A wall light is fixed by its baseplate either to a box sunk into the wall or it is fixed direct to the wall. The box, termed ‘BESA’ box, is a termination box to contain the ends of the circuit wires from which the sheath is removed, and a flex connector which joints the wires to the flex of the fitting.
Only wall lights having a baseplate with 50 mm (2 in) fixing centres to match the lugs in the box can be mounted on this circular box. Most wall lights have other types of baseplate of which there are many shapes and sizes. Read the rest of this entry »
Electric heating of water can be carried out in a variety of ways. These include small capacity heaters fitted above the sink, instantaneous sink heaters or immersion heaters in the hot water tank.
Small storage water heaters fitted over the sink or washbasin having capacities of up to about 3 gallons and electrical loadings of 1 to 3 kW are usually supplied from the ring circuit by means of a spur. Except in a bathroom, the outlet can be a fused plug and switched socket-outlet, preferably with neon indicator. Read the rest of this entry »
Storage heaters require a separate circuit for each heater. This is because, unlike direct acting heaters which are switched on and off as required, storage heaters are all switched on together during the 8-hour period. They cannot therefore be supplied from a ring circuit which is based on diversity of use of various appliances; each heater must have its own circuit. Read the rest of this entry »
Joint boxes are usually circular and for part of the circuit wiring. They are fix permanently to the house structure are used principally in lighting circuits. Join boxes are available in 4- 5- and 6-terminal versions.
A 3-terminal joint box of 30 A current rating is used for ring circuits to connect spur cables to the ring cable, as shown the illustration. Read the rest of this entry »
Portable electric heaters and many fixed electric heaters are controlled by a switch or switches mounted on the frame of the heater. In addition, the heater is switched at a switched socket-outlet or switched fused connection unit or is connected to a non-switched socket-outlet which means pulling out the plug to switch off the heater.
Wall panel heaters, oil filled radiators, convectors and other heaters operating at ‘black heat’ have an integral thermostat which is set to the required room temperature. Read the rest of this entry »
The humble kettle has been given a new image in recent years. Simple versions consisting of only a container with a heating element fixed inside are still available, but for many years the trend has been towards the automatic kettle that turns off once the water has boiled.
Some more recent models have been further improved with high-speed elements and spout filling. The latest jug version combines all the features of a modern kettle with the added feature of the handle’s being positioned on the side, so that the user avoids the steam when pouring.
As with irons, cable damage through wear and tear and misuse tends to be a common fault. Cordless kettles and jugs preempt this problem. They are similar to cordless irons in that they require a power base that has its own mains lead. When the cordless kettle is placed on its base, electrical contact is made to its heating element. The operation from then on is like any other automatic kettle. Read the rest of this entry »
