Old main switch/fuse unit

[LewisM]

Hello, I have never seen one of these before, is it possible to remove the main switch and the fuse box enclosures to fit a new CU but leave the main fuse enclosure alone

Also what date would this unit be from as the house was built in 1948 but rewired in mid 80s but it looks like they've reused the old unit.

I daren't take the covers off as when switching off the main switch it took three tries for it to engage again.

Lastly what type of insulating material is in this fuse?

 

[telectrix]

without seeing exactly what goes where, impossible to tell. looks like the box marked Fuses is redundant, but would need a site visit to sort it . fraid you need a qualified sparks on site.

 

[LewisM]

No that fusebox is still in use as the main for the house the unit above was added for one circuit.

I think I need to go back and have a proper look as was getting dark

 

[Lucien Nunes]

The fuse contains a silica (sand) filling to quench the arc. It's the same as in normal ceramic fuses but in this case you can see it through the clear fuse body.

If you are able to remove the complete CU with its fuses and innards I would be pleased if you could save it for the museum and I will happily reimburse you to post it to us.

 

[LewisM]

Yeah will do, looking over the pictures again I think its three separate units, I thought at first it was one thing.

 

[pc1966]

Do you know what the Henley block is feeding, is it the new CU on top?

 

[LewisM]

Yeah it feeds cu above and then loops back through to the fusebox

 

[pc1966]

It would be interesting to see what is under the incomer cover that feeds the meter, but given the age and the potential for a nasty arc-flash incident I would not be opening it but rather leaving it for the DNO to tidy.

 

[Electrics]

Can one of you fine gentlemen (or ladies) explain to a newcomer what's what here and what the two tails into the henley block bypassing the meter are doing? Thanks!

 

[snowhead]

At the Meter;
L and N from the DNO cut out.
Then N and L out the meter into the 2 row Henley (or equivalent), Live at the Back, Neutral at the front.
The extreme righthand pair, tie wrapped, go up the back of the board, in a gap created by the ceramic spacers that were originally fitted behind the fixing screws, to feed the recently fitted C.U.

The pair in Henley to which you refer would have originally been in the meter but have been moved.
These will pass through the DNO head and into the Original Main switch