Fireplace wiring safe?

[Tommyt001]

Hi, sorry for the first post been a how to! But I'm completely unsure on this one.

Moved in to a house and these are the wires by the electric fire

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• Tommyt001
• 18 Aug 2014
• 1

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• Tommyt001
• 18 Aug 2014
• 1

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• Tommyt001
• 18 Aug 2014
• 1

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• Tommyt001
• 18 Aug 2014
• 1

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• Tommyt001
• 18 Aug 2014
• 1

My proposal is to connect the negative into the back of the socket with a fuse along with the earth from the fireplace wiring and positive cable that comes from the switch that is already in the cage. I would then connect the positive of the fire into the cheeseblock connector.

Is the practical or safe?

Thanks in advance

 

[Jackrae]

Wow some really old plated multi-strand PVC twin and earth. It was a pleasure to work with that stuff before the "you can't do it that way" committee came along.

Absolutely no idea what you are trying to do so perhaps a better description would help

 

[Tommyt001]

Sorry it's hard to explain.

I have a fireplace with a 3 pin plug, I don't want to have the wire on show going to a plug socket to turn it on and off.

There is a switch in the wall which I want to use to be able to turn the fire on and off. This switch has two red wires going to socket with a fuse on. The electrics are going around in a ring main and the fused socket is where they all meet.

I want to be able to wire in the fire so I am able to switch on and off via the switch that's in the wall.

If that is at all possible with the wore configuration that is there?

 

[Ricardus]

Sounds like you want to replace the 13a socket with a FCU (Fused Consumer Unit) - something like this?

 

[Tommyt001]

Yes I want to use that on the left so I am able to switch on and off but want to wire it in where the fused faceplate socket is so that's all hidden
Behind the fire if at all possible

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• Tommyt001
• 18 Aug 2014
• 1

 

[sparkwright]

Looks to me like you can wire your fire into that unswitched fused spur on the right.

However, you need to intercept those switch wires that go to the switch on the left.

The feed switch wire gets connected to the output of the fused spur. The switch return wire gets connected to a connector block along with the live on the flex on the fire.


Unless anyone can see a better way?

 

[Tommyt001]

So I would connect

Fireplace wire into neutral and ground into right socket, live into the cheeseblock from the switch

Other wire from switch into the live in right socket?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

There is a switch in the wall which I want to use to be able to turn the fire on and off.

What's the switch used for now?

This switch has two red wires going to socket with a fuse on.

Is that the cable lying loose in the back box?

Why isn't the box for the switch earthed?

The electrics are going around in a ring main and the fused socket is where they all meet.

Are you sure?

My proposal is to connect the negative into the back of the socket with a fuse along with the earth from the fireplace wiring and positive cable that comes from the switch that is already in the cage. I would then connect the positive of the fire into the cheeseblock connector.

It's not "positive and negative" - you have an AC supply, not DC, and the voltage between neutral and line (often called live) varies from -325V to +325V 50 times a second.

Is the practical or safe?

Why not replace the FCU with a switched one?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I have a fireplace with a 3 pin plug, I don't want to have the wire on show going to a plug socket to turn it on and off.

So where and how are you going to run the flex from the fire?

 

[Tommyt001]

I have a fireplace with a 3 pin plug, I don't want to have the wire on show going to a plug socket to turn it on and off.

So where and how are you going to run the flex from the fire?

I don't know this is what I'm confused about, I don't really know where to start

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Well you know you don't want the flex to be plugged into a socket - you must know what you'd like instead?

 

[Tommyt001]

I would like to somehow wire it all in to the fused socket so I am able to use the switch on the left to turn the fire on and off

The fire will be over the fused socket so won't see that at all

 

[sparkwright]

Looks to me like you can wire your fire into that unswitched fused spur on the right.

However, you need to intercept those switch wires that go to the switch on the left.

The feed switch wire gets connected to the output of the fused spur. The switch return wire gets connected to a connector block along with the live on the flex on the fire.

Doesn't this help you to connect it? The fire gets wired to the existing fused spur (via separate connector block).

 

[sparkwright]

So I would connect

Fireplace wire into neutral and ground into right socket, live into the cheeseblock from the switch

Other wire from switch into the live in right socket?

Didn't see this.

Electric fire neutral to load neutral of fused spur.

One of the switch reds to load live of fused spur.

Remaining switch red AND electric fire live together in a 15 amp connector block.

All earths in earth terminal(s).

May be an idea to test the switch wires for continuity first, as they appear to have been disconnected. Maybe there was a reason for that, perhaps they were damaged.

Can't see an earth wire at the switch. Is there one? ideally there needs to be one.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I would like to somehow wire it all in to the fused socket so I am able to use the switch on the left to turn the fire on and off

1) I don't see why you want an unswitched FCU and a separate switch.

2) How will the flex from the fire get to the switch?

The fire will be over the fused socket so won't see that at all

What will you do if you ever need to replace the fuse?