moving a socket

mandsrees · Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 7:14 pm Post Subject: moving a socket

I have a single socket behind a wardrobe with 3 lots of power cables coming into it. I want to put a new socket a metre away how do I connect these cables I want to blank the existing socket off

plugwash · Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 7:18 pm Post Subject:

30A terminal block should be fine.

mandsrees · Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 7:53 pm Post Subject: Re: moving a socket

mandsrees wrote:

I have a single socket behind a wardrobe with 3 lots of power cables coming into it. I want to put a new socket a metre away how do I connect these cables I want to blank the existing socket off

plugwash
Do you mean that I put the 9 cables into the 30A terminal blocks

plugwash · Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 7:54 pm Post Subject:

you need to connect all lives together, all neutrals together and all earths together (you should end up with 4 of each once you add the ones from your new socket)

a 3 segement long peice of 30A terminal block should handle this connection job easilly.

RF Lighting · Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 7:56 pm Post Subject:

3 lives into one terminal
3 neutrals into another terminal
3 earths twisted togeter at the end and connected to the earth terminal in the socket back box.

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Steve · Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 12:59 am Post Subject:

RF Lighting wrote:

3 lives into one terminal
3 neutrals into another terminal
3 earths twisted togeter at the end and connected to the earth terminal in the socket back box.

I thought this was frowned upon.

RF Lighting · Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 1:56 am Post Subject:

Normally yes, but the earth terminal in some back boxes are not very good so twisting will ensure earth continuity is maintained

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festa · Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 9:56 am Post Subject:

Wow yeah....i can remember when i was training and my tutor screamed not to ever twist wires together .....mind you he even blew his top when he found a wire stripper in my tool bag.
He would only ever let us strip wire with the tips of our wire cutters.
In the real world like RF says sometimes twisting is the only way to get those wires in safely.

plugwash · Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 3:19 pm Post Subject:

maybe better to use another way in the terminal block to join the earths and then run a flylead to the box earth terminal (assuming the box is metal)

ebee · Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 4:08 pm Post Subject:

Hang about,
first you should check it`s a ring and not a branched radial (tree).
Even then, if it is a ring with a spur on = 3 cables (9 wires) then you would end up with two spurs at one place on a ring, that`s a no no.
Check it`s a ring then extend the ring to your new socket.
I could tell you how to do that but I`d preffer you to contact a pro for safety.
Do not twist wires together, double them, and leave a blank plate over the site of the existing socket in order to indicate it`s position and therefore likely cable runs, also it allows inspection of the strip connector at a later date.

plugwash · Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 4:11 pm Post Subject:

ebee wrote:

then you would end up with two spurs at one place on a ring, that`s a no no.

and what reg would this be or are you just repeating hearsay?

ebee · Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 4:16 pm Post Subject:

Ideally, all sockets on a newly installed ring would be on the ring itself, if spurring at any time, no more total spurs than sockets on ring, you may spur directly off the ring , or at point (socket say) or at the origin of the ring (the fuseway), only one spur at any one place (it`s a potential current draw problem if you use more), a point is either a single or a twin or a fused multiple.
The term spur I used above really means unfused spur, if you want multiple spurs off one place then it should be fused (ie 13Amp max = total of the spur itself)

plugwash · Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 4:20 pm Post Subject:

ebee wrote:

only one spur at any one place

i repeat my question can you give a reg that backs this up or are you just repeating hearsay?

also i don't see how two spurs from a place with no point is any worse than a spur from a point

ebee · Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 4:28 pm Post Subject:

It`s not a reg in itself as such that specifically says "Only one spur at any place on a ring final" or similar, it is an agreed CONVENTIONAL CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENT that is derived from design consideration of the regs in their entirety and that part is in itself with refference to current draw and overheating of the cables/terminals.
Like in a similar fashion I don`t think there`s a reg that specfically says "Don`t open a live socket and stick your finger in it" yet the regs do conspire to make this forbidden (much as you`d expect really).
No think about what potentially could be the current draw at the place on a ring where two unfused spurs are connected.

RF Lighting · Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 6:59 pm Post Subject:

ebee wrote:

I don`t think there`s a reg that specfically says "Don`t open a live socket and stick your finger in it"

Electricity at work act 1989

Regulation 14.

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