i had an extention plugged into a double socket,pulled out a plug from the extention, plugged in another and it popped,now i checked fuse board to find that there was a 15amp in a 5 amp fuse ,not melted more burnt and tarnished ,changed to correct fuse size ,changed double socket just in case but still no joy ,socket still dead,can anyone help,,,
sorry to be unclear on a few point
i plugged in another appliance ie jigsaw ,the pop happened when i plugged in the jig saw the pop or bank seemed to cpme from the extention,the electric to the socket stopped so i checked the fuse box,i noticed in the 5 amp fuse holder that there was a 15amp fuse wire ,no other socket attached or effected,have not tested socket with meter reader.i changed socket changed the fuse wire in the holder to 5 amp checked the back of the fuse input slot on the fuse board seams fine,,,thanks again

charlie, August 2009

I agree with Unconcerned of Reading, although I do have formal qualifications.

As per BS7671:2008 fig 3.2A and 3.2B, (the OP suggests the installation uses BS3036 fuses are the method of ADS by mention of fuse carriers and fuse wire) ratings available are 5A, 15A, 20A, 30A, 45A, 60A and 100A, however as Unconcerned says the fuse wire on sale to the general public comes on cards with 5A, 15A and 30A.

Adam, August 2009

Well in the houses I've lived in where there was a fuse board the lighting circuits were fitted with 5A fuses and the power circuits 15A.

You can buy little cards with 5A - 15A and 30A (cooker wire) wherever fuse wire is sold.

I accept my lack of formal qualification - it would help me if you were to be a little more specific in your ¿Que? assertion rather than just scaremonger and patronise.

Have you never changed a wire fuse? It's a user-level repair - no qualification required other than common sense.

Unconcerned of Reading

Peccavi, August 2009

"In the UK 5A is for lighting circuits and 15A for power"

¿Que?

Please don't give advice when you are not competent to do so.

Concerned of London, August 2009

Hi Charlie - much clearer...

Firstly a power circuit should be a lot more than 5 Amps - In the UK 5A is for lighting circuits and 15A for power. You may well have the wrong fuse holder driving the power sockets and if so, even though it's best to use the correct fuse holder, it will need a 15A wire in it.

The problem may have been caused originally by a bad connection in the extension lead made worse while you changed things around plugging & unplugging - put the extension to one side and just concentrate on the socket. Use a plug-in lamp or small appliance to test.

Fit 15A fuse wire in the holder at the distribution board

If the socket still doesn't work and the 15A fuse wire remains good then there's a broken connection to the socket (could be Live or could be neutral) - if the socket has two sets of wires; it probably will have two sets - each of them will be routed via other sockets back to the distribution board to form a ring and there could be broken connection at the back of a socket on each side!

Take it a step at a time. Fuse first at 15A - then the other sockets on the same circuit - then the suspect socket. When all that's OK look to the extension lead that seems to have started the whole thing off.

Good luck...

Peccavi, August 2009