adding new sockets question.

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jcr71

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the garage is part of the main house and the consumer unit is in the garage. unfortunately there are no plug sockets in the garage.
i was wondering if i could place a couple of double sockets in the garage on a radial circuit and wire the new circuit straight into the existing downstairs sockets mcb in the consumer unit as a spur?
thank you.
 
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Are the downstairs sockets on a radial circuit or a ring circuit?

32 amp MCB? 20 amp MCB?
 
You can take a spur from the 32A MCB.
To this you can connect one single or double socket. You cannot add a second socket as this would be a spur from a spur.

There is a solution though. Wire the spur from the MCB to an FCU with a 13A fuse in it. You can then add as many sockets as you like from the load (output) side of the FCU. Note that the maximum current you will be able to draw would be 13A, but that should be enough for most general use.
 
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You can take a spur from the 32A MCB.
To this you can connect one single or double socket if you use 2.5mm² cable. You cannot add a second socket as this would be a spur from a spur.

There is a solution though. Wire the spur from the MCB in 4mm² cable You can then add as many sockets as you like. Note that the maximum current you will be able to draw would be 32A, but that should be enough for most general use.

Much easier. :)
 
Why not just extend the ring? Disconnect one end at the CU and put it into a junction box. Then from this junction box run 2.5mm cable to your first socket, then the second socket and finally back to the CU.

Rather than a junction box you could put a single socket at that point. Could be useful for something.
 
Why a junction box, or anything like that? You have a perfectly useful big enclosure- the consumer unit.
Three wago connectors and job done.
That’s assuming the OP wants to waste the earths copper resources by using twice as much cable than the needed for this addition of a couple of sockets.

But it’s always best to complicate an easy question. That’s your raision d’etre, isn’t it Whiny?
 
Last edited:
Extending the ring is always the best way. Whether twice as much cable is required depends on the lay out. Did it occur to you that using a shorter run of 4mm cable probably does not use any less copper?
 
Extending the ring is always preferable rather than spurring particularly if adding more than one socket.

The 4mm2 radial spurred from the ring at the cu is fine, though maybe a little confusing for testing, and baffling for the next man who is not familar with this arrangement (many will claim you can't do this).

Are there any spare ways in the consumer unit - the best way may be to add a new circuit for the garage.
 
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