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Suppose one has a 32A circuit but needs two 16A circuits. Perhaps because they want to follow the manufacturers instructions for the cooking equipment. Perhaps they need a couple of 16A commando sockets both capable of running full load. I see two main options. 1. Install a small CU with two...

At my parents house we have what we call the "toilet cupboard", a downstairs toilet situated partly under the stairs with a low ceiling. For years we had a 3 foot strip light in there, which worked fine, but the tubes got very hard to find, I replaced it with a sylvania sylcycle LED fitting a...

I don't think a general statement can be made about "wago type connectors" Wago say their 773 push-in terminals are suitable for "solid" and "stranded", the newer/smaller 2273 series only mention "solid". The 221 and 222 lever terminals are listed as suitable for "solid", "stranded" and "fine...

So recently I installed my first click minigrid product, I chose it because it is to the best of my knowledge the only grid system that can put 3 modules on a single gang plate. Here is a quick review for others considering it. Packaging: I was impressed here, the modules came in small...

Scolmore have some handy products, notably the minigrid range which allows 3 modules per gang compared to the 2 modules per gang of most other modular ranges, but where do people actually buy them? I have a job in my house for which I want some minigrid stuff, and also a red 13A double switched...

I had assumed previously that "fault protection" included both protection against earth faults, and protection against short circuits but a comment in another thread lead me to do some searching and it seems that the BS7671 definition of fault protection only covers earth faults. Most of the...

I've been eyeing up the FTTP stuff that has been appearing in my neighbourhood recently. It all is using the newfangled connctorised DPs and a few customer services seem to be getting plugged in. Anyway I noticed that the fiber "dropwire" seems to be a "siamese" cable of some sort. The thicker...

It seems to be widely accepted that PVC cable, used under typical domestic conditions lasts a very long time. It also seems to be widely accepted that "old rubber" cable should be ripped out ASAP. However what of modern rubber cable? Particularly the likes of H05RR-F and H07RN-F? Is modern...

I've noticed that there don't seem to be very many manufacturers of maintenance free junction boxes and those I can find all seem to have their own spin on the idea. Specifically I have found. Wagobox series from connexbox (despite the name wagobox does not seem to be a wago product). These...

I had a shower switch fail (several months back but I only just got around to replacing it). This wasn't your normal "terminals not tight enough" failure, but instead was a failure of the switch latching mechanism. If I pulled the cord the switch turns off, but when I release the cord it turns...

Background. While wandering around Salford Quays recently I noticed a fat cable coming out of an open manhole behind some temporary barriers. On the end of this cable was a very large IEC60309 coupler (I think it was a 125A three-pase) which was plugged into a distribution box (similar to the...

Anyone here have experience with grid fuse modules? In particular is it reasonably practical to fit them on a 25mm pattress box or does one need to go deeper?

The trouble with "electronic transformers" is they have a high frequency AC output. That leads to all sorts of problems when driving anything other than the intended load of a short cable running to an incandescent bulb. A SMPSU with a DC output should have far less problems with driving long...

A plumber recently installed some isolating valves with detatchable flexible hoses as part of some temporary plumbing. So there is a compression joint on one end, then the isolating valve (screwdriver operated), then there is a screw connection with a rubber washer (similar to the connection on...

I'm in the process of buying a bungalow where the electrics need attention. Most circuits have no RCD protection. The main CU is a brown wylex standard. There is also a modern chint 2 way CU which supplies the recently adapted bathroom (big breaker for the shower, small breaker for the light and...

Sometimes you want to join three or more flexible cables. (which are not permanently attached to a building). In my case I wanted to mount a couple of extension strips on a peice of furniture and join them together. The piece of furniture is for my own use. I intend to join them together with a...

I just got an insulation resistance tester to pre-check some hardware i'm developing (formal testing will be done elsewhere but we want to make sure it suceeds). Specifically I got http://cpc.farnell.com/1/1/91037-tenma-72-9400-tester-insulation-resistance.html The tester is supposed to have a...

There have been a few posts on this forum over the years where the subject of 5A trailing sockets has come up. At the time my answer was that permaplug still seem to do them but finding a supplier that actually gave stock indications and had the ability to buy online was almost impossible...

I think you are trying to make something black and white which in reality has massive shades of grey. There are some things (pedophillia, rape, murder) that society as a whole is in general agreement are unethical. There are other things (patio heaters, heated fishponds, feed-in tarrifs)...

So my sky+ HD box was refusing to come out of standby. After serveral hard resets and pulling the viewing card out it eventually turned on but gave a "no sattelite signal" message. I then tried to go into the menus to investigate further, but when I did so the box turned itself off (back into...