| On 5/30/2008 6:49 AM Andrew Gabriel spake thus:
|
|> In article <
[email protected]>,
|>>
| >>
|>>> RBM wrote:
| >>>
| >>>>
|>>>>> RBM wrote:
|>>>>> ...
|>>>>>> Bud, has there been any determination that these counterfeit, breakers
|>>>>>> are not made to the same specs as any other QO?
|>>>>> No non-counterfeit recalls are there?
|>>>>>
|>>>>> --I read that there weren't any incidents with the counterfeit breakers,
|>>>>> so I'm wondering if they are not in fact, the same
|>>>
|>>> Then how did they get a recall for failure to trip? If there were no
|>>> instances of failing to trip?
|>>>
|>>> I can see making them retract them as counterfeits but that's not the
|>>> baliwick of CPSC; that would be a legal thingie as near as I can tell.
|>>>
|>>> And, of course, they could well be "made to the same spec's" but that's
|>>> not _quite_ the same thing as performing to the same spec.
|>>
|>> OK, that's not what I heard. All I heard was that there were counterfeits
|>> that were being recalled, once identified, but nothing about failing to trip
|>
|> There have been warnings in the UK about counterfeits being found
|> in other parts of Europe (but not as yet in the UK, AFAIK). A picture
|> in a trade magazine shows one of them opened up. There are no overcurrent
|> parts inside, and the toggle is just a plain switch.
|
| So, a perverse thought crosses one's mind: would replacing one's
| breakers with toggle switches be the equivalent of putting pennies in
| fuse sockets in the olden days?
Yes. BTW, they do make them ... switches that replace circuit breakers.
If you need a lot of switches in a circumstance where you don't need the
individual overcurrent protection, and need it in a more compact space
than could be had with a bunch of 2x4 boxes, then this might be the thing.
Imagine if you have a need to individually switch on and off 80 different
7 watt lights. Would you put in 10 sets of 4-gang boxes with duplex switches
in each, or put in an 84-slot panel and 80 switches? The latter might cost
more due to the big box. The latter might not fit so well.
I don't recall if the breakers are cheaper than switches, but perhaps the
economy of scale of production for breakers could do that.
I'll be expecting royalties from this one }
