Wiring in my extension

[ban-all-sheds]

I just assumed to put the sockets onto a ring, i thought this was the best way to go.

Do you know which circuits can be ring finals and which cannot, and what the advantages and disadvantages of each are?

I already have an electrician and am going to meet up with him. He is happy for me to put the cable runs in and to wire the sockets switches, lights etc but he says he will need to check them.

Which is what most people, including me, said was the only way it could work.

I asked the questions to help with knowledge of how to wire these extension in correctly

It would of been nice if someone would of answered my questions, and if they needed a longer explanation then that would of been nice.

The thing is, rewiring a house, installing new CUs, outside supplies, submains etc is not a trivial job, and I can assure you that it involves knowing far more than you think it does, even to come up with a good high-level design.

Asking questions here can be a useful part of a learning process, but they are not a substitute for proper structured studying. The key term there is "learning process" - you cannot learn all the things you need to know just by asking questions here. It isn't structured enough - it won't provide you with a way to progress where each step builds on what you learned before.

You can't carry out a job of this magnitude by asking whatever random questions happen to occur to you. You've already shown that you have some dodgy misconceptions - what if you get something wrong because you have no idea your knowledge is wrong? What if you miss something because you simply have no idea it even exists, and just don't realise you don't know it?

Instead all i get from you all is, do you know this and that

Which, of course, you could have taken as indicating things you should learn about.

I moderate on a forum and we keep it friendly. We dont flame and have a go at people who have done stuff wrong, we point them in the right direction. There is no such thing as a bad/stupid question, it is stupid not to ask a question. I feel that you have been less than polite whereas you could of steered me in the right direction in how to wire this job.

• //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics
  
  
• //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:books
  
  
• http://web.archive.org/web/20080213151445/http://www.kevinboone.com/electricity.html
  
  
• http://web.archive.org/web/20080213151445/http://www.kevinboone.com/domesticinstallations.html
  
  
• http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/1.1.htm[/list]I suggest you get stuck into the last link right away - it won't give you design ideas, and unfortunately it doesn't refer to the current edition of the Wiring Regulations, but it's free, and will still give you a good grounding which you can augment with more up to date publications.
  
  
  

  As for taking the mickey out of me for saying thanks, then that is apalling, you should be ashamed of yourself ban-all-sheds!! How can you take the mickey out of someone being polite!!!!!!

  It was a joke...

 

[delboybully]

I have spoken to the building inspector today. He is happy for me to do the wiring and then to have an electrician to wire in the new consumer unit and test the system. My g-friends relative is a sparky and hopefully he will be ok with this. If he isnt my builder (who has an excellent reputation) says he has a sparky who will be happy to do it. I am trying to keep my extension budget down and one way to do this is to do as much myself as i can

So i am going to be asking advice on the best way to do this. If any of you want to help me then please answer my new posts. I want to do this right.

 

[Taylortwocities]

If you are determined to do it yourself then go and follow BAS's list of reading material

• //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics
  
  
• //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:books
  
  
• http://web.archive.org/web/20080213151445/http://www.kevinboone.com/electricity.html
  
  
• http://web.archive.org/web/20080213151445/http://www.kevinboone.com/domesticinstallations.html
  
  
• http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/1.1.htm[/list][/QUOTE]
  
  But your builidng inspector will expect you to be competent to do the wiring and you won't get competence from an Internet forum.
  Also, most contributors on here will feel it irresponsible to drip feed you bits of advice on what are very basic topics.
  
  This process
  
  

  My g-friends relative is a sparky and hopefully he will be ok with this. If he isnt my builder (who has an excellent reputation) says he has a sparky who will be happy to do it.

  is not allowed and anyone who does it can have their acceditation chopped off (and that can hurt).
  
  Use an electrician. You can save some money by doing much of the grunt yourself, but that's it.

 

[delboybully]

Just an update:-

The wiring the extension was a breeze!!!!!!!!!

