Non-motoring > Identifying Wylex fuses Miscellaneous
Thread Author: smokie Replies: 18
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 Wed 2 Dec 15 13:51 
 Identifying Wylex fuses - smokie
Daughter lives in a flat in an Edwardian house. A fuse went the other night in the consumer unit. It was a faff to fix so I thought I'd get some MCBs to replace the fuses.

Toolstation sold me some Wylex Type Bs but on inspection the MCB pins are not in the right place.

Any thoughts how I can identify what Wylex part I'm looking at, or need to buy?
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 Wed 2 Dec 15 17:30 
 Identifying Wylex fuses - Fursty Ferret
Given the cost of individual MCBs I'd seriously consider replacing the entire consumer unit.

An RCD protected CU is about £50 at trade prices; Wylex MCBs are at least £12 each.
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 Wed 2 Dec 15 17:35 
 Identifying Wylex fuses - smokie
Yeah but I only need three, but to replace the box would also take a sparks.
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 Wed 2 Dec 15 17:47 
 Identifying Wylex fuses - martin aston
For info, just had my consumer unit replaced in 25 year old house rather than persevere with old style breakers and rcd mix. Cost of supply and fit was £450. Not cheap but this included a full test of all the electric circuits (necessary under the regs if the unit it changed). The test took quite a while and found a break in the ring main where the previous owner had stuck a nail through the cable! Once dug out of the plaster the insulation was blackened and brittle. Sparks said it would have gone off with quite a bang so they must have just reset it!
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 Wed 2 Dec 15 18:22 
 Identifying Wylex fuses - RattleandSmoke
On the old wylex boards the carriers for the MCBs are different for the carriers for the rewirable fuses. Personally I would have a new consumer unit fitted but it isn't always as simple as it sounds if the spark finds faults.

The problem with replacing the carriers is parts of the consumer unit are still live even when switched off. Is there away to isolate power to the consumer unit?
Last edited by: RattleandSmoke on Wed 2 Dec 15 at 18:24
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 Wed 2 Dec 15 18:31 
 Identifying Wylex fuses - Armel Coussine
They're all trip-switches here. Fine when they work, real crap when they don't. Having trouble with the SiL's library fusebox at the moment. Total PITA and we've had to send for the sparky who installed them. God knows when he'll turn up.

I think they're on a spur from the main fusebox, but I can't face going out there in the cold with torch and screwdriver to suss that bit out. It's a nice gaff but nothing's perfect.
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 Wed 2 Dec 15 18:47 
 Identifying Wylex fuses - VxFan
>> to replace the box would also take a sparks.

Pretty sure you can change it yourself, but you must then get the work inspected afterwards. Far cheaper I'd have thought than letting a sparky do everything.
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 Wed 2 Dec 15 18:49 
 Identifying Wylex fuses - RattleandSmoke
I am not sure most legit sparks would want the hassle though, the test equipment costs a fortune too. Really a CU change is a job for the sparks and it isn't really that expensive that said we still have the old fashioned Wylex although the kitchen circuit does have a separate RCD .
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 Wed 2 Dec 15 18:51 
 Identifying Wylex fuses - Zero
>> >> to replace the box would also take a sparks.
>>
>> Pretty sure you can change it yourself, but you must then get the work inspected
>> afterwards.

Fine in theory, almost impossible in reality.

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 Wed 2 Dec 15 18:57 
 Identifying Wylex fuses - RattleandSmoke
Yep nobody else wants to put their name to somebody else is work.

PS I accidentally reported your post Zero, if any mods seen my report just ignore it.
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 Wed 2 Dec 15 19:10 
 Identifying Wylex fuses - smokie
I deffo replaced the fuse cartridges in my own CU but that has since been replaced, and I sold the MCBs on eBay.

Anyway if I can't easily and cheaply do it, it's not a big problem as there are spare cartridges in her CU and so long as I make sure the fuses are good in the spares then we can just swap them around. I didn't see that in the dark the other night...
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 Thu 3 Dec 15 08:50 
 Identifying Wylex fuses - Cliff Pope
>>
>> there are spare cartridges in her CU and so long as I make sure the
>> fuses are good in the spares then we can just swap them around.

That's the simple and cheap answer. If there's a real fault it will blow again, but you'd need to get that fixed even if you had an easy-resetting trip.

My CU has a switch which isolates the fuse holders, so when it's off I've several times moved holders etc.
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 Thu 3 Dec 15 08:55 
 Identifying Wylex fuses - smokie
It only blew last time as she was replacing a bulb - the new one blew a hole through the metal base bit as she was screwing it in.
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 Thu 3 Dec 15 01:21 
 Identifying Wylex fuses - henry k
>> >> >> to replace the box would also take a sparks.
>> >>
>> >> Pretty sure you can change it yourself, but you must then get the work inspected
>> >> afterwards.
>>
>> Fine in theory, almost impossible in reality.
>>
Unless you have luck on your side.
I know someone who swopped the tails from an old cartridge fuse consumer unit to a modern unit without any risks. The company fuse was not touched so no seals tampered with.
The power was off due to a cable fault in the street and the repair crater was totally flooded due to a water main having been punctured.
Freak events
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 Thu 3 Dec 15 10:18 
 Identifying Wylex fuses - Mapmaker
>> >> Pretty sure you can change it yourself, but you must then get the work inspected
>> >> afterwards.
>>
>> Fine in theory, almost impossible in reality.

Quite. The council's Building Control will want you to do the full testing, for which you need hundreds of pounds worth of testing equipment.
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 Thu 3 Dec 15 11:44 
 Identifying Wylex fuses - RattleandSmoke
And for that you will need to convince them that you are qualified to do the work!

Also with regard to the bush button MCBs, I am sure I read some where that these can be potentially dangerous and that is why they were replaced with the modern trip MCBs which require a different carrier to the rewireable fuses and push button MCBs.
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 Thu 3 Dec 15 12:11 
 Identifying Wylex fuses - henry k

>> Also with regard to the bush button MCBs, I am sure I read some where
>> that these can be potentially dangerous and that is why they were replaced with the
>> modern trip MCBs which require a different carrier to the rewireable fuses and push button
>> MCBs.
>>
IIRC that is a case of obscure conditions

What is interesting re home safety... Do not use 13A blanking plates
www.fatallyflawed.org.uk/
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 Thu 3 Dec 15 14:54 
 Identifying Wylex fuses - RattleandSmoke
I once sent a child minder that link, I am not sure if she appreciated it or not! What annoys me is the sockets are shuttered anyway and is very unlikely a child is going to poke something in the earth pin and then in one of the 'live' pins at the same time.
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 Thu 3 Dec 15 09:06 
 Identifying Wylex fuses - henry k
>>how I can identify what Wylex part I'm looking at, or need to buy?
Easy. you need the push button ones loads on Ebay. Same situation in my daughters flat.
If you still have the fuse cover then you need to cut out an aperture for the MCBs. There is a moulding guide on the inside of the cover.
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