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How do electrical circuits work?

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Comments

  • muckybutt
    muckybutt Posts: 3,761 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    ohreally wrote: »
    An element shorting to earth?

    No it isn't ! a short to earth will have blown the fuse or MCB

    As stated it will have been an earth fault ..... thank you
    You may click thanks if you found my advice useful
  • Rockingit
    Rockingit Posts: 206 Forumite
    muckybutt wrote: »
    No it isn't ! a short to earth will have blown the fuse or MCB

    As stated it will have been an earth fault ..... thank you

    For techy reasons I won't bore you with, under an earth fault in this situation I would expect the RCD (if fitted) to respond significantly faster than an MCB or fuse, so if there is an RCD fitted in the circuit then I wouldn't expect to find a blown fuse or MCB.

    But, either way, by the sounds of it the toaster is toast, which is by far the most cost effective option for the OP. AND...they know that at least their electrical installation is protecting them and doing its job.
  • vaio
    vaio Posts: 12,287 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Rockingit wrote: »
    .........For starters, a fuse will not 'take tens of amps for ages', neither will an MCB respond faster. A BS1361 fuse will take roughly 3 x In (rated amps) for 5 secs whereas as a BS-EN 60898 B (commonly found domestic MCB) will take roughly 5 x In /5s....therefore meaning that a fuse is actually 60% faster amp for amp than an MCB......

    But doesn't a 60898 B type at 5In have to come out in 400mS or less to comply with BS7671?

    Also I think to meet the 60898 standard it needs to open in 100mS or less.
  • Rockingit
    Rockingit Posts: 206 Forumite
    vaio wrote: »
    But doesn't a 60898 B type at 5In have to come out in 400mS or less to comply with BS7671?

    Also I think to meet the 60898 standard it needs to open in 100mS or less.

    Yes to the first - disconnection time for the final CIRCUIT is under 400mS (or 5s for a supply circuit), as to what the exact 60898 standard is, in fairness can't tell you as I can't think I've ever had reason to read it!!

    But now....I'm going to, as every day is a school day!! :)
  • Wi88le
    Wi88le Posts: 168 Forumite
    edited 20 May 2013 at 10:24PM
    vaio wrote: »
    But doesn't a 60898 B type at 5In have to come out in 400mS or less to comply with BS7671?

    Also I think to meet the 60898 standard it needs to open in 100mS or less.

    Have you been looking at the time curve graphs (from 0.1 to 5 sec )or are you getting confused with a 100 milliamp rcd or rcd trip times? I'm not sure where your 100mS has come from
  • vaio
    vaio Posts: 12,287 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I think the time curves deals with all possibilities, the 60898 standard requires standardised tests from cold and requires trip in 100mS at 5In for B type mcbs.

    Along the same lines the currents from the 7671 earth loops for 400mS disconnection times also come out at 5In for B types
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