Pseudo ring

[opps]

Hi all.

My bedroom (first floor of a two story house) has a two double gang sockets. Additionally it has a spur (double gang) socket that lives in a wardrobe which provides power to the house alarm which lives in the attic.

At some point someone ran a 6mm feed from that (spur) socket which runs up in to the attic and then supplies the TV socket on the other side of the bedroom (from the attic downwards). Additionally it supplies another 2 gang socket in the attic.

At some point the chimney breast was removed. I have a horrible feeling that the ring from my bedroom to the room next door has become inaccessible and hidden behind the wall/timber brace where the chimney/fireplace used to be.

She what expects to be obeyed wants me to ignore things. Given that we are replacing the flooring I would rather sort it out.

I haven't lifted the boards under the socket that is closest to the spur yet. If that part of the ring, which then runs to the next room is inaccessible, am I going to go to hell in a hand cart if I double up the existing 2.5mm that runs to the spur unit? ie a spur with 2*2.5 mm which then spurs off via a 6mm cable.

Yeah, I know it isn't correct, but I am looking at least worst case scenarios.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Just swop the 32A MCB for a 20A and you can do as you propose, but one bit of 2.5mm² cable will be fine. That’ll be a radial circuit.

Otherwise you mustn’t extend a 32A protected ring final by more than a single spur.
Even to think it is THOUGHT CRIME. To carry out this would result in a visit from the thought police and, in Extreme circumstances, the fire brigade.

Untitled

• Taylortwocities
• 21 Mar 2014
• 1

 

[JohnW2]

Otherwise you mustn’t extend a 32A protected ring final by more than a single spur.

I think that probably could, and maybe should, be expressed a little more clearly. I have plenty of reg-compliant 32A-protected ring final circuits which have 'more than a single spur'.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Taylortwocities]

Sorry....clarification

You shouldn’t have a spur off a spur.

 

[opps]

Urm, it was worse than I first realised.

The first spurred double gang socket had a the 6mm running up into the attic (and down the otherside of the room). That feeds a LCD TV and digibox.

I then noticed (in the attic) that the two double gang sockets and the fused spur that supplies the alarm control box were in fact being supplied by a 0.75mm(?) flex via a 13amp fused plug which was plugged in to the aforementioned spurre double gang socket.

I have spent the morning lifting floorboards, running 2.5mm T&E up to the attic and then back down to maintain the ring. The only spur that will be left is the 6mm to the tv/digibox.

Thanks for your help, much appreciated. Currently having a brownie point pint (or two), then time to go home and screw down the floorboards.

Additionally, I still need to tack the cables in the attic. The walls are bare brick. Is is ok to surface mount them without any trunking?

 

[JohnW2]

I then noticed (in the attic) that the two double gang sockets and the fused spur that supplies the alarm control box were in fact being supplied by a 0.75mm(?) flex via a 13amp fused plug which was plugged in to the aforementioned spurre double gang socket.

Although not exactly 'nice', that's not really as bad as you may think. Provided only that the fuse in the plug is appropriate for the flex (0.75mm² or whatever), that's no different/worse than using an 'extension lead'.

Additionally, I still need to tack the cables in the attic. The walls are bare brick. Is is ok to surface mount them without any trunking?

No problem.

Kind Regards, John

 

[opps]

Thanks JohnW2.

The fuse in the plug was 13 amps. That said, the attic sockets weren't running kettles or tumble driers/etc.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Before you screw the floorboards back.
Take your continuity tester to the consumer unit and carry out the usual tests on the cables. To make sure that your ring actually is a ring.

 

[JohnW2]

Thanks JohnW2. ... The fuse in the plug was 13 amps. That said, the attic sockets weren't running kettles or tumble driers/etc.

If it IS 0.75mm² flex then, strictly speaking, the fuse in the plug should not be greater than 6A. For a 13A fuse to be correct, the flex would have to be at least 1.25mm² (which is what most extensions leads use).

Kind Regards, John

 

[opps]

Before you screw the floorboards back.
Take your continuity tester to the consumer unit and carry out the usual tests on the cables. To make sure that your ring actually is a ring.

I was planning to loosen off one of the flace plates and then remove both sets of cables to confirm that both sides are live (when I turn the MCB back on).

 

[EFLImpudence]

Just measure the continuity between the respective conductors. No need for power to be on.

With usual cable, L and N should be the same and the CPC 1.67 times as much (roughly).

 

[opps]

Just measure the continuity between the respective conductors. No need for power to be on.

With usual cable, L and N should be the same and the CPC 1.67 times as much (roughly).

Will do, thanks.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Just to be clearer -

When I said between the conductors, I meant between the respective ends of each conductor.