Old WLYEX fusebox

[brianmoooore]

There's also the fact that blowing rewireable fuses should be a 'never' event. Why are they blowing?

 

[Mikegh]

I don't know how old those boxes are but it's likely the whole installation needs an upgrade or rewire

 

[LewisM]

Guys is 82 it only blew once when an old lamp went and he sat in the dark for a few days, I know the board needs changing etc but there's no point the guy hasn't got long left whole house needs an update lol just wanted to make his life easier I'm not charging for it

 

[timhoward]

I get the concept but I'm afraid I think this is flawed. Rewireable fuses are far less likely to need attention in the first place unless something is really wrong (e.g. faulty lamp). A bulb blowing won't pop a rewireable.
So plug in MCB's will probably need the elderly person to visit the consumer unit far more. If eyesight is failing it's paramount that the CU is 100% safe.
Bottom line - if there is no cover available you are leaving behind C2's or worse - you can in fact see live parts in the photograph.
In my view the £40 for four new plug in MCB's would be better off going towards a new board. Even if it's a £65 screwfix special Chint unit. At least he gains RCD protection and zero chance of zapping himself at the board.

 

[LewisM]

Guys is 82 it only blew once when an old lamp went, I know the board needs changing etc but there's no point the guy hasn't got long left whole house needs an update lol

I get the concept but I'm afraid I think this is flawed. Rewireable fuses are far less likely to need attention in the first place unless something is really wrong (e.g. faulty lamp). A bulb blowing won't pop a rewireable.
So plug in MCB's will probably need the elderly person to visit the consumer unit far more. If eyesight is failing it's paramount that the CU is 100% safe.
Bottom line - if there is no cover available you are leaving behind C2's or worse - you can in fact see live parts in the photograph.
In my view the £40 for four new plug in MCB's would be better off going towards a new board. Even if it's a £65 screwfix special Chint unit. At least he gains RCD protection and zero chance of zapping himself at the board.

The plug ins are free as I have some for some reason the Screwfix was just an example

 

[Mikegh]

I get the concept but I'm afraid I think this is flawed. Rewireable fuses are far less likely to need attention in the first place unless something is really wrong (e.g. faulty lamp). A bulb blowing won't pop a rewireable.
So plug in MCB's will probably need the elderly person to visit the consumer unit far more. If eyesight is failing it's paramount that the CU is 100% safe.
Bottom line - if there is no cover available you are leaving behind C2's or worse - you can in fact see live parts in the photograph.
In my view the £40 for four new plug in MCB's would be better off going towards a new board. Even if it's a £65 screwfix special Chint unit. At least he gains RCD protection and zero chance of zapping himself at the board.

Its a flawed concept full stop upgrading accessories and boards on an old installation

Seen it so often where the board is changed and the rcd bypassed or removed

 

[brianmoooore]

If what you have is genuine Wylex, they won't fit without the matching bases

 

[Lucien Nunes]

As mentioned by @brianmoooore the mixture of breakers and rewireables plus the missing cover is a very bad thing. Especially with the metalclad boards. When a rewireable blows, the arc vents through slots top and bottom of the carrier. If the plastic cover is missing, the arc at the bottom on the busbar side can flash over to the metal front and either burn a chunk out of it or potentially blow the bullet.

FWIW I have 16 ways of rewireable in my house. Last one that blew was also a 5A taken out by a faulty 150W lamp without integral fusing. In about 1987.

 

[LewisM]

Hmm I think you are right no point trying to polish a turd, I'll mention a board change

 

[westward10]

The idea of the plastic shield was to prevent molten metal splashing out onto the carpet when a fuse ruptured it was never there to prevent possible access to live parts although that seems to have become it's secondary use. As already mentioned a new mcb should come with the required base and you can still obtain them.