Text 9989, 47 rader
Skriven 2010-08-17 18:21:34 av Robert Bashe (2:2448/44)
   Kommentar till text 9987 av Michiel van der Vlist (2:280/5555)
Ärende: Just Curious
====================
Michiel van der Vlist wrote to Robert Bashe on Tuesday August 17 2010 at 15:39:

MV> But what is stopping an idiot from replacing a 16A breaker with a 50A
MV> one if it keeps triggering?

Availability would be my answer - I'm not even sure if they make breakers in
the particular form you need with higher ratings than 16A. And of couse, that
would be more work than shorting a fuse. Have to think of the laziness of
people ;-)

RB>> Our main line fuses can be replaced by the customer -

MV> How does the power company stop people from stealing electricity if
MV> they can simple tap in before the meter by removing the main fuses and
MV> plugging in something else?

The fuses are _after_ the meter, not before. No way you can get at the lines
going into the meter unless you actually work with the live wires - and
something like that would be evident the next time the meter is read or the
electricity company wanted to check anything.

RB>> We also have what they call FI switches here, which trip and
RB>> interrupt the power when a certain small amperage (I believe 50-100
RB>> mA) drains to ground...

MV> Those are a circuit breaker and an earth differential switch in one
MV> package. They trip at 16 A overload or 30 mA differential. Here they
MV> are called "alamat".

The two are separate here. There are circuit breakers for the various circuits
in the house, and a line of FI switches at the top of the electric cabinet for
the various circuits in the house.

I might add that 30 mA seems a little low to me. I think we have 50 mA here,
and in agriculture (stalls, barns) they use 100 mA. If the FI switch has an
excessively low rating, it will trip at the slightest problem again and again,
cutting off your power.

I had that problem when I first moved into my renovated (and professionally
re-wired) house, finally only could eliminate it by increasing the rating
slightly, and since then no problems - also no electrical shocks. This kind of
thing can be overdone.

Cheers, Bob

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 * Origin: Jabberwocky System - 02363-56073 ISDN/V34 (2:2448/44)