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Low quality UK consumer units.

Sparkingchip

For a long time I have believed that UK consumer units and their components are a lower quality than is generally used in Mainland Europe.

Take for example this Hager SPD and compare it to what is available in the UK.

https://www.123elec.com/hager-parafoudre-auto-protege-2p-15ka-voyant-spn715d.html

Hager surge arrester type 215kA
The self-protected Hager surge arrester is equipped with a disconnection device in the event of a short circuit.

its self-protection eliminates the need to protect the surge arrester with a circuit breaker

this Hager surge arrester is ideal for installations with limited power connections (blue tariff) for residential buildings and professional premises

So why is this available and installed just over twenty one miles away from the UK, but not here?

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    That coffee pot was quite an impressive video - if carefully staged. 

    It may be worth noting that when something fails like that it is not always the over-voltage itself that provides the energy for the main  explosion, but rather it creates a conductive breakdown path that the  mains then pours many amps into and heats things up for quite a bit longer. - hence 3mm gaps on some mains switches - half  mm of air would do to hold off 230V, but not to stretch an established arc of a few amps to breaking point.  So really fast ADS can help.

    DC or high frequency mains would be even more impressive, as the zero-crossings of the 50Hz AC do help limit the arc time - at worst it goes out at the next half cycle.

    There is a parallel with striking an arc on a welder - once current is flowing the gap needed to break the current is much higher than the gap needed to prevent it starting 

    I must say that we'd have had to put the device under test inside the test cage  if we did it though.

    Mike.

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  • 0

    That coffee pot was quite an impressive video - if carefully staged. 

    It may be worth noting that when something fails like that it is not always the over-voltage itself that provides the energy for the main  explosion, but rather it creates a conductive breakdown path that the  mains then pours many amps into and heats things up for quite a bit longer. - hence 3mm gaps on some mains switches - half  mm of air would do to hold off 230V, but not to stretch an established arc of a few amps to breaking point.  So really fast ADS can help.

    DC or high frequency mains would be even more impressive, as the zero-crossings of the 50Hz AC do help limit the arc time - at worst it goes out at the next half cycle.

    There is a parallel with striking an arc on a welder - once current is flowing the gap needed to break the current is much higher than the gap needed to prevent it starting 

    I must say that we'd have had to put the device under test inside the test cage  if we did it though.

    Mike.

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