What size is this breaker

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Lovely bit of workmanship by the fridge guys here. Can anyone work out what that  Protek 3 phase breaker is, this is the best  pic. It looks like a C32.  I do have loads of these single phase GE Series E breakers, years ago we used to put a rod through 3 (there is a hole in the handle for this ) to make a 3 phase  breaker. Is this still allowed or frowned upon,  i cant think of a reason not to ?



Could it be a C25 ?

 

[Sidewinder]

I would go with C25 for the proteus, but the board has been cut, and likely the busbar damaged.

If that has been done in the last 20 years then it is likely non compliant with the electrical product safety laws anyway as it stands.

Not sure how you can rescue it now.

 

[Andy™]

looks like C25. the 2 is clear enough, other number looks more like a 5 than a 0

of course, if they didnt use it as a switch and turn it on / off so often..

 

[binky]

 ingenious i suppose  msl1:

 

[ProDave]

Is it the Protek is unusually large, or the GE unusually small?

I have never seen that much difference in the size of the body of mcb's

 

[kerching]

C25.      And it is Protek so,by definition,  

just saying

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Is it the Protek is unusually large, or the GE unusually small?

I have never seen that much difference in the size of the body of mcb's

The GE are standard  size.

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

I would go with C25 for the proteus, but the board has been cut, and likely the busbar damaged.

If that has been done in the last 20 years then it is likely non compliant with the electrical product safety laws anyway as it stands.

Not sure how you can rescue it now.

This was done last year by  a fridge company. Its a large fridge, open fronted that displays the cans & bottles in a shop i do the maintenance in (its by the back door thus all the dirt . It was a second hand breaker when fitted.

Back to my OP, There is nothing wrong linking 3, single phase breakers together, is there ?  It used to be a common thing but never see it now. 

 

[binky]

@ProDavelooks like a 3 phase board breaker jammed into an old box. 

if that was done last year, then it is totally unacceptable on several levels:-

1/modifying the enclusre like that contravenes ip ratings, it also looks like the terminal screws are half exposed?

2/ mix and match breakers is no longer acceptable

3/ I hate to think what the busbar looks like!

think I would be complaining to fridge company and demanding they pay for a new board.

 

[OnOff]

Like for like?

https://www.toolstation.com/protek-triple-pole-mcb-10ka-type-c/p64665

 

[Sidewinder]

Mixing and matching breakers has been in contravention of the product standard for distribution boards, and manufacturers instructions for at least 10 years.

In this scenario the it is such, and always has been such, that a new product has been created, and thus must to comply with the electrical product safety regulations, i.e. law, type tested, or otherwise proven that the product is as safe as if it were type tested.

The "person/company" that fitted this breaker has become the manufacturer in law for the whole assembly and thus is responsible in full as the manufacturer for this.

So I hope that they have Professional Indemnity Insurance for their design changes and Product Liability Insurance for their supply of the product, otherwise if something goes wrong, then the controlling minds in the organisation could find themselves in big trouble.

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

This is in a foreign convenience store, the guy owns 6 very large shops & all the trades except me are of the same country. Most of the fridge repair guys, bakery equipment  people etc cant speak any English. They bodge everything up. I pointed out this problem to the owner the week it was installed (about a year ago now) and he just shrugged and said its been done and paid for now. Since then he has had to replace the whole of the condensate system and pump as they had jammed it all under the display unit so it jammed, burnt out and cracked the tray flooding the electrics for other things also  , i only laughed a little bit.

My reason for posting this was i will be carrying out a EICR for the insurance  but know this and a few other things will need correcting (i have been asked to do this)  and believe i can hammer the lid back into shape and fit the correct GE Breaker. I have tons of Series E GE breakers but no 3 ph so was going to link 3 together. Lets hop they haven't butchered the busbar.

 

[Marvo]

.............years ago we used to put a rod through 3 (there is a hole in the handle for this ) to make a 3 phase  breaker. Is this still allowed or frowned upon,  i cant think of a reason not to ?.........

Unless the manufacturer specifically states you can do this then no, you can't I'm afraid.

Most s/pole MCB's don't have a sufficiently strong mechanical mechanism to cause all three that are linked across the toggles to trip. You just get the phase with the fault tripping even though its lever stays in the up position and the other two phases remain connected which can cause a variety of problems... often expensive ones.

 

[Blue Duck]

This is in a foreign convenience store, the guy owns 6 very large shops & all the trades except me are of the same country. Most of the fridge repair guys, bakery equipment  people etc cant speak any English. They bodge everything up. I pointed out this problem to the owner the week it was installed (about a year ago now) and he just shrugged and said its been done and paid for now. Since then he has had to replace the whole of the condensate system and pump as they had jammed it all under the display unit so it jammed, burnt out and cracked the tray flooding the electrics for other things also  , i only laughed a little bit.

My reason for posting this was i will be carrying out a EICR for the insurance  but know this and a few other things will need correcting (i have been asked to do this)  and believe i can hammer the lid back into shape and fit the correct GE Breaker. I have tons of Series E GE breakers but no 3 ph so was going to link 3 together. Lets hop they haven't butchered the busbar.

Yassar Halim? 

Just guessing...

 

[Evans Electric]

Such shops are exempt from all kinds of legislation & laws.......I tend to do a Roger Bannister  when/if  they call  TBH.