Do I need to add a fuse to fix this cowboy job?

[CallumReed]

Hello. I hope you are all well.

Wife wanted a socket changed in the kitchen so I did so. I found a cowboy job behind the faceplate.

It was a spur and the Earth was snipped. Then there was another cable going behind the wall (also had its Earth snipped) going up behind the cabinet, to connect to the extractor fan.

I managed to get the earths connected to my new socket and I have earthed the top lug of the back box to the faceplate.

My question is: if I want to keep 2 sockets here, do I need to fuse it or is the extractor fan connection ok?

Thanks.

 

[morqthana]

It's as if some people think the earth core is there just to improve the stiffness of the cable.

Anyway - 2.5mm is fine for a socket and a fan, no need to fuse it.

But you should sort out that connection shown in photo #4 (my money is on choc-block under that tape, but could be twisted conductors). Given the previous incumbent's attitude to earth continuity, you should check what's going on in case he didn't bother to connect it there either.

 

[ericmark]

Fill out the minor works certificate as a check, a feed in and out means either in part of a ring final, or part of a radial, but not a spur, pictures do not really help you need to test.

 

[CallumReed]

Fill out the minor works certificate as a check, a feed in and out means either in part of a ring final, or part of a radial, but not a spur, pictures do not really help you need to test.

I'm 99% sure the feed out goes to the fan. I will check again.

 

[Tigercubrider]

Earth sleeve wouldn’t go amiss.

 

[CallumReed]

But you should sort out that connection shown in photo #4 (my money is on choc-block under that tape, but could be twisted conductors). Given the previous incumbent's attitude to earth continuity, you should check what's going on in case he didn't bother to connect it there either.

I'll check and then swap the tape for a junction box.

Earth sleeve wouldn’t go amiss.

Yeah, I have sleeving now I'll put it on.

Thanks all.

 

[333rocky333]

The fan should be fused down and ideally double pole switched, likely where that black tape joint is you could replace with a switched fused connection unit on a surface box

 

[mikehammer69]

It's as if some people think the earth core is there just to improve the stiffness of the cable.

Anyway - 2.5mm is fine for a socket and a fan, no need to fuse it.

But you should sort out that connection shown in photo #4 (my money is on choc-block under that tape, but could be twisted conductors). Given the previous incumbent's attitude to earth continuity, you should check what's going on in case he didn't bother to connect it there either.

Fan should be fused

 

[morqthana]

Like it is when sold outside the UK you mean?

 

[mikehammer69]

Like it is when sold outside the UK you mean?

What does that mean

 

[ericmark]

When I came to work on my dad's house, I found spurs feeding spurs, feeding spurs, and not fused spurs. But except in the living room where he had used an electric fire, the wiring when ripped out was still showing no signs of over heating. In the living room the 7/0.029 cable was still A1, but the 2.5 mm² was showing signs of over heating, even when the 7/0.029 was much older.

But I look at this house, where the power used is monitored by the solar software, and other than the shower, it is very rare to use over 4 kW, never mind the 5 kW limit of the inverter, so even if a ring final is broken and is in real terms two radials, the chance of over load is slim.

However, we know we should not take a spur from a spur, and that doing so could cause problems latter, but then comes the rub, how to explain how to test, without an ambiguity, I know I am dyslexic, and so writing out an instruction set, it is so easy to make an error.

I am reasonable sure you have a spur from a spur, so you need to fit a fuse, I have done it by using the LAP grid system, so here I have a switched socket and fuse, in a double socket back box, I have the same in my shed, but not the easiest to install, as the units get in the way of each other's terminal screws. But it can be done.

 

[CallumReed]

The fan should be fused down and ideally double pole switched, likely where that black tape joint is you could replace with a switched fused connection unit on a surface box

That sounds like a good solution to retain the double socket, thanks.

I'll replace the black tape with "LAP 13A Switched Fused Spur Polished Chrome with Black Inserts" and a 25mm surface box. (I'm not sure if I can post links).

Thanks again all.

 

[securespark]

Like it is when sold outside the UK you mean?

Now, now Winston...

We're not abiding by Euro regs and standards here, we are abiding by BS7671.

Also, an accessible isolation switch would be useful for maintenance and convenience, rather than having to traipse to the CU in order to isolate the whole circuit. Chapter 53 refers.

 

[mattylad]

That sounds like a good solution to retain the double socket, thanks.

I'll replace the black tape with "LAP 13A Switched Fused Spur Polished Chrome with Black Inserts" and a 25mm surface box. (I'm not sure if I can post links).

Thanks again all.

Unless you can test and verify that your earth is connected all the way back to the consumer unit then you should not be using metal clad sockets, plastic ones should be used when the earth is either not connected or not confirmed.

 

[endecotp]

Unless you can test and verify that your earth is connected all the way back to the consumer unit then you should not be using metal clad sockets, plastic ones should be used when the earth is either not connected or not confirmed.

If the earth is not connected, you shouldn't have a socket of any description!

I recommend a cheap plug-in socket tester - go around the house and quickly check every socket. That will find any other unearthed sockets that the cowboy left behind.