Scale of 0-10 how dangerous is removing fuse from consumder unit w/o turning off

[WaterTight]

Thanks chaps

 

[newcastle phill]

If you know what youd doing, and depending on the type - not very.
But it comes down to competence and knowledge

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

easy to do but if you break the seal,supplier wont be happy

 

[plumben]

not worth the risk if you ask me, get a spark/supplier to install a breaker so it can be worked on safely

 

[ShaunCorbs]

easy to do but if you break the seal,supplier wont be happy

it wasnt on when i arrived is the normal story

 

[ShaunCorbs]

if its a buss bar no if has an integral clip buss bar (cant see the buss bar) then your fine

why you need to remove/refit one??????

 

[Leo21]

Totally safe if someone else does it.

 

[thompsonbrown]

Technical its illegal to remove your mains incoming fuse. Most power suppliers will do this for you at no charge, but can be a pain when waiting for them to reconnect.

 

[TFGplumbing]

easy to do but if you break the seal,supplier wont be happy

Bahh just put a new seal on it

 

[lame plumber]

Bahh just put a new seal on it ��

one of these do?

 

[newcastle phill]

He doesnt mean main in coming fuse. Reads like he wants to keep power to some circuits and remove a fuse/mcb on one circuit.
He says he wants to keep consumer unit LIVE

 

[on31ll]

Is it a fused type or breaker type ? Stupid question really but if its just the breaker type make sure its turned off so theres no arc and booooom whip it out !

 

[Best]

I read the OP as removing a fuse from a consumer unit without turning it off?
In other words, - Pulling a fuse out of a consumer unit without switching the consumer totally off using the consumer switch?
If that's the question, then I do it all the time, but you will get a spark if pulling the fuse out of a circuit that is under load.

 

[Best]

He doesnt mean main in coming fuse. Reads like he wants to keep power to some circuits and remove a fuse/mcb on one circuit.
He says he wants to keep consumer unit LIVE

Sorry, - you got there before me as I was slow to type obviously. :smile:

 

[lame plumber]

dont believe what is written on each breaker/fuse, sparkies dont always get it right!

 

[newcastle phill]

As above too true

Smoke alarm has been shower many times !!

 

[Best]

I know of a house that the builders electrician took the 6mm cooker and 6mm shower cables to the consumer unit, but put the cooker cable through the breaker. Very lucky years later that when the power was supposed to turned off, it was an electrician working on the cable and discovered it live

 

[TFGplumbing]

one of these do?View attachment 23770

Once the seals broken it's broken

 

[cr0ft]

Talking about crossed wires, I decided to learn about electrics properly after turning off what was marked as the immersion heater. Being an ignorant fool I didn't bother to check it was dead, indeed I didn't even own a voltage tester at the time. Undid the wiring and grabbed a hold of it to pull it away from the immersion heater. Live cable touched the immersion and I couldn't let go for what seemed like ages. The closest I've come to thinking I was a dead man yet!!

Went out and bought a voltage tester the next day and learned the hard way never to **** about with electrics again.

Anyway back on subject. I wouldn't remove an MCB from a consumer unit with the busbar still live if that's what you mean. To me it's just unnecessary risk and it's game over if you touch that live busbar by accident. I would pull a main fuse though, it's amazing how many you find that are already unsealed...

 

[newcastle phill]

Easily done. When I was an engineer for GDA years ago a lad was killed at work in a customers house through not dead testing and mistakenly unplugging the wrong appliance, then proceeding to grab a live.

 

[cr0ft]

Yeah I think I was very lucky that day tbh. Bloody scary, at least you can smell gas!!

 

[newcastle phill]

Ive had that warm feeling once and for the life of me i cant even remember the full circumstances but it was at work years ago, im sure it was a kitchen drainer faulty kitchen earthing. But I do know it was a degree of leakage and not the full 220v whack.
I seem to remember that was the purpose of the call the more inthink about it,spoke to the customer and then forgot and put my tools on it lol !

 

[stevetheplumber]

i used to earn good money wiring up systems for a bloke i knew his words were "you cant smell it taste it or see it and it bites"
how ever if you just taking the fuse holder out of a old style fuse box i would rate the risk at 1