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There are discussions/uncertainties about how much total current a double 13A socket can supply (many believe that it is 20A). However, if you forget that complication and think just of single 13A sockets on a 32A ring, the fuse in the plug obviously provides the necessary protection (just as...

The way I see it, the MCB only needs to be rated to protect the parts of the circuit which draw the full current of the circuit. e.g. the cables themselves. For example, on a lighting circuit, there may be 2kw of lights. They all draw current from the same supply cable no problem. In a ceiling...

ok thanks. There are 17x50w recessed lights, 4x60w recessed lights, a chandelier with 8x40w lamps, two 40w wall sconces, one 40w pendant, 2 extractor fans and 4 more 40w lights. I don't wish to use any CFL's or LED lamps because they're overpriced and I don't like the stark light they produce at...

Hi, I have a 10a MCB in my consumer unit for all the upstairs lights. The total load of all the lights commonly used at the same time is around 8 amps. The cables are 1.5mm for the main feed to the attic, and 1mm from light switches to individual sets of lights, clipped direct (attic). I'd like...

Also, technically, 30ma RCD protection is only required for cables "buried less than 50mm in walls". There is no mention of ceilings (other than bathrooms). I guess it's because people don't hang pictures on ceilings. So, you could fit a 100ma RCD at the meter, with seperate 30ma RCD's in the...

yep, sure John I understand that. But in this case, I think we can treat it like a submain to a garage/outbuilding, and protect it by a 30ma RCD with MCB's protecting the individual circuits downline. Reason being, I can run the lights in the stairway (with the door to the garage) from the...

I don't get why this is a problem. There is no issue with all the circuits being on one RCD. It's only a bedroom, bathroom and garage. There is no kitchen, the smoke detectors will be connected to the existing house and I could use the existing garage lighting feed from the house to connect one...

ok, well, whatever happens, I need a submain because it needs to be separated from the rest of the house (metered or not), and a 10mm supply cable is needed. The CPC in the T&E is more than adequate as there is no supplementary bonding required to the structure or plumbing. As and when I come to...

They never got it to me. The electrician was a subcontractor to the main builder, the builder probably still has it in a drawer. At the time, I wasn't aware that you received a certificate for electrical installations. The CU has a label stating the installation has been tested, the date, the...

The house was rewired by a qualified electrician a few years ago. Due to the size of the property and layout, it was not practical or economical to extend the original ring mains or lighting circuits, so we decided to run separate radials, which is why there are so many circuits. It's actually...

right ok, I'm going to go ahead with 10mm. There's no way I'm running a 16mm cable or SWA through the inside of the house just for a few extension circuits, that's totally overkill. I could always run a separate 10mm earth CPC alongside it if anyone thinks that would be necessary??

can you elaborate? 10 metres of 10mm cable clipped on its own with no insulation is rated at 65 amps. A 45/50 amp isolator would be more than sufficient for a Cu with lighting and a dozen sockets, or do you mean that it needs to be RCD protected? It makes no difference to me, I'm not installing...

why?

it's a big area, and I'd have to take up a lot of the existing floorboards is all. Just not sure what most people do? Does flooring underlay usually provide enough sound proofing?

Alot of 50's houses were built with combined sewers. If the soil is clay, a soakaway will not work and would need to be so large that i would probably cause subsidence to the house, I had the same problem when building an extension, the council is usually aware of this situation, and allows you...

I'm just wondering why I have seen new homes built with fiberglass between the joists on the inside (e.g. upper floor or ground floor with insulated basement below) or in internal stud walls. Is this purely to reduce sound transmission? Reason being, I'm installing wood flooring upstairs in my...

It's fairly simple, all I need to know, is the earth conductor in 10mm T&E suitable to supply a CU only (it will not be bonded to any water pipes, extraneous components e.t.c.), and can a 10 metre T&E sub main be protected by a 60a switch fuse on a TN-S supply or is mechanical protection...

The existing house CU and wiring is to its limit as far as I'm concerned, I already have a 24-way crabtree board which is full, and I don't want to add or extend any more to what's there now. The supply is adequate, there's just a lot of small radial circuits to various parts of the house, so...

Hi, I'm just planning ahead whilst I'm redecorating and installing hardwood floors e.t.c. and want to run a cable 10 metres from my existing house's meter and CU between the upstairs floor joists to the other side of the house (where there is currently a garage which I'm planning on turning into...