I have 6mm wire feeding a electrical cooker and a single socket. the wire runs from the consumer unit to the kitchen. the electrical cooker is not longer need (it has been replaced with gas cooker). I would like to use the 6 mm to feed 2 double sockets in the kitchen. it is currently connected to 32A mcb. I would like to replace the 32A mcb with rcbo for safety. shall I use 16A rcbo or 20A or 32A?
16A rcbo or 32A rcbo
- Thread starter Zehroni
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It is doubtful you would get a 6 milli and a 4 milli in a socket terminal so 20A.
What are the sockets for?
What are the sockets for?
It depends what size cable you use and a few variables.
If you use 2.5mm² between the two sockets then you could use the 32A RCBO as the cable will be protected by the plug fuses - but if you decide to add another one or more then it all changes.
If you use 2.5mm² between the two sockets then you could use the 32A RCBO as the cable will be protected by the plug fuses - but if you decide to add another one or more then it all changes.
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Whether you'd like to or not is irrelevant - if you are installing new sockets you "have to". You would also have to apply for Building Regulations approval before changing the device - are you comfortable that you know enough to satisfy Building Control that you'll be able to comply with Part P?
If the OP definitely only wants two sockets, would it not be acceptable for the second one to to be fed (from the first) with 2.5mm² cable (i.e. as an 'unfused spur', per Appendix 15), even if the OPD were 32A?
Kind Regards, John
Yes, or probably 45A, you know it is. See above. 
Is that because you would regard it as a 'new circuit' (a view with which I could perhaps sympathise)?
If so, what if it were done in two stages ...
... firstly change the MCB supplying the cooker outlet and a socket for an RCBO of the same In. That would not seem unreasonable, and I can't see that it would be notifiable (merely an 'improvement in safety' of an existing circuit).
... then, subsequently, add additional sockets to that circuit (which is now RCBO protected), and maybe remove the cooker switch/outlet. Again, I can't see that would be notifiable, unless you felt that it somehow constituted creating a 'new circuit' (which I don't think I do).
Kind Regards, John
Yes, sorry, I somehow missed you previous post.Yes, or probably 45A, you know it is. See above.
Kind Regards, John
New circuit.
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I suppose so. But I'm old school in that respect. When I did the 15th regs, we did an exercise in class to show that actually, we could wire most immersion circuits in 1 milli. But in practice, I did them all in 2.5.
Well, you couldn't do that any more, since 1mm² cable is only allowed for 'lighting' circuits' - but 1.5mm² would usually be adequate.
However, none of that really alters what I said. If the main radial circuit is at least 4mm² (in this case 6mm²), there is no reason why one cannot feed one socket (single or double) from it using 2.5mm² cable, as an 'unfused spur' (not that I personally like that term in relation to a radial!).
It's not relevant to the OP (who wants double sockets) but IF it were a single socket, it could, electrically-speaking, equally be 1.5mm² cable, but I suspect many would be nervous about that, not the least in case anyone ever changed the single socket to a double.
Kind Regards, John
That's another legacy of BS3036 fuses. 15 / 0.725 = 20.7 (although immersions won't overload but everyone ignores that bit).
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