We're in a rental that was rewired 25 years ago by numpties. We've had successive problems with the electrics - like the cooker not being earthed for 18 years! In our 20 years here we've had to buy 5 cookers. The landlord paid a few years ago for circuit breakers to be put in (which is how the earthing problem was caught), but last month the extractor fan blew up (literally!) and 2 weeks later the oven. One of the things we've commented on until we're blue in the face is that the labelling on the fuse box has nothing to do with what actually runs off it. In actual fact, the cooker, extractor fan, washing machine etc. are on on a light circuit which is 5A (yes, we eat 5A fuses!). I know from looking at this forum that that's not a normal ampage, but what I'd really like to know is if it is dangerous? Thanks for any pointers!
There is nothing dangerous about a fuse that is lower than the maximum current rating of the cable of the circuit it is supplying. If anything, it's less dangerous, as it will blow a lot sooner than the cable will even warm up. Smaller amp fuses are only an inconvenience if they keep blowing. FWIW, a 5A fuse will allow roughly 1.2 kW of power to be drawn from it, so all 5 of the cookers you have bought must have been very low power cookers for them to have been able to work with a 5A fuse for all these years. The fact that you have gone through 5 cookers has NOTHING to do with the fuse rating. They're obviously really poor quality cookers. The old saying of "buy cheap, buy twice" can be extended to "buy really cheap, buy five times"! In addition, I personally have never owned a washing machine that could work off a 5A fuse, as their elements have all been at least 1.5 kW, which would have blown a 5A fuse the first time it started its heating cycle. It would appear that you have been spun a yarn about your so called 5A fuses and what they feed.
Morning Niki Clearly the circuits are not identified correctly and one or more could be wrongly rated. It is difficult to advise you whether it is dangerous because there are far too many possibilities as to what needs changing to sort out the mess. Landlords. I would continue to pester your landlord and even take the matter higher. I would recommend speaking to your Citizens Advice Bureau and ask them how you can force the Landlord in to getting the electrics sorted out. You have a new Law you can possibly use to force the issue and it came in to effect on 1 July 2020. Electrical Safety Standards in The Private Rented Sector (ENGLAND) Regulations 2020
If you're a long-term tenant, your landlord will have to provide you with an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) by 1 Apr 2021. If circuit breakers (fuses / MCBs / RCBOs) are of inappropriate current ratings for their respective circuits or if they are incorrectly labelled, then the EICR will call that out. Some electricians would classify these 'infringements' more severely than others, but they should all be noted. An electrician that doesn't call out these issues will be risking his membership of his pirate ship.
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