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Yes whole house (old farm) was 50's install TT with a 2.5mm tinnned bare earth going to a rod out back reading 300+, rubbers everywhere (cables btw ;) ) connector blocks everywhere, no bonding. Had a DNO install a pme head as available and just finishing of the rewire now, job satisfaction at a high today :)
 
When you say rubbers I take it you mean the old rubber insulation. I'm over 50 and funnily enough do remember older wiring from my youth in various DIY escapades.
 
There's talk about bringing them back for electric car charging points.
From Wiring Matters (emphasis mine):

"Regulation 722.411.4.1(iii) is based on the installation requirements (from the 14th edition wiring regulations) for a voltage operated earth leakage circuit breaker. However, the device differs from the BS 842 voltage operated earth leakage circuit breaker. A product standard for a protective device for the purposes of (iii) is being developed by BSI Committee PEL/23/1."
 
This is one of Crabtree's early current operated devices, trips at 500 ma if I remember correctly...

I've taken plenty out, maybe I should have saved some for posterity
 
I thought they were 1 amp on those current operated ones?

Anyway here is a real voltage operated elcb the rather less common 3phase version. Sorry the photos are a bit blurry.
VOELCB Crab front - EletriciansForums.net VOELCB Crab in - EletriciansForums.net
These things are robust as hell compared to modern stuff.
 
1 Amp..you could be right. Frightening, in view of many situations!

I still come across a few of these 4 pole ELCB's, mainly in Farm buildings.

Somewhere in my workshop I have a Clare test set which does a 'Go, No Go ' test on VOELCB's.

I'll dig it out and post some pics if anyones interested..

Cheers

Dave
 
If anyone has complete units like this in good condition surplus to requirements - voltage or current operated - then I would be happy to pay you to pack and send them rather than bin them as I need a couple of good examples for the museum. If you send ones that either work or can be repaired I will make demo videos of them in operation for my forthcoming YouTube vintage electrics video series.

The first unit in the thread is indeed an RCD type. They took a standard VOELCB mechanism and mounted it in the box with that chunky toroidal balance transformer connected to what would have been the E & F terminals. I am not sure whether they used a different resistance of tripping coil or whether the transformer was wound to suit a standard coil.
 

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