I did the wiring in my extension and then had an electrician install a new consumer unit, check and test the system. In the extension i put 5 sockets on a ring, the extension lighting MCB consists of 8 spotlights, 5 wall lights and a ceiling fan. In the garden, on its own MCB i put in a sensor light, 4 brick lights and 6 bolllard type lights. The electrician said i did a great job and building control are happy.

I got a little bit of advice from the building control officer, my electrical wholesaler gave some good advice on what types of materials to use and i also did 2-3 hours of research on the internet. It really wasnt hard to find out the information to do the job right!!!!!

The only problem i had was with the existing wiring, in that the live on a ring wasnt a ring but was broken. So I took socket fronts off until I found one with a loose live wire. This was easily fixed. This is a good example of why you should either test your system yourself (take the 2 live wires out of the sockets MCB and check they are one continious ring, this can be done with a multimeter) or get an electrician to check your wiring every few years or so (this will be far more comprehesive than just checking the socket rings are complete), the electrician recommended checking the system in 10 years time.

I would like to be able to thank you all for your advice but as you didnt help much i cant.

If anyone else is thinking of doing their own wiring I suggest you research how to do it properly and then go for it, but be advised that some electrical work needs checking after you have done it. Saying that if you are unsure then dont do it!!!!!!!

 

[Taylortwocities]

Congratulations on a sucessful conclusion! The negative responses you had earlier are from concern of folk taking on something that is way outside their capabilities. You are in the minority.

One small point. You said:

but be advised that some electrical work needs checking after you have done it.

You are wrong there. All electrical work needs checking after you have done it, and certifying too.

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[delboybully]

Congratulations on a sucessful conclusion! The negative responses you had earlier are from concern of folk taking on something that is way outside their capabilities. You are in the minority.

One small point. You said:

but be advised that some electrical work needs checking after you have done it.

You are wrong there. All electrical work needs checking after you have done it, and certifying too.

I was under the impression that wiring work that requires a new MCB or work in a kitchen or bathroom needs building control approval and needs to be checked

But if a homeowner wants to put in a new socket onto an existing ring, changes a light fitting or fits a new light then this doesnt need building control approval or needs to be tested!!! This is why i said some work needs checking.

Thanks for the congrulations, i am very pleased with the work done.

One thing i will say again to anyone thinking of doing their own wiring work is to reasearch it properly and if they are unsure then dont do it

 

[riveralt]

I was under the impression that wiring work that requires a new MCB or work in a kitchen or bathroom needs building control approval and needs to be checked

But if a homeowner wants to put in a new socket onto an existing ring, changes a light fitting or fits a new light then this doesnt need building control approval or needs to be tested!!! This is why i said some work needs checking.

Outside these and special locations yes - but it still needs testing!!

 

[1john]

All electrical work needs testing, how would you know it was safe otherwise?

 

[delboybully]

fair enough

I suppose it really depends on how competant an installer someone is. If unsure then get it tested. I didnt really research this as i new i was going to need a new consumer unti and it needed testing

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I suppose it really depends on how competant an installer someone is. If unsure then get it tested.

No - it needs testing whoever does it, and the tendency is for the competent to test and the incompetent not to.

 

[delboybully]

I agree that testing is a good idea but does it legally need to be tested for minor works like replacing a crack socket, or a light pedant for example.

 

[OwainDIYer]

I agree that testing is a good idea but does it legally need to be tested for minor works like replacing a crack socket, or a light pedant for example.

If you don't test it how do you know you've done it right?

Replacing a cracked socket - wires can pop out of the terminal as the socket is pushed onto the pattress; if this was the earth this would not be noticed without testing

Replacing a light pendant - is there earth continuity to a metal lampholder? Is an ES lampholder correctly polarised (live to central stud and neutral to ring)

If you don't test the circuit before re-energising you could be energising a dead short L-N which could be nasty especially with a fuseboard, or energising a L-E short on an unearthed circuit, which could put metalwork throughout the house at a dangerous potential.

Etc.

 

[delboybully]

OwainDIYer, I did say i agreed that testing was a good idea, but i asked if it legally needs to be tested.

Does a homeowner need to legally have minor works tested?

 

[vv2806]

Does a homeowner need to legally have minor works tested?

No