Hi Max.
The 13A plug is still in use as the basic electrical mains power plug.

The 13A plug advantage is the internal fuse, each device can be suitabley fused as opposed to the typical N.A. system.

 

hi Max,
Just for reference, the plug has a number of extra safety features
E

 

The 13A plug advantage is the internal fuse, each device can be suitabley fused as opposed to the typical N.A. system.

What I see as the primary advantage of the fuse in the appliance plug, instead of in a central circuit breaker panel, is that EVERY TIME the fuse fails, a replacement fuse needs to be installed. And as for the super-safe insulated plugs, certainly they add quite a bit of cost to every appliance. BUT HOW WELL do they protect against accidental shorted circuits in any of the wires in the walls?? OR is there a second fused panel at some main distribution panelnear the power entrance??

 

WELL do they protect against accidental shorted circuits in any of the wires in the walls?? OR is there a second fused panel at some main distribution panelnear the power entrance??

hi,

A kitchen cooker or any other high current equipment will be wired with its own mains connection wiring and fusing/switching to the incoming main distribution box, not the 13Amp socket/plug wired ring main.

In the UK there is master fuse/switch box and distribution panel at the point where the mains supply enters the building

E



In a UK domestic property, the incoming mains electricity supply enters via the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) service head and flows through the following sequence into the home Consumer Unit: [1, 2]

1. The DNO Service Head (Cut-Out)

• Incoming Cable: Supplies 230V AC single-phase power from the street network.
• Service Cut-Out Fuse: A sealed, DNO-owned cartridge fuse (typically rated at 80A or 100A) that protects the underground/overhead drop cable from faults. It is illegal for unauthorized individuals to break the seal or pull this fuse.
• Earthing Terminal: Provides the main protective earth connection (via TN-S, TN-C-S/PME, or a local TT earth rod system). [1, 2, 3, 4]

 

What I see as the primary advantage of the fuse in the appliance plug, instead of in a central circuit breaker panel, is that EVERY TIME the fuse fails, a replacement fuse needs to be installed. And as for the super-safe insulated plugs, certainly they add quite a bit of cost to every appliance. BUT HOW WELL do they protect against accidental shorted circuits in any of the wires in the walls?? OR is there a second fused panel at some main distribution panelnear the power entrance??

They don't protect against shorts in the wires in the walls, the breaker in the distribution board does that. But it does allow a lot of sockets to be wired on to a single circuit fused at 32A without requiring cable between socket and appliance capable of 32A. The 32A circuit is wired in a ring of 2.5mm^2 cable with each end returning to the breaker, so that each socket it effectively fed by two cables in parallel.
And why? Because it uses much less cable than a cable from the board to every socket, and in 1947 Britain was skint and couldn't afford the copper.
And 1947 is also significant, as it is the year of Indian indepenence, which happened in the August, but the BS1363 plug (fused plug and ring mains) didn't happen until later in the year, so the Indians have the old standard.

 

What I see as the primary advantage of the fuse in the appliance plug, instead of in a central circuit breaker panel, is that EVERY TIME the fuse fails, a replacement fuse needs to be installed.

As eric explained, the way I remeber it is there is also a breaker in the panel, similar to N.A.

 

As eric explained, the way I remeber it is there is also a breaker in the panel, similar to N.A.

There would have to be a breaker in the panel, as the incomer is 80A or 100A and the circuit is rated at 32A. There's also a RCD (which you call a GFI)

 

Typically , in the more modest homes, yje main breaker is either 60 amps or 100 amps. Then below that are one or two higher arted breakers, one for the electric stove and one for the electric water heater(for those folks with money to burn), followed by a pair of 20 amp breakers for the kitchen and 15 amp breakers for most other rooms. BUT, I have done work in homes with a higher rated main breaker and a total of 40 breakers . Bigger homes, with the filter system for the outside pool in one corner of one basement. A rather larger house. TWO 50gallon gas water heaters, side by side, also.

 

Typically , in the more modest homes, yje main breaker is either 60 amps or 100 amps. Then below that are one or two higher arted breakers, one for the electric stove and one for the electric water heater(for those folks with money to burn), followed by a pair of 20 amp breakers for the kitchen and 15 amp breakers for most other rooms. BUT, I have done work in homes with a higher rated main breaker and a total of 40 breakers . Bigger homes, with the filter system for the outside pool in one corner of one basement. A rather larger house. TWO 50gallon gas water heaters, side by side, also.

Originally the home I am in had 60 amp service. Originally built about 76 years ago. Today pole to house, 240 VAC split phase I have 200 amp service and a 200 amp breaker panel. Actually just about all new residential construction involves a 200 amp panel and service.

200-amp 120/240-volt single-phase circuit breaker panels are the current standard baseline. Larger or high-demand custom homes often use 400-amp services or dual 200-amp panels, while the National Electrical Code (NEC) sets the absolute minimum service rating for single-family homes at 100 amps. I haven't seen a 60 Amp panel in decades and going back that far most were actually a classic old fuse box with knob and tube wiring.

I ripped out all the original Knob and Tube dating back over 75 years when this place was built.



Ron

 

Hello,

In holland we only have a 32 Amp main fuse for the 230 Volts entry.
For higher power a 3 × 25 Amp is used for homes with a heatpump or other higher power stuff.

Bertus

 

Hello,

In holland we only have a 32 Amp main fuse for the 230 Volts entry.
For higher power a 3 × 25 Amp is used for homes with a heatpump or other higher power stuff.

Bertus

Interesting. When I lived in Italy we had a beach villa about 25 miles (about 40 Kilometers North of Naples. While the villa had a circuit breaker panel with 15 amp breakers the entry had a 20 amp breaker so the villa was limited to 20 amp max. I guess for a certain electric rate (cost) Enel (the power company) limited the power.
My only other interesting power delivery was in Japan where mains residential power is 100 VAC, and half the country was 50 Hz and half was 60 Hz, Americans who wanted to power their US spec audio systems were running on a Variac Transformer to get 120 VAC. This was circa 1971. Italy was circa 1981 ish.

Ron