Conservatory Electrics

andy21275 · 29 May 2010

Hi all,

Just erected my new conservatory and now down to running the electrics. I have bought 3 double sockets, light switch, wire, channelling etc and a 13amp rcd protected fused connection unit. I was planning on spuring off my kitchen ring main into the fused rcd unit, then running the 3 sockets off the rcd unit in a radial circuit around my conservatory.
Now reading the back of the box for the fused rcd unit it states you can only run 1x 2gang socket from the unit, why is this?
I have read i cannot extend my kitchen ring main without b regs notice.

Sockets will only be powering pc, lcd tv and maybe my sons xbox.

Has any one got any ideas the best way forward.

Any help would be most appreciated

cheers
andy

ColJack · 29 May 2010

your original plan is sound.. ignore the markings, they're talking twaddle..

you can have as many sockets as you like after a fused spur, but you're obviously limited to 13A.

electrical work in a kitchen is notifiable, so if you're actually making the spur from a kitchen socket then it's notifiable.. if however you're sruring off the cables outside of the kitchen then it's not notifiable....

andy21275 · 29 May 2010

hi, thanks for your prompt reply. I will be spurring off a socket from the upstairs bedroom, that is why i have purchased a rcd protected fused spur as upstairs ring main is not on rcd on the consumer unit. There is a spare rcd in the consumer unit so i dont know why when i had the house completey rewired last year the sparky did not put the upstairs ring main on a rcd, but thats another story.

Now with the lights for the conservatory, can i connect to the kitchen light radial and pull power from that, as i want a 2 way switch, one switch next to patio door in conservatory, and one the other side in the kitchen, is this acceptable.
If not, do i have to have a 5amp fused spur running off the rcd aswell connecting the 2way switches?
thanks again for all your help
andy

electronicsuk · 29 May 2010

andy21275 said:
Now with the lights for the conservatory, can i connect to the kitchen light radial and pull power from that, as i want a 2 way switch, one switch next to patio door in conservatory, and one the other side in the kitchen, is this acceptable.
If not, do i have to have a 5amp fused spur running off the rcd aswell connecting the 2way switches?
thanks again for all your help
andy

There's no reason not to extend the existing lighting circuit. Stupidly enough, you can't connect to it in the kitchen without it becoming notifiable work, but you could quite happily take a feed from wiring in the floor/roof void above the kitchen, or any other room that isn't a kitchen or bathroom

andy21275 · 29 May 2010

ok, so i have a kitchen / diner in one, knocked the wall out between them to open up space, with this scenario does that mean that my diner is now classed as part of the kitchen so i cannot connect off the light in my dining room either
thansk for your help
andy

Taylortwocities · 30 May 2010

andy21275 said:
i had the house completey rewired last year the sparky did not put the upstairs ring main on a rcd, but thats another story.

Unless you are confusing the terminology then the rewiring work will not comply with Wiring Regulations. Did you get any paperwork when the rewire was done?

CAn we see a picture of the consumer's unit please as all circuits should be on a RCD if the work was done since the beginning of 2008.

PS Here are the differences between and MCB, RCD and RCBO. They do different things.

Untitled

Taylortwocities
27 Mar 2010
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seasickstevie · 30 May 2010

Taylortwocities said:
all circuits should be on a RCD if the work was done since the beginning of 2008.

Are you sure

andy21275 · 30 May 2010

I did get paperwork for the install, i was told that it could be wired on the 16th edition as i had afew months to go before the 17th edition came out.

I will look into in any case

andy21275 · 30 May 2010

putting the edition of wiring behind, my last question was

ok, so i have a kitchen / diner in one, knocked the wall out between them to open up space, with this scenario does that mean that my diner is now classed as part of the kitchen so i cannot connect off the light in my dining room either
thanks for your help
andy

seasickstevie · 30 May 2010

An interesting question!

In a bathroom, there are distinct zones measured from the bath on shower tray. Beyond the zones the restrictions are relaxed. But strangely there doesn't appear to be any distinctions as to where a kitchen ends if there isn't a conventional wall and door.

I've often wondered this as I have the same situation with my own kitchen / dining room / study. All very open plan.

electronicsuk · 30 May 2010

andy21275 said:
putting the edition of wiring behind, my last question was

ok, so i have a kitchen / diner in one, knocked the wall out between them to open up space, with this scenario does that mean that my diner is now classed as part of the kitchen so i cannot connect off the light in my dining room either
thanks for your help
andy

From Approved Document P:

Approved Document P said:
Kitchen is defined in the Building Regulations as ‘a room or part of a room which contains a sink and food preparation facilities’.
As a guide only, in open plan areas the zone of a kitchen may be considered to extend from the edge of the sink to a distance of 3m or to a nearer dividing wall.

However, as far as the regulations are concerned, a kitchen is deemed to be a room containing a sink and food preparation facilities. By that definition alone, an open-plan kitchen diner is still a single room, as there are no defined boundaries or walls between the two areas.

Neither Approved Document P or BS7671:2008 are statutory documents. It would at least help if there was some continuity between the two, but of course, that's rarely the case. It's up to you to make a call, and personally, I'd go with the 3m guide from the approved document.

andy21275 · 30 May 2010

thanks for ur help guys

that put a answer to that question, as my dining room light is 2m away from the sink i cannot take a feed off that light either. looks like i will have to take a fcu off my radial that is going to feed my sockets and link the light up that way. i was hopingto put the first rcd protected spur coming from the power upstairs under my kitchen sink units but am told i cant do that, so gota find another location for it to go.
cheers for ur help

electronicsuk · 30 May 2010

andy21275 said:
that put a answer to that question, as my dining room light is 2m away from the sink i cannot take a feed off that light either. looks like i will have to take a fcu off my radial that is going to feed my sockets and link the light up that way.

This is one of those situations that highlights the problems with notification and part P. Taking the feed for the conservatory lights from the existing lighting circuit would be a far better solution. It would be a shame if you had happened to take a feed from the dining room before you knocked through and made it into a kitchen...

ColJack · 30 May 2010

spur from the ring is better.. that way at least the cables will be RCD protected..

( downstairs ring at least should be RCD protected if installed to 16th )

1john · 30 May 2010

Perhaps you can get an electrician to assist you, ie, check what you have done in stages, and connect, test and sign it off?

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Conservatory Electrics

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