12-05-2017, 02:14 PM
1
Circuit breakers
I have just read that I should have a circuit breaker on my electric mower.Do you think it is really necessary?
How do they work?
Where do I get one?
What do they cost?
What do I do with it once I get the thing?
I know I should probably know these things - but I don't.
12-05-2017, 02:43 PM
5
Re: Circuit breakers
You might not need one if your consumer unit (fuse box) is a fairly new one. Consumer units installed after 1985 should have an RCD to protect the socket circuits as standard. If you can see a big on/off switch on your fuse box with a small test button on it, that's your RCD. That button needs to be pressed at regular intervals to make sure it works.If your fusebox doesn't have an RCD then a plugin RCD adapter socket as mentioned already should be used.
12-05-2017, 04:27 PM
7
Re: Circuit breakers
As Dobra says you can buy this:http://www.argos.co.uk/product/9823154
Personally I have never used one with my mower because it has plastic blades and has enough trouble cutting grass let alone a cable. If you don't have a modern consumer unit (fuse box to us oldies) then it wouldn't hurt to get one. just remember that if the electric goes off for any reason, you need to push the reset button.
12-05-2017, 05:07 PM
8
Re: Circuit breakers
Originally Posted by Judd
->
You might not need one if your consumer unit (fuse box) is a fairly new one. Consumer units installed after 1985 should have an RCD to protect the socket circuits as standard. If you can see a big on/off switch on your fuse box with a small test button on it, that's your RCD. That button needs to be pressed at regular intervals to make sure it works. If your fusebox doesn't have an RCD then a plugin RCD adapter socket as mentioned already should be used.
I shall go and have a look, Judd.
So if I have one, does that mean if I ran over the cable I won't be fried after all?
*
*
Had a look, and it seems I have one of those RCD thingy's.
Thank you so much everybody for your input, you are all very kind.
I feel much more reassured now. X
12-05-2017, 05:31 PM
9
Re: Circuit breakers
Originally Posted by Tpin
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If your electric trips out when a bulb blows...chances are you have an RCD protected consumer unit.Mine is RCD but....I still have seperate outdoor sockets for gardening/power tools.
Overkill? maybe.
12-05-2017, 05:48 PM
10
Re: Circuit breakers
If you buy a plug-in one, get a good quality one. They act in small fractions of a second, and if you use a cheap plug in (i.e. slow), the RCD on the consumer unit will probably trip before the plug in one, and so it is then not very useful!I used to use one, but it broke and I never replaced it. It's the hedge trimmers which usually cut through cables
-done it a few times.R
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