Old Electrical Equipment - MEM metal 2 way fusebox
A metal case fusebox with two cartridge fuses. Both fuses rated 5A.
Assembled fusebox
The assembled fusebox. The smoked plastic cover is removeable to allow the fuses to be replaced. The brown mark above the switch is the remains of an ancient label.
The two fuses are identical, both 5A. The holders just pull out of the main unit and contain a replaceable cartridge fuse.
The front cover is fixed with a single screw, located between the fuses and the main switch.
Fuses removed
The two fuses have been removed. These have two horizontal prongs, which fit in to corresponding horizontal slots in the black plastic shields.
The small labels above each fuse were supposed to be filled in with the details of what each circuit was for. Clearly the installer 'forgot' to do this.
The fuse prongs have corroded ends, due to the wet environment this box was installed in.
The plastic shields are secured with a single screw, as is the smoked plastic cover.
Interior
Inside, the various terminals can be seen. Incoming supply connects to the two terminals above the switch, with the earth block top right. For reasons unknown, this particular box was supplied with a length of 1mm flex which had a 13A plug fitted to the other end. The earth wire is shown as found - cut in half.
The outgoing circuits connected to the top of the two fuses, with the neutrals in the small block below and to the right of the switch.
Note the 'Made in England' stamp in the metal casing top left, and the three fixing holes. The fuse terminals have a certain amount of corrosion on them.
The brown/orange marks in one of the pictures is water and rust. This box was located in a damp garage, and this may explain the cut earth wire - an RCD on the supply to this box probably tripped continually and cutting the earth would have resolved this. Unfortunately it also removed the protection the RCD was providing.
The rust marks have been cleaned up in the second picture.
Cover plate
The cover has a black label on the inside, purpose unknown.
Below this is a white label with various pieces of information. (Image contrast/colour adjusted to improve readability)
