two sockets in cellar

[kgjb1952]

hi there have 2 sockets in cellar both have cable coming down wall to them from some were above (front room ) they were there when bought house ,they have both corroded i have isolated them both but when removed saw there was a hole in the sides of the sockets were the live and neutral wires were with a separate piece of each joined ,can you tell me why and do i have to do the same or can i just leave them as separates when i put new sockets on .

 

[Robin0577]

Without proper testing it is impossible to be sure, but it would appear likely that the sockets are on a ring final circuit (commonly incorrectly called a ring main).

If this is the case then yes, the additional cable is vital to maintain ring continuity, and continuing to use the circuit without it could give rise to dangerous overheating.

It could also be partway along a radial circuit, in which case the additional cable is still vital to maintain continuity to sockets further down the line. In this case though, you would probably find that some other sockets have stopped working.

In short, is 99% likely that the cable is there for a reason, so best put it back exactly as you found it, or get proper testing done by a sparks to establish if it could be safely removed.

 

[kgjb1952]

Without proper testing it is impossible to be sure, but it would appear likely that the sockets are on a ring final circuit (commonly incorrectly called a ring main).

If this is the case then yes, the additional cable is vital to maintain ring continuity, and continuing to use the circuit without it could give rise to dangerous overheating.

It could also be partway along a radial circuit, in which case the additional cable is still vital to maintain continuity to sockets further down the line. In this case though, you would probably find that some other sockets have stopped working.

In short, is 99% likely that the cable is there for a reason, so best put it back exactly as you found it, or get proper testing done by a sparks to establish if it could be safely removed.

hi thanks for that ,while it is sperated and not being used nothing else has stopped working ,but will put back as found ,cheers

 

[ban-all-sheds]

• http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=electrical+circuits+101
  
  
• http://kevinboone.net/electricity.html
  
  
• http://web.archive.org/web/20080213151445/http://www.kevinboone.com/domesticinstallations.html
  
  
• http://www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:books
  
  
• http://www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics