Fused spur keeps blowing

Moomum

We had our new house rewired about a year and a half ago. The washing machine and tumble dryer are plugged into a double socket behind them, this then runs to a fused spur on a wall opposite so that this is accessible by us easily.

The fuse blew for the first time last week and I replaced it and all was fine until tonight when I just went to put some more washing on and it had blown again. Both tumble dryer and washing machine were on, the washing machine at 90 degrees as was washing towels ( don't know if to would make a difference).

The washer and dryer are both about year and half old and are Miele.
Any ideas?

Thanks

keith969

What is the fuse rating? If it's 13A then it will support a load of about 3kW.

It's quite likely that the washing machine and the tumble dryer can take 3kW *each*, so if both are on at the same time then the spur fuse will rightly blow.

fwor

Moomum wrote: »

The fuse blew for the first time last week

What rating fuse is installed? Depends a bit on the exact models, but it would not be surprising to find that the two together are taking 22 Amps when the washing machine is heating the water.

Moomum

Great, thanks guys. Yes it is only a 13 A fuse. Why have they always worked until now? Usually at least once a day for most of the time we've had them.
Could it be to do with the 90 degree wash? as think last time it blew I was washing swimming towels at 90 degrees too and drying something else.
Will get electrician to something more suitable I think, annoyed that he would put something not suitable in when he knew what it was for though. Was worried it at be the washing machine or tumble on its way out already.

keith969

"Will get electrician to something more suitable I think, annoyed that he would put something not suitable in when he knew what it was for though."

If he knew what it was for then I'd find another electrician.

muckybutt

Ideally you want a double pole isolator fitting, as said a fused spur is not what should have been fitted to begin with.

Ectophile

A 13A fuse won't blow instantly if you go over 13A. They can even let through 20A for a short period without blowing.

However, doing a hot wash - which will require heating the water for an extended period - and using the tumble dryer at the same time, is rather likely to result in a blown fuse.

It really isn't suitable. Relying on the time it takes a fuse to blow isn't a good design.

Ben84

I'm surprised your electrician installed them in this way if they knew you were planning to use two high wattage appliances on the same outlet. In fact, they should have advised you not to do this. A double socket (even if it's part of a ring main) isn't typically rated at 2x13 amp, it's usually only good up to about 20 amp total load. They might have assumed the fuse in the spur would protect it, but it's still an insufficient installation that may be easily overloaded and fuse often.

Owain_Moneysaver

Wot 'e said.

vaio

Ectophile wrote: »

A 13A fuse won't blow instantly if you go over 13A. They can even let through 20A for a short period without blowing.

However, doing a hot wash - which will require heating the water for an extended period - and using the tumble dryer at the same time, is rather likely to result in a blown fuse.

It really isn't suitable. Relying on the time it takes a fuse to blow isn't a good design.

Looking at the IT chart http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?title=File:BS1362FusingTime.png it looks like a 13A fuse will carry 20A for a seriously long time

Avoriaz

Moomum wrote: »

...the washing machine at 90 degrees as was washing towels..

Do you really need to wash towels at 90 degrees?

We wash ours at 40 or 50 degrees and they come out perfectly clean.