed out to me and I was asked how I would get around it ???
I checked the paperwork for the most common types of fans in use and most seem to be rated at 3A
so now I install a FCU outisde the bathroom to reduce the current to the light and then the fan to 3 A
any other ways of doing this ?
any one else noticed this
 
course they's wrong. the flex would overheat and go all gooey. a bit like that silly programme on daytime telly. loose crumpet. if the ocpd did not trip.
 
well its the only part of the lighting circuit that has not got its own fuse<br>
I was taught 40 years ago that the flex int he event of the lampholder shorting will act as a fuse<br>
Its still taught now<br>
but of course those people may possibly be wrong ?

Never heard of the like, the pendant flex acting as a fuse??? Where is this taught??

must be at least .5mm of stranded copper, id like to see how thats gonna add any additional protection with a 6amp mcb or 5 amp fuse link up stream

think someones been winding u up

The 3amp fuse protection for fans is a total get out clause for the companies who make cheap fans as a few of them have caught fire, and to install timer versions with an additional 3amp protection is a pain to do for the installer and unsightly most of the time
 
well its the only part of the lighting circuit that has not got its own fuse
I was taught 40 years ago that the flex int he event of the lampholder shorting will act as a fuse
Its still taught now

but of course those people may possibly be wrong ?

Who taught you this out of interest?

Can honestly say i was not taught this at college, probably for a good reason too.
 
well its the only part of the lighting circuit that has not got its own fuse
I was taught 40 years ago that the flex int he event of the lampholder shorting will act as a fuse
Its still taught now
but of course those people may possibly be wrong ?

Utter nonsense! In the event of a short in the lamp holder the OCPD will operate the same as any other part of the circuit,
 
Whilst quite obviously,a pendant drop is NOT a fusible link,the cable for the drop is not "calculated" in the same manner as the circuit cable,and old school explanations for this,have sounded similar to the OPs' remark,wrong as it is. I'm sure ceiling roses are right at the beginning,if not one of the first,BS numbers,which gives an indication of how long they have remained unaffected by legislation. If the OP is indeed in a foreign land,he may well be referencing older journals...just a thought :conehead:
 
You mean BS67? Crikey, I shouldn't know that number by heart... must get out more! But it was revised as recently as 1987.

0.75 flex is OK as the lamp is a fixed load and it will be protected against S/C by 16A OCPD which is the max permitted for ES or BC lampholders.

It would work as a fuse if your lighting circuit is tapped directly into the service cable though.
 
Tried this one?
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