Help Me Identify A Failed Accessory (Fcu)

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ProDave

ProDave

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Okay, I buy basic accessories in bulk, quite often as "order fillers" just to make up an order quantity.

I've got a dud batch of switched FCU's at the moment, but I can't identify where I bought them from.

The last ones I bought were ProElec ones last November from CPC so it's probably those, but I've unwrapped them and put them in my storage boxes so I have nothing on them to say what "make" they are.

A quick bit of googling the numbers stamped into the mouldings reveals they are these ones 

http://www.pms-mingkee.cn/product_Show_en.asp?ArticleID=399

Yes cheap Chinese rubbish.

Can anyone confirm if these are indeed being sold under the Pro Elec brand by CPC? or what name are they being sold under?  (I'm trying to identify them so I know who to complain to)

 
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That's the problem, the picture in the CPC catalogue is not necessarily what you actually get.

so I'll re phrase the question, has anyone recently bought any FCU's that look EXACTLY like the one I linked to in post #1, if so what "make" were they, and where from.

Of course the second point of the thread is to inform you these are complete rubbish, so once we have identified who's selling them under what brand, avoid buying them.  The Problem is two of them have burned out in quick succession running a 13A load.  so I've tested one of my remaining ones in stock, and the switch contacts appear to be very poor. I've measured as much as 1 :eek:hms from N in to N out, which varies, down to almost zero, as you turn it on and off, i.e the contacts are very poor, and sometimes settle with a high resistance. 

 
Can't you trawl through your supplier's invoices Dave .  

More and more gear is carp these days .   I'm replacing fluorescent fittings I supplied and fitted myself within the last 5 years .   Chokes mostly , in fact always.

 
That's the trouble, there is no manufacturers name on it.  I tracked down by googling some numbers the real manufacturer as per my post #1 link.

In the last couple of years, the only ones I have bought in quantity have been Marbo or Pro Elec, and up until now I have never had any problems.

It's NOT the Marbo one http://www.screwfix.com/p/marbo-13a-dp-switched-fused-connection-unit-white/27148

So it's looking increasingly likely to be the ProElec, though the picture in the CPC catalogue is different.

I remember when I got them being disappointed with them, but that was mainly as they only have 1 earth terminal.  But now they are proving to give trouble, I need something doing about it, and as I say want to also warn others to avoid them.

It's just because I've removed them from the packaging they came in and put them into my stock boxes, that in doing so, I've lost any record of what "make" they are.

EDIT.

The last batch I bough was definitely Pro Elec ones from CPC, So I guess I'll just have to phone them tomorrow, but I would have liked some proof that they are the current Pro Elec offering. It would be embarasing if they ask me to return them and they turn out not to be the ones CPC supplied.

 
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I was going to PM you and ask if you were dropping by your "local" CPC trade counter.

The CPC part No is PL09224

Apart from the front looking like the link in post #1, the other distinctive feature is there is just ONE earth terminal when you look at the back.

If it does prove to be the one, ask them if they have had many returns, as you have heard there may be a problem with them.

 
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Dave,

can you take a picture of the back of it?

does the phase/line/live screw sit sideways to the rest?

a pic of the connection arrangement would almost surely pinpoint its make.

oh, BTW, if its what I think it is, their 2g switches are completely and utterly woeful, prob 2out of 3 fail.........

 
steptoe said:
Dave,

can you take a picture of the back of it?

does the phase/line/live screw sit sideways to the rest?

a pic of the connection arrangement would almost surely pinpoint its make.

oh, BTW, if its what I think it is, their 2g switches are completely and utterly woeful, prob 2out of 3 fail.........
Click to expand...
dud_fcu.jpg

 
as a side note, if you bought crabtree accessories from CPC, you could return them to screwfix (or the other way) since the stuff from CPC has a screwfix stock number on it...

 
yer, deffo the same.!

except the ones I have come with 2 little blanking caps for the screw heads,

they are only in a plain plastic bag, so cant be sure,

very possibly knightsbridge, which, I think is the same as pro-elec,

I can find out 100% tomorrow what make they are, I dont need to go in wholesalers, but will do to get a definitive make.

 
The Pro Elec ones must be the cheap version, they don't supply the the blanking caps for the screws, but the screw holes are deep enough for caps.

And yes we are all agreed, these are total carp.  Just don't ever think of connecting a 3KW load to one of them. The fact they are supplied with a 13A fuse does NOT mean they are capable of sourcing 13A

 
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ProDave said:
The Pro Elec ones must be the cheap version, they don't supply the the blanking caps for the screws, but the screw holes are deep enough for caps.
Click to expand...
FFS, do they come any cheaper than this rubbish I get supplied with?  :C

exactly the same terminal positions, and look identical from the front,

I'll let you know tomorrow anyhow.

 

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