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Another mains fuse hits the streets

Mr Pig said:
IEC plugs have fuses in them?
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Sorry Mr Pig, I wasn't clear. IECs don't have fuses. I use a mix of IECs (which most kit accepts nowadays) and captive/hard-wired mains leads to amps. The two captive leads are a pain when/if I need to move the amps as I have to unscrew them from the 100A connectors in their pattresses. l m in favour of IECs, though theoretically captive leads are better, all things being equal (which they never are).
GT said:
All I have shown in the 2 diagrams is what is located in the listening room, nothing else. It highlights in diagram one that the whole system (via a mains distribution unit) is powered from one mains lead through one plug and one fuse.
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I was merely questioning the fancy name for an extension lead, Graham. I had an expensive Russ Andrews 8 way mains block once. It was well made with good components but it was still, in effect, an extension lead and by the time you plugged it into the wall socket, you had two fuses doing the job of one. Obv., your second diagram with separate non-switched single sockets for ring mains is better, if feasible.
chartz said:
No it doesn’t. 😉
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What doesn't? :)
 
GT said:
All I have shown in the 2 diagrams is what is located in the listening room, nothing else. It highlights in diagram one that the whole system (via a mains distribution unit) is powered from one mains lead through one plug and one fuse. Not forgetting the other mains fuses in the other individual mains leads from the distribution back to the Hi-Fi equipment, so that one fuse in the plug that is plugged into the mains wall socket might be somewhat influential in what the customer and dealer had heard, as that one fuse effects the whole system.
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That one fuse affects what the customer and dealer thought that they had heard.
 
Mike Reed said:
Sorry Mr Pig, I wasn't clear. IECs don't have fuses. I use a mix of IECs (which most kit accepts nowadays) and captive/hard-wired mains leads to amps. The two captive leads are a pain when/if I need to move the amps.,.
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Ah, I think I'm with you now. You've got cables, including kettle leads, hardwired into the wall?
 
My £4 4 way extension lead is captive. I also disconnected the light to reduce RF on the mains lol. Makes no difference to sound quality. Fused plugs are to protect the flex, Nothing else. You also have the fuse inside the amp or source, Surely this would be a better place for a fuse upgrade?
 
stevec67 said:
That one fuse affects what the customer and dealer thought that they had heard.
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Which is exactly why I showed how it should be done in Config 2 on my diagram. Not only better electrically but much cheaper to implement than a £600 fuse.
 
P270 said:
Fused plugs are to protect the flex...
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And you. Should the lead be compromised they are what stands between you and 32amps. Which is a ticket to the next life. I've tried removing fuses from mains circuits and yes, it does sound better, but it's not worth risking safety over.
 
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Use fuses. Here in Sweden, where plugs doesn't have fuses, the death rates from this is sky rocketing. Thousand's every year are killed when they disconnect a plug. Or was it millions???
 
RJohan said:
Use fuses. Here in Sweden, where plugs doesn't have fuses, the death rates from this is sky rocketing. Thousand's every year are killed when they disconnect a plug. Or was it millions???
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If it does go up in flames (and I had an amp that did just that) then the insurance won't pay up. There might also be liability if anyone is hurt, never mind living with the guilt.

Truth is these things aren't reported very often which makes people less aware of the potential risks. My neighbour no longer keeps bags of compost in her greenhouse after the old one self-combusted! 30ft high flames. I kid you not.
 
I messed around with fuse blanks and other stupidity in a detached workshop. In my home, with people and animals in it? No chance!
 
Mr Pig said:
Ah, I think I'm with you now. You've got cables, including kettle leads, hardwired into the wall?
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Well, not exactly TO the wall, nor IN it ! :) I have 8 radial circuits (6 x 10mm; 2 x 6mm), each to its separate RCBO in the dedicated c.u. These cables terminate into 100 A connection blocks behind a floor to ceiling ply cladding (as the cables go over the ceiling/office above and down the hall and into garage). The mains leads are hard-wired to those connection blocks via separate pattresses.

