Spurs

Granville000 · Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 9:56 am Post Subject: Spurs

Can I install a small lighting cct for a dining room by tapping off the ringmain through a (5A) fused spur?

royster · Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 10:32 am Post Subject:

JohnD · Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 11:01 am Post Subject:

Circuit!

Yes. But you are right, it must be limited to 5A so the spur needs to be visibly marked to show what it is, and that it needs a 5A (no more) cartridge.

Probably a good idea to amend the label on the CU as well, from "32A Ground Floor Sockers" to "32A Ground floor sockets (includes 5A spur dining room rights)"

I hope you've got neat writing

Steve · Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 4:41 pm Post Subject:

JohnD wrote:

Probably a good idea to amend the label on the CU as well, from "32A Ground Floor Sockers" to "32A Ground floor sockets (includes 5A spur dining room rights)"

I hope you've got neat writing

that'll take up half the CU.

Granville000 · Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 5:30 pm Post Subject: Spur

Thanks, I will mark the spur.

As a matter of interest, has there ever been an mcb designed to plug into the old CUs to replace the wired fuse plug? I have a big house and all the original CUs (4) have wired fuses and, being under some stairs, are a s** to get at. Do you know of a midget electrician?

plugwash · Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 5:37 pm Post Subject:

if its a wylex standard then the breakers are easy to get. anything else and it gets tricky or impossible.

be warned though that breakers tend to neusense trip on lighting cuircuits a LOT more than fuses do!

JohnD · Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 6:54 pm Post Subject:

If the CU looks like this (may be brown, or grey if metalclad)

Then you can get plug-in MCBs (you have to change the plastic base that comes with them as it is not quite the same size as the same-coloured plastic base on the rewirable fuse). You can see they have brass prongs like the old fuseholder.

They may cost £7 each at Screwfix, but there are dozens on Fleabay every week from people who have just replaced their old Wylex box. The push-button MCBs are the 1970's version, the flick-switch are current. Both fit.

Wylex also make a retrofit 30A/30mA RCD kit accessory (catalogue ref WRF) which sounds very handy, but I have never seen one used.

(Agree with plugwash about nuisance tripping - every time a kitchen spotlight burns out, the MCB pops. None of my other lighting circuits do it as they don't have spotlights.