🚀 go-pugleaf

On Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:26:24 -0000, Dave Plowman (News) <dave@davenoise.co.uk> wrote:

> In article <EFJRk.52823$vm.21202@newsfe08.ams2>,
>    Arfa Daily <arfa.daily@ntlworld.com> wrote:
>> Well, the cable itself may be rated to 32 amps, and the breaker may be
>> either 32 amps or 30 amps in an older installation, but never-the-less,
>> this type of installation has always been known generically as a '30
>> amp ring main circuit' and is generally accepted as being safely rated
>> to 30 amps to include all ages of installation.
>
> Dates from the days of rewirable fuses were it was a nice round figure.
> But with those you could comfortably exceed 30 amps if the load was
> imposed gently.

Some fuses are really rubbish.  I know of someone who ran a kettle for 3 weeks (under normal everyday use) on a 5A fuse before it blew.  The kettle element was consuming its rated 10 amps.

> MCBs react rather quicker so it's now 32 amps.
>
> It's actually quite tricky to work out the loading in various parts of the
> ring since there are so many variables - the lengths and how it is run,
> ventilation wise. As well as where the load is actually taken. It's
> basically a bit of a bodge - but a very satisfactory one for today's
> lifestyle despite being some 60 years old in conception.

60?  I thought 60 years ago we had the 5A and 15A star topology?

-- 
http://www.petersparrots.com    http://www.insanevideoclips.com    http://www.petersphotos.com

While taxiing at London's Gatwick Airport, the crew of a U.S. Air flight departing for Ft. Lauderdale made a wrong turn and came nose to nose with a United 727.
An irate female ground controller lashed out at the U.S. Air crew, screaming:
"U.S. Air 2771, where the hell are you going?  I told you to turn right onto Charlie taxiway!  You turned right on Delta!
Stop right there.  I know it's difficult for you to tell the difference between C and D, but get it right!"
Continuing her rage to the embarrassed crew, she was now shouting hysterically:
"god!  Now you've screwed everything up!  It'll take forever to sort this out!  You stay right there and don't move till I tell you to!
You can expect progressive taxi instructions in about half an hour and I want you to go exactly where I tell you, when I tell you, and how I tell you!  You got that, U.S. Air 2771?"
"Yes, ma'am," the humbled crew responded.
Naturally, the ground control communications frequency fell terribly silent after the verbal bashing of U.S. Air 2771.
Nobody wanted to chance engaging the irate ground controller in her current state of mind. Tension in every cockpit around Gatwick was definitely running high.
Just then an unknown pilot broke the silence and keyed his microphone, asking: "Wasn't I married to you once?"