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AFDDs - when do they work?

alanblaby

I'm struggling to see the benefots of fitting AFDD's.

I've searched the web, but cannot find any compelling evidence that they actually help in safety.

 The Proffesional Journals all say they are a good thing, but with little content to show the data used to show they make a difference.

As we know, many fires are not caused by arcs, the build up of fluff in a tumble dryer is a typical example.

When I did my Social Housing work, I found many burnt out shower switches, along with washing machine sockets and occasional cooker switches that were totally burnt around the terminals, yet, in many cases would still work until the switch finally fell apart. Clearly some of these switches had been arcing, then had fused the cable to the terminal, others showed black terminals with only a small contact area, thus heating the terminals and causing the 'fishy' smell, which was quite typical.

Is there any evidence that AFDD's would stop these failures?

What about internal appliance faults?

Wasnt Grenfell started in a fridge? If so, would AFDD detect that fault?

And, what are appliance manufacturers doing to make their goods safer? From what I see, there are still thin tin plate terminals on cookers,and poor, loose spade terminals inside firdges and other appliances.They are made to be as cheap as possible, and it shows when you tighten up a terminal, and it bends the back plate as it is so thin.   

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    There is an agreed international (and British) standard for these products. That standard has gone through full rigour and public comment process.

    But aren't product standards typically in effect sponsored by the manufacturers involved, primarily in order to refine the market into which they wish to sell? As far as I know there's no independent refereeing of their technical contents, as there would be for instance with a scientific paper published through a learned journal for example. Sure any tom, dick or andy can send in comments, but the committee has the final say, and often only ones that can really afford the time an expense of being on such committees are those whose employers will grant them the time (and expenses) to do so, and such employers thus tend to be self selecting to those than can see an advantage in doing so (e.g. manufacturers or their associated trade bodies). Rigorous perhaps, but to what intended end?

       - Andy.

  • 0 in reply to AJJewsbury
    AJJewsbury said:
    But aren't product standards typically in effect sponsored by the manufacturers involved, primarily in order to refine the market into which they wish to sell?

    Interesting point of view - but I know there are contributors out there who would be offended at the suggestion that they are driven by those motives.

    It's easy to sit on the side-lines and say such things - equally someone might suggest that those representing test houses and similar verification bodies are only there to help veer the verification elements of standards in a more lucrative direction.

    Where would that stop?

    AJJewsbury said:
    Rigorous perhaps, but to what intended end?

    Perhaps, to try and improve things?

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  • 0 in reply to AJJewsbury
    AJJewsbury said:
    But aren't product standards typically in effect sponsored by the manufacturers involved, primarily in order to refine the market into which they wish to sell?

    Interesting point of view - but I know there are contributors out there who would be offended at the suggestion that they are driven by those motives.

    It's easy to sit on the side-lines and say such things - equally someone might suggest that those representing test houses and similar verification bodies are only there to help veer the verification elements of standards in a more lucrative direction.

    Where would that stop?

    AJJewsbury said:
    Rigorous perhaps, but to what intended end?

    Perhaps, to try and improve things?

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