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On the subject of crimps whats the best way of using them? Stagger each connection so they can't touch and wrap in tape. Presumably a single union is better than two spades or rings for joining two conductors. It would be in the back of a built in wardrobe so not an issue. It may come to...

I'm not sure breezer said that or am I missing a post?. Anyway are you saying I should (must?) house the consumer unit in a box? I was just going to screw the new one to the wall where the existing one is. I did think about moving it further up the wall i.e. more out of the way. (I haven't...

Breezer, Is this an excuse for not answering the rest of the question or do you simply not know. I have looked for the information in various books e.g. Whitfield; electricians guide to 16th ed., on-site guide, Brian Scaddam; Electric wiring: Domestic etc but cannot find any information on...

Dear all, I wish to replace my old re-wireable fuse consumer unit. I have arranged for the electricity co. to come out and fit an isolator in a couple of weeks time. I don't think the existing arrangement is 16th edition compliant. The company fuse and meter are in an outside cabinet...

Hi Sheds, Where you quoting directly from BSxxxx. It seems to be at odd with the document I found here: http://www.niceic.org.uk/downloads/C5-43.pdf Although without access to its accompanying documents it's hard to be sure. Is there anywhere that you are allowed to use plastic...

Thanks Ban-all-sheds, The annoying thing is that every time I look into to something like this I discover something else I should have done. In this case it appears I needed to cross bond the earth from the new shaver socket (to the water pipes). Can't see much point in it though (I think the...

OK. to change my analogy slightly. Girl semi-naked wanders from the bathroom, still wet, and starts to dry her hair with an electric hairdryer. She's resting her other arm/body on the radiator. If she drips enough water into the hairdryer she could get a shock. If the radiators not eathed...

But why is your radiator any more likely to become live than any other isolated metal object? To exaggerate slightly you suggesting that when you pour water from a kettle you need to earth the tea spoon! See http://www.iee.org/Publish/WireRegs/EarthingPlasticPipes.pdf BTW as you know the...

I could be wrong but I think there could be some confusion over the terms being used. I think when you said "take a spur off the socket" Breezer assumed that you mean't a wire from the socket to a fused connection unit (often refered in catalogues etc. as a spur). However to me (not an...

Out of interest would there be anything wrong with joining the cables with chockblock inside the pattress where the current socket. Would that count as accessible? BTW if joining cables using crimps how do you actually finish the job. Stagger the joints and cover in insulation tape (or...

Hi, I've installed a fcu (with 3 amp fuse) as part of the ring main. I intend to use this to power two circuits. A straight connection from the load terminals of the fcu to a shaver socket in the bathroom (1mm T&E) and the second to power an outside halogen lamp(500w). The lamp is wired with...

Unfortunately I don't have a megger (and they look relatively expensive new) I was trying not to touch but I only tested the circuit as an afterthought before I turned the power back on. I'll probably have a proper look at it this weekend when SWMBO's not wanting to watch telly (maybe use...

With everything unplugged it checks out OK. Why should plugging the appliance (freezer) in gives me a false reading (could my meter be charging an inductor or something?). I could understand it if it was a couple of kohms but 19ohms is nothing. My meter should read up to 40Mohm but I'll try and...

Hi again, I'd been doing some work on the ring main and before I reconnected the socket I'd been working on I thought I'd check the continuity between L&L and N&N wires to check there wasn't a break anywhere else in the system. This was fine. However I also checked the resistance between the...

Sorry for replying earlier but I've had a busy week. I got the distance from the a table (I actually mis rembered it it was 36m) given in this article http://www.kevinboone.com/cableselection_web.html Essentially assumes the cable carries 30A and then calculates the voltage drop over its...

Hi, Hope you don't mind me pesting you lot again. Although my house is fairly small it has been wired with only one ring main which runs front to back under the middle of the upstairs floor branching off as required (if you see what I mean). Currently the ring is off a 30A rewirable fuse...

Hi, I understand that its not allowed to extend a ring main with junction boxes. Is this because the wires are more likely to be pulled out of a junction box than a socket. I ask because where a socket has been added to my ring main the ring main was cut completely (i.e. not just the earth...

Are then any rules about how to do this (I don't have a problem getting it to work). Do I have to use the method given on this site or can I take wires from each switch+rose to a junction box (ie cut 2+e between rose and switch and 3+e from new switch). Conduit is too small to take a 2+e&3+e. If...