Plastic switch in external meter box

No. I stand by FUSED SWITCH [ or switch fuse] like a KMF, not being like a DB. There is one neutral connection in, and one neutral connection out. Same for the earth conductor. There is no option for other neutrals or CPCs unless you are particularly rough. You left out a fundamental part of the BS7671 definition of what is a DB. "......together with terminals for the neutral and circuit protective conductors" Consumer Units and the Distribution Boards that are similar switchgear to Consumer Units have neutral and CPC bars. The genuine old style one way distribution boards like wylex/ MEM had a rewirable or HRC fuse or plug in retro MCB, but also had an earth bar and a neutral bar.

I'm afraid I'm not following that thinking at all - a swicthfuse does have terminals for the outgoing circuit - that's where you connect the outgoing cable to. There's no need for each terminal to accommodate more than one conductor since it's only a 1-way device. There's no requirement for them to be multi-way bars - just terminals.

Perhaps the point was not clear. Consumer Units are a particular DB for use in Domestics. A KMF has a HRC fuse that is not that consumer friendly to remove unless you are familiar with them. There is no indication that they have blown; same for BS3036, but of course, you can pull this rewireable out and see if the wire is healthy or not.

So the traditional CU fitted with 5A to 30A BS 1361 ("Specification for cartridge fuses for a.c. circuits in domestic and similar premises") HBC fuses isn't a consumer unit????

Even when the KMF is used as an isolator, that does not qualify it as a DB.

No but it might suggest that it should be suitable for operation by ordinary persons - and equipment that doesn't meet BS EN 61439-3 might not be (which is where 421.1.201 starts off).


  - Andy.

file:///C:/Users/Probk/Downloads/HAGER-METER-BOX-SWITCH.PDF



The electricity and gas boards owned the meter box and were responsible for them. Then came deregulation, and these organisations were no longer necessarily the billing company, so they no longer had this responsibility so it appears that the consumer (usually the property owner) is responsible for its maintenance.24 May 2017

Regards

jcm

I'm afraid I'm not following that thinking at all - a swicthfuse does have terminals for the outgoing circuit - that's where you connect the outgoing cable to. There's no need for each terminal to accommodate more than one conductor since it's only a 1-way device. There's no requirement for them to be multi-way bars - just terminals.

I am happy that BS7671 DistBoard definition includes for neutral and earth terminals, plural, they being more than one of each, so "neutral/earth bars", simply as a switch will have poles and definitions used elsewhere suggest this also.


Beama has a few definitions in the guide to LV switch and fuse gear devices [my highlighting]

"A fuse combination unit [FCU] is a combination of a mechanical switching device and one or more fuses [ my note, it could be 1 or more phases] in a composite unit , assembled by the manufacturer......the term can embrace switch-fuses, switch disconnector fuses, fuse switches and fuse-switch disconnectors"


"Switch-fuse: A switch in which one or more poles have a fuse in series in a composite unit". [my note again, it could be one or more phases]


Though a more colloquial term, but perhaps more in keeping with a domestic consumers expectations, the Beama guide defines "fuse board" as " a fuse bank or fuse banks in an enclosure together with ancillary equipment [earth/neutral bars] protecting a number of individual circuits".  That number could be one?, but they still have bars. Also the fuse bank [singular] is suspiciously like a 1 way distribution board.


The 800KMF is to BSEN60947-3, included in the title to that standard is the following , "low voltage switchgear and control switches, disconnectors, switch disconnectors and fuse-combination units.


There is no separate definition of switchfuse or fuse-combination unit in BS7671 as this stuff is included in definition of switchgear. There are, however, specific definitions for consumer unit and distribution board as these are specific types of switchgear.


 

So the traditional CU fitted with 5A to 30A BS 1361 ("Specification for cartridge fuses for a.c. circuits in domestic and similar premises") HBC fuses isn't a consumer unit????

That is a bit of a leap. The point was how easy or otherwise is it to remove a HRC fuse from a KMF , not that a HRC being present then means it is not a consumer unit. Consumers quickly fell out of love with BS1361 cartridge fuses in their fuseboards, much preferring a BS3036 or an MCB as more "consumer friendly".


 

No but it might suggest that it should be suitable for operation by ordinary persons - and equipment that doesn't meet BS EN 61439-3 might not be (which is where 421.1.201 starts off).

Ok,  I could have said the cooker switch being used as an isolator does not qualify the cooker switch as a DB, but elected to state that even when the KMF is used as an isolator, that does not qualify it as a DB.


There are lots of isolators  in a house being used by ordinary persons.