How many spurs off a FCU?

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I need to add a double socket into my kitchen for use by a new fridge-freezer. The nearest cable coming out of the wall currently goes into a 3amp FCU, in which the combi-boiler is hard-wired.

Could I...

- replace the FCU with a 13amp unswitched spur
- spur a 3amp switched FCU for the boiler, and a 13amp double socket off the above 13amp spur

Does this make sense?
cheers!
 
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if you are supplying your new outlets from the load side of the FCU (i.e, fused at no more than 13A) you can put as many loads on it as you want.

however
as it is in a kitchen it is notifiable work under building regulations
and
it is not a very good way to do it.

It is also important to know if the boiler outlet is on the ring or on a spur.

what other sockets are in the room or on the other side of the walls?
 
Thanks John,

> It is also important to know if the boiler outlet is on the ring or on a spur.

There's only one cable going into the current boiler outlet, so I'm assuming that means it's a spur.

Elsewhere in the kitchen there is:

1 double socket, with single socket spur
1 cooker control unit (with integrated single socket) that feeds double socket for the oven and hob
1 trailing single socket for fridge (not sure where it's coming from)
1 cooker hood (not sure where spurred from, but independent of the cooker control switch)

> it is not a very good way to do it.

What would be the best way to do it? Obviously not averse to getting the professionals in, just want to know what I'm talking about first!

Alternatively, what's to stop me just converting the trailing single socket (it currently hangs under the unit for the existing fridge) into a double socket? It won't reach where I need it to, but could I just convert it into a fused spur and run a new cable off it?

cheers
 
"best" way IMO would be to find the ring coming into the kitchen, and enlarge the ring so it goes all round the kitchen, with ample sockets and FCUs coming off it, isolate and remove all redundant cables and outlets. Provided it is in good condition and reasonably modern in PVC, otherwise run a new circuit for the kitchen.

It is very economical in labour and materials to run it say 200mm above worktop height (no need to keep going up and down except at the doorway) and you can put your FCUs here as well to feed cooker hood etc, as well as switches above worktop yo feed sockets below for appliances

If you have a wooden floor and don't mind chasing out the walls it is not very difficult, being in a kitchen it is notifiable work and all sockets (except possibly the freezer) should be RCD protected, not only for regulations compliance but also because you have e.g. electrical appliances like kettles, and sinks full of water.

You must not use junction boxes hidden under the floor or plastered into the walls. But if you can't take one leg of the ring to one socket, and the other leg to another socket, and run round the walls from one before returning to the other, there are ways of making a permanent joint.

there are more rules about safe zones I will not go into, but an electrician who is a member of a self-certification scheme will be very familiar with the job.

It is better not to have a socket on a cooker outlet.

the consumer unit (fusebox) may be outdated (this is notifiable) and earthing and bonding usually needs to be brought up to standard but this is very easy and you allowed to DIY without notification
 
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So just to confirm, replacing the boiler FCU with a 13amp unswitched spur, and then spurring a 3amp switched FCU for the boiler and a 13amp double socket off it, is a complete no-no?

I only ask because if I get an electricitian round and he suggests the above, I'll know what to say.
 
I need to add a double socket into my kitchen for use by a new fridge-freezer. The nearest cable coming out of the wall currently goes into a 3amp FCU, in which the combi-boiler is hard-wired.

Could I...

- replace the FCU with a 13amp unswitched spur
- spur a 3amp switched FCU for the boiler, and a 13amp double socket off the above 13amp spur?

Probably best to leave it alone!

Alternatively, what's to stop me just converting the trailing single socket (it currently hangs under the unit for the existing fridge) into a double socket?

Why to a double. Do you want to keep the existing fridge too?

It won't reach where I need it to, but could I just convert it into a fused spur and run a new cable off it?

How many cables go into the trailing single socket? I would probably just plug an extension lead in!

V
 
you could have it done that way if you wanted to badly enough.

IMO it would be like painting your fence with pink emulsion paint. It would look horrible and not stand up to the intended use.

If you use the twin socket for a kettle and a toaster the fuse will blow.
 
> If you use the twin socket for a kettle and a toaster the fuse will blow

well, that settles it, then! How do I go about finding the ring coming into the kitchen?
 
lift some floorboards, use a torch. Start looking by the sockets nearest the doorway or any that are back-to-back with one in an adjoining room as the cable might be fed through a hole drilled in the wall.

If the house is old enough to have been rewired since it was first built you might be able to spot find boards that have been hacked out and clumsily relaid by an earlier electrician.

If you are lucky you might find rusty pliers under the floor, or a tin of Golden Virginia hand-rolling tobaccco
 
Actually - and I'll check this - I reckon I have two radial circuits in the house, not a ring. We live in a 1 bedroom flat. One radial for the sockets, and one for the kitchen. How does this change things!?
 
max amps per radial is 20A if run in 2.5mm cable (which is usual)
You can hang additional sockets off a radial more simply than extending a ring.

You are unlikely to use this much except if you have two or more large appliances such as:
Washing machine, tumble drier, dishwasher, oven, fan heater, kettle, toaster
in use on 1 circuit at the same time (they take about 12 amps each while heating) so I would consider it a bit underpowered for a typical modern kitchen.

max amps per ring is 32A

I like rings.

If you post a pic of your comsumer unit, meter, company fuse and teh cables around and between them, we can form an opinion about your installation.
 
Are you sure the boiler is on the kitchen ring and not on its own radial, check your CU
 
Just checked, and looks like I have a 30A radial for the kitchen. Diagram here:


So, basically I need to add in another couple of double sockets. How about this?


I'll get an electrician in to do it, but I need to fit the kitchen units asap, so if I could have the cabling and sockets ready for him to connect, that would be ideal. And I'm assuming that replacing the existing Wylex fuse box with a modern RCD consumer unit wouldn't be a big job for a pro.

Thoughts please!!
 

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