Spontaneously combusting non-metallic Consumer Units

[kerching]

As we know Consumer Units do not burn on their own...it is the stuff inside them, or the limp wristed installer who cannot connect properly that causes the problem not the enclosure. Instead of addressing the cause it has been decided to minimise the effect by shoving the ensuing conflagration in a  metal box.

back in the day this did not  happen and boards were mostly made of wood

so today whilst rooting in the worrkshop,i,found an old 6 way Wylex board AND saw my MAPPblowtorch and thought.....why not?

30 seconds of heat

 OMFG ITS ON FIRE.....

FIVE seconds after removing flame....who stole the flames?

right, go for it! Two minutes of flame....

we are really on fire now, oh poo!

seven seconds after removing the flame 

after the conflagration

I appreciate this was not under laboratory conditions.....it was in the garden and with the help of Mr Merlot and his headache inducing falling down water we thought it a good idea

People may wish to criticise or pick flaws in my experiment....please do not make the error of mistaking me for,someone who actually Donnez un merde

just doing the experiments so YOU  do not have to

 

[Phoenix]

You've been beaten to it, Links from another forum:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/jfHxJDT6zp0?feature=oembed

 

[kerching]

I may well,have been beaten to it

i did not bother with the Metal,unit as

A).   I know metal does not burn under normal,conditions

B).    Did not have a metalunit to,hand

as for the plastic unit

A) i know some plastics burn

B)  neither I nor Monsieur Merlot could  be bothered to be honest

i may try setting fire to,some MCBs next time!.....any specific requests?

just flaming

 

[Essex1]

This flammable CU thing is getting rather boring now. It is what it is can we not just get over it?

Phoenix's videos clearly show why they were brought in. 

@kerching would you say the CU flamed enough to possible set on fire a load of combustibles littered around it?

 

[Evans Electric]

I'm beginning to worry about Kerching . Guinness :innocent

 

[kerching]

Merlot stronger than at first thought......I have somehow managed to,reply to,Essex's post before he posted it

another rent in the space time / continuum brought about by alcohol

:Y

 

[kerching]

Slightly off topic........I do,tend to 'experiment' a bit....always something odd and nearly always dangerous

a few years ago we were in Egypt...I wanted to dive the Arch at Dahab ., so this was planned before we went.....drop,to 54 m go,through a tunnel keep,descending, out into,Red Sea. Bottom out about 85/90m. Seven gas switches, 2/3 hour dive. Almost one hour deco at 8m on the last stop.......not for the weak of bowel!!!

anyway i did not really have all the correct gear so i made  it !

cobbled together from various bits I had along with some Volvo 740 seat belt webbing 

breathing side was OK as I am a Factory Trained Service Tech for my breathing gear.

it was just my buoyancy gear and the stuff that held it all together ANd  held it on me that was a bit moody.

anyway, it worked...i think

sl

 

[phil d]

This flammable CU thing is getting rather boring now. It is what it is can we not just get over it?

Phoenix's videos clearly show why they were brought in. 

@kerching would you say the CU flamed enough to possible set on fire a load of combustibles littered around it?

We could say the same about the millions of Jews who were killed in the Holocaust,it's happened let's just forget it,the thing is we need to learn from these things,be it the murder of millions of Jews or consumer unit fires.Something went wrong and steps need to be taken to make sure it doesn't happen again,but it needs to be done correctly.If consumer unit fires are caused by poor workmanship then that needs to be addressed,if it is caused by shoddy materials then that needs to be addressed,it's the same with anything,I'll take one closer to home as an example,now you've got kids haven't you,and kids could get run over by speeding motorists,now we can reduce the risk of your child being run over in one of two ways,either you keep your children in the house 24/7 or we tackle the problem of the speeders,both will keep your child safe,but which is the correct solution?

 

[ProDave]

This flammable CU thing is getting rather boring now. It is what it is can we not just get over it?

Phoenix's videos clearly show why they were brought in. 

@kerching would you say the CU flamed enough to possible set on fire a load of combustibles littered around it?

The thing is they have done NOTHING to stop cu's catching fire, just put them in a tin box to contain a fire when it happens.

That's the gripe with a lot of us.  If they put effort into saying main switches and neutral bars must have TWO screws per termination then that would probably stop 99% of CU fires at source. That has to be better than letting it catch fire anyway and hoping the tin box contains it.

It's a bit like the Middle East situation.  We need to put some effort into sorting out the conflict to they can carry on living where they are but no, all we do is "deal" with the consequences.

 

[Andy™]

The thing is they have done NOTHING to stop cu's catching fire, just put them in a tin box to contain a fire when it happens.

and its already been proven that a metal board cannot contain a fire

 

[Tony S]

Fibre reinforced phenolic plastics char rather than burn, they are resistant to impact. Wylex’s mistake was not to include fibre in the plastic covers, they were all too easy to break. Electrically they were second to none.

I’d like to know what they treated the hardwood backs with, 3Hrs on a coal fire and the bloody thing was still there.

Had technical development continued along the same lines would we be in this mess? I’m not getting embroiled in the old “lack of skills” argument, my views are well known on that.

 

[Essex1]

We could say the same about the millions of Jews who were killed in the Holocaust,it's happened let's just forget it,the thing is we need to learn from these things,be it the murder of millions of Jews or consumer unit fires.Something went wrong and steps need to be taken to make sure it doesn't happen again,but it needs to be done correctly.If consumer unit fires are caused by poor workmanship then that needs to be addressed,if it is caused by shoddy materials then that needs to be addressed,it's the same with anything,I'll take one closer to home as an example,now you've got kids haven't you,and kids could get run over by speeding motorists,now we can reduce the risk of your child being run over in one of two ways,either you keep your children in the house 24/7 or we tackle the problem of the speeders,both will keep your child safe,but which is the correct solution?

I am speechless by that reply. 

 

[binky]

perhaps not the best anaology

 

[Sharpend]

I am speechless by that reply. 

Phil can you reply to more topics  :innocent :slap

 

[Essex1]

Phil can you reply to more topics  :innocent :slap

Haha. I knew I was leaving myself wide open. 

 

[Sharpend]

It's good that those from Essex have a sense of humour, they need it!

 

[Essex1]

Life is too short. 

 

[steptoe]

Life is too short. 

have you met @Canoeboy    :slap

 

[Essex1]

have you met @Canoeboy    :slap

 No. Haha. Is he smaller than your average bear?

 

[steptoe]

 No. Haha. Is he smaller than your average bear?

I cant chance another ban.,

I may have clocked up too many points already this quarter,