O.t.t.? Of course it is but in the halcyon days of Naim ladder climbing it made sense, esp. sonically. Now that most of my stuff is valved, I doubt it makes much difference, but hey ! It doesn't eat anything, is convenient and safe and is not connected to the domestic ring main except via the meter.
RJohan said:
Use fuses. Here in Sweden, where plugs doesn't have fuses, the death rates from this is sky rocketing. Thousand's every year are killed when they disconnect a plug. Or was it millions???
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I'm sorry that the population of Sweden is declining so rapidly, but Britain is one of or the only country to not have a standard domestic radial system. I agree that the British 13 amp plug is a very safe design, but it needs to be; the fuse in it protects the lead, not the person, as in your case with only MCBs at the consumer unit end. That's a bit like our old 5 and 15 amp system where there was no protection from accidentally touching and earthing a live pin, esp if your hand is wet !!!! (Sth I well remember from my yoof). Surely though, the plugs used nowadays in Europe and beyond are of a much safer design.
 
Mike Reed said:
(...) Surely though, the plugs used nowadays in Europe and beyond are of a much safer design.
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Actually, the Schuko sockets have evolved more than the plugs towards greater safety - these days the better sockets are recessed so it's very difficult to get a finger in the wrong place (unlike the 2, 5 and 15 amp and even early 13 amp affairs of my youth in the UK).
 
Alex S said:
I messed around with fuse blanks and other stupidity in a detached workshop. In my home, with people and animals in it? No chance!
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I once had a fellow named Roy Riches visit. He declined the offer of a cuppa and headed straight to the consumer unit. He meant well, but I think he'd crossed the line. I'm sure there was also a bit of fuse-blank ****ery, but that was quickly removed IIRC.

These days I have a single CU with RCDs and RCBOs, still with a dedicated ring for my hifi (but more due to laziness from having it rewired back into the regular ring main). I can't really say it makes any difference with my current system, but doubt it does any harm...
 
JTC said:
once had a fellow named Roy Riches visit. He declined the offer of a cuppa and headed straight to the consumer unit. He meant well, but I think he'd crossed the line. I'm sure there was also a bit of fuse-blank ****ery, but that was quickly removed IIRC
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Yes, I had the full RKR installed by Roy himself. He meant well and some of what he did made sense for a full old Naim system which, with an LP12, was his point of reference.

I still have his various test CDs but we fell out somewhat since he didn’t take kindly to criticism. The copper bars instead of plug fuses were part of the package, together with overrated and unsuitable case fuses.

Frankly, I heard no difference when I removed all that stuff but music sounded much better since I wasn’t in a permanent petrified state of imminent conflagration expectation.
 
I still use fuses, although they are now obsolete in France.
We haven’t had fused sockets for 50 years!
My hi-fi has its own supply from the main electrical or fuse box but that’s because I did the room myself (I used to be an electrician).
We do things slightly differently here on the continent, mind you 😋
 
JTC said:
I once had a fellow named Roy Riches visit. He headed straight to the consumer unit. He meant well, but I think he'd crossed the line. I'm sure there was also a bit of fuse-blank ****ery, but that was quickly removed IIRC.
Alex S said:
Yes, I had the full RKR installed by Roy himself. He meant well and some of what he did made sense for a full old Naim system which, with an LP12, was his point of reference.
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I knew Roy quite well as a hifi acquaintance and he supplied the gubbins (but not cabling) for my installation. I can confirm that your points are well noticed but he really was obsessed with his 'research' (which wasn't to be sneezed at) and yes, it was all predicated on Linn/Naim, though he never climbed their respective ladders and still had his old Briks in a tiny room full of records some 15 years ago. He was an avid collector and knew his onions, but in ways that have been mentioned, he could go o.t.t. However, his quest for the least impedance was sonically justified i.m.o.
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The best sounding audio system I had in the UK only happened after I replaced the ancient fuse-wire in the CU with a 5cm segment of NACA4.
That was in 1985, and as far as I know that house is still standing.
 
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