Upside down Australian Circuit Breakers

[piewie]

I always thought that the story about things being upside down in Auz were simply that, a story. However I now have evidence that it really is so.

Only kidding please take a look at the photo. See how the CB's are all upside down. And I have seen this on quite a few jobs here in Auz. Does anyone know why? I have asked various people the whipper snappers have no idea and just shrug their shoulders. "She'll be alright" as they always say down this side of the world.

[HVACRsaurus]

Hi Mate,

They sure went to some effort to put those circuit breakers that way.*

The only reason I'd suggest that they would put them that way is so that the operation is similar to a household light switch here in Australia, up being off & down being on.

One way or the other - at least they are all in the same orientation!*

[HVACRsaurus]

"She'll be alright" as they always say down this side of the world.

Correction, it's more like one word "shellberight" but pronounced quicker or slower depending on where your from;)

[devlin maguire]

I would have thought it would be more difficult to do it arse for tit than the right way up, some sod hung over perhaps
Dev

[aramis]

Piewie you always have to see the glass half full. Its not the CB's its the UNIT! :D

[cadwaladr]

mmm,if you keep going north do you end up in the south?

[mikeref]

Turn the picture 90 degrees to the left, and you have a vertical switchboard that makes sense.

[install monkey]

prob coz its easier to lock the breakers onto the din rail if its adjacent the busbar- prob cables too short to feed the top of the breakers with the busbar underneath the breakers-ps acu1 3rd phase is red instead of blue and the red phase incomer is showing copper strands-req reterminating-also no sheild on the incoming

[AGSelec]

Well I guess they really wanted the bus bar on top and circuit wiring underneath for some reason. Maybe to make it look neater ? An apprentice snipped the wires off to short to reach the top?

[install monkey]

or he wanted a good weigh in-but was unable to stretch the cables-or it was his last week on the production line and wanted to throw a few spanners in the works

[piewie]

Turn the picture 90 degrees to the left, and you have a vertical switchboard that makes sense.

Hello Mikeref it is not a verticle board the orientation is exactly as shown no trickery. The closest answer is possibly the switch orientation with down being on. The whole 3 floors of the building are like this and the building is only around 10 years old. It must be an ACT thing.

[chemi-cool]

there must be high blood pressure in the skull when you live upside down...:-)

[mikeref]

Hello Mikeref it is not a verticle board the orientation is exactly as shown no trickery. The closest answer is possibly the switch orientation with down being on. The whole 3 floors of the building are like this and the building is only around 10 years old. It must be an ACT thing. A.C.T. Australian Capital Territory, for those wondering what that meant. Small location in New South Wales where the country is supposed to be run from :(. Not seen circuit breakers installed upside down..Ever.Won't have anything to do with down means "On"

[mad fridgie]

A.C.T. Australian Capital Territory, for those wondering what that meant. Small location in New South Wales where the country is supposed to be run from :(. Not seen circuit breakers installed upside down..Ever.Won't have anything to do with down means "On"

Are you sure Mike.
Attractive lady goes "down", for sure I would be turned "on". and not limited to A.C.T.

[assailant]

im with mike on this..

i cant recall ever seeing any breakers upside down (unless on a vertical din rail.. ive seen them mixed around in that instance) on a horizontal board.

they should be mounted up the correct way so its easy to turn the breakers off - quickly pull them down to break the circuit. i cant see any advantage, even with busbar, to have them one way or the other - it shouldnt make a difference.

ps. shielding? you pommy sparkies are odd, ive got one from birmingham and he is always banging on about steel conduit this, steel conduit that... :D

[NoNickName]

Turning the picture 180° doesn't help unless p'shopping the stickers.
Anyway, I don't think there's anything wrong with a breaker upside down. But the electric arc floats upward before extinguishing, so in this case it goes to output, which is dangerous for the load.

[install monkey]

the sheild i was refering to was the fact that you could get a belt off the screw terminals on the isolator- should have a plastic guard so when isolated there are no live components exposed - sod the steel conduit


prob coz its easier to lock the breakers onto the din rail if its adjacent the busbar- prob cables too short to feed the top of the breakers with the busbar underneath the breakers-ps acu1 3rd phase is red instead of blue and the red phase incomer is showing copper strands-req reterminating-also no sheild on the incoming


im with mike on this..

i cant recall ever seeing any breakers upside down (unless on a vertical din rail.. ive seen them mixed around in that instance) on a horizontal board.

they should be mounted up the correct way so its easy to turn the breakers off - quickly pull them down to break the circuit. i cant see any advantage, even with busbar, to have them one way or the other - it shouldnt make a difference.

ps. shielding? you pommy sparkies are odd, ive got one from birmingham and he is always banging on about steel conduit this, steel conduit that... :D