I am doing a kitchen renovation and need to move my stove point. The electrician said he won't be able to replace a signed breaker on the board for my stove all 15 need to be replaced as the new breakers will not fit. Is this guy trying to take me for a ride? Surely the track should have standard sizes so an equivalent new breaker can be found for an old rack. The dB is 45 years old by the way. I don't know anything about these things but so just need some advice from anyone that may know.
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Old DB breaker replace
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Pineapple Smurf
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News to me, I thought they were all the same size, mine looks the same, building is about 60 years plus old
Pineapple Smurf
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Nope, mine all look original. Been living here 10 years so cannot say when last any of them were changed out
Pineapple Smurf
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I lie, most have been replaced over the years
Gordon_R
Honorary Master
It is perfectly possible to find a breaker that fits (I had mine done). Either the electrician:
1. Does not have the right one in stock.
2. Is lying to you.
3. Is referring to a compliance certificate, where it is not permissible to mix certain types of old and new breakers in the same board.
1. Does not have the right one in stock.
2. Is lying to you.
3. Is referring to a compliance certificate, where it is not permissible to mix certain types of old and new breakers in the same board.
Thanks. It looks like all of yours have been replaced. None look like mine.
Gordon_R
Honorary Master
Thanks Gordon_R I suspect he may be lying as he didn't mention anything about the certificate only that you can't find a breaker that will fit the old mounting rack and all the breakers and rack must change.
Gordon_R
Honorary Master
Get a second opinion, or a new electrician.
P.S. Never use a tradesman who is not the same age as the building. Youngsters just want to replace everything with what they are comfortable with.
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Pineapple Smurf
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Yeah the oldest ones there are the 25 and the 20 amp, the 25 is the old stove that Im not using at the moment and the 20 is the plugs it says on the front panel. I wonder if i shouldnt replace that old plugs one for piece of mind, last thing i need is a dodgy old circuit breaker if there is a short somewhere on my plugs
TheChamp
Honorary Master
Truth be told, those breakers are old, I wouldn't be surprised if he's telling the truth, easy enough for you to confirm though?
TheChamp
Honorary Master
I would also not waste my time looking for an antique circuit breaker, unless you live around antique shops it would be mission impossible trying to find one, I also have those in my flat and they are truly so oud soos die berge.
If OP doesn't believe him he can always go out to look for the breaker himself and ask the electrician to fit it, hopefully his car is very fuel efficient because he is going to do a lot of driving.
acidrain
Executive Member
He is probably right about not finding those breakers. Check CBI Electrics website and you can confirm this. Most switches these days are DIN/Samite Rail. I suspect compliance comes in if you want to mix/match.
krieg
Expert Member
You get adaptor plates that goes behind the circuit breaker, you will most probably have to get a CBI replacement CB with an adaptor plate. Your electrician is most probably talking about either the front echelon space which is larger than the modern DIN or the rail at the back.
Looking at your board I would actually replace it with something modern.
Hi. I own an electrical and lighting shop. If your breakers are that old, I would suggest that you replace them.
However, we do sell a Samite adaptor plate that will allow your old DB to take the new breakers, they are like R30 each.
We also sell a 18 way complete DB for R899. Since you are doing up your kitchen now, you should consider replacing the DB since you already have an electrician working now. It will cost you a lot more to do it later.
However, we do sell a Samite adaptor plate that will allow your old DB to take the new breakers, they are like R30 each.
We also sell a 18 way complete DB for R899. Since you are doing up your kitchen now, you should consider replacing the DB since you already have an electrician working now. It will cost you a lot more to do it later.
He is correct. The old style Heinemann rail isn't compatible with DIN and Samite (mini rail). We had that same issue and had to replace the whole board. You do get adapters but I'm not sure where you'd find one. It will save a lot of hassle to just replace the whole board rather than keep fitting new breakers. Will cost around R2000.
I do have to ask as well why a new breaker? If it's simply the rating of the stove lots of times that's way overrated and you can go as low as a 20A or a 15A breaker. As long as the breaker isn't higher rated than the wire used.
I do have to ask as well why a new breaker? If it's simply the rating of the stove lots of times that's way overrated and you can go as low as a 20A or a 15A breaker. As long as the breaker isn't higher rated than the wire used.
Geoff.D
Honorary Master
There is no issue about mixing and matching CBs in the DB. The adaptor plates are available so use them. What I did was to deliberately replace most of them because two new breakers fit in the place of one old one. It allowed me to split circuits, install one breaker per room, create an emergency power circuit and install surge protection. The only breaker still of the old form factor is the ELCB, which when and if it fails, will allow me even more flexibility. The older standards allowed for 30 A breakers for power socket circuits whereas the new standard I think is for 20 Amp. But that was not a problem because I went for one breaker per room anyway.
The wiring is the critical factor. Power sockets should be 2.5 mmsq. Lights 1.5 mmsq, and stoves 4 mmsq. My geyser wiring is also 4 mmsq.
The wiring is the critical factor. Power sockets should be 2.5 mmsq. Lights 1.5 mmsq, and stoves 4 mmsq. My geyser wiring is also 4 mmsq.
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Gordon_R
Honorary Master
CBi breakers sell adaptors for exactly that purpose:
RAIL TO RAIL | CBI-electric (Circuit Breaker Industries)
cbi-lowvoltage.co.za
P.S. My flat uses the Fuchs breakers, with a different adaptor.