August 2016

Wylex Amendment 3 DSF80m 80a Switch Fuse

Since the launch of ‘Amendment 3 Consumer Units’, installers and specifiers have increasingly turned their attention to the consideration of fire safety issues relating to their new installations. Rising numbers have, as a result, expressed an interest in learning more about the inclusion of intumescents into consumer units, with a view not only to improve fire safety in new metal compliant enclosures, but also to provide a quick and cost effective improvement to existing installations where for example local authorities have a large installed base and an extended replacement programme. The new Regulation (421.1.201) in Amendment 3 requires consumer units and similar switchgear to have their enclosures made from non-combustible materials (e.g. steel) the purpose of this is to contain (as far as reasonably practicable) any fire within the non-combustible enclosure and to minimise flames from escaping. Wylex have been working in close liaison with one the UK's premier manufacturers of intumescents (Tenmat) and BM Trada, one of the UK's foremost fire test authorities, having carried out extensive tests to fully assess the benefits of such practice. Metal consumer units will contain fire better than plastic consumer units, but many users have expressed concerns, particularly over cable entries, where these unavoidably penetrate the non-combustible barrier of the steel enclosure. Depending on how many knockouts are removed and how well the cables enter the equipment, there may be a reduction in the capability of the enclosure to contain a fire that occurs. This is because fire paths may form along the cables and through the cable entries to other combustible materials in the surrounding external area. The IET and other industry organisations have partly addressed these concerns with advice for installers to ensure that the requirements of BS7671 & BSEN61439-3 are met i.e. that the installed unit achieves IP4X on the top elevation and IP2XC elsewhere.

The Wylex DSF80m Switch fuse is ideal for landlords where multiple isolation is needed. You can view and buy from the link below:

http://www.electricsandlighting.co.uk/products?search_api_views_fulltext...