3 Single Sockets running off a Unswitched FCU, Is it Ok?

[mdbalson]

I wanted to check if this would be ok?

(All of this will be in the Wardrobe in the Main Bedroom, Which is a Fitted Wardrobe with a double socket in it. (The double socket in the wardrobe was the Only socket in the Main Bedroom, before I added another double socket as a spur outside the wardrobe)).

I added an unswitched FCU into the Upstairs Ring Main, (next to the double socket in the wardrobe)

The FCU would have a 13 amp Fuse.

What I want to do is:

Run a length of 2.5mm T+E from the FCU to a MK Ring Main JB (the JB would be near the ceiling)

Then run a length of 2.5mm T+E from the JB up into the Loft to fed a Single Switch Socket.

Then I wanted to run another length of T+E from the JB, and clip along the wall near the ceiling, and into the Side Bedroom (via a hole in wall, near the ceiling) to fed another Single Socket.

Then I was going to run a length of 2.5mm T+E from the Single Socket in Side Bedroom, back into the Wardrobe (Via same hole in wall, near the ceiling), and clip it along the wall near the ceiling, to fed another single socket outside the wardrobe (Near the ceiling).

So this would mean there would be Three Single Sockets running off of the FCU.

So it would be like this:

FCU..........MK Ring Main JB...........Single Socket up in the Loft

and

FCU..........MK Ring Main JB...........Single Socket in Side Bedroom...........Single Socket in Main Bedroom


The loads on the Sockets would be:


Loft Socket

To power Wall mounted Network Patch Cabinet (Via Surge Protected Ext. Lead, fixed to wall)

Cabinet

A 24 Port Network Switch (Low Power consummation)

A Wireless adsl Modem/Router (Very Low Power consummation, as powered via a step-down transformer)

and

A 4 way TV dist. amp (Low Power consummation)


Single Socket in Side Bedroom

A LCD TV

A Freeview box

A DVD Player

and

A Video Player


Single Socket in Main Bedroom

A LCD TV with a Built-in DVD Player

(Only)

 

[JohnD]

If you're doing all that hacking about, why not enlarge the ring using a dual box, or possibly by taking up the floor?

If you have a lot of work to do in the house and don't want to chase it in, you could use surface boxes and mini-trunking, and cut the walls the boxes next time you are decorating that particular room.

 

[mdbalson]

If you're doing all that hacking about, why not enlarge the ring using a dual box, or possibly by taking up the floor?

There is already a hole in the ceiling of the Wardrobe, that goes in to the Loft, from where I bought the CAT 5E and Coaxal cables down from the loft.

The the cables come from behind the skirting

There's not that much hacking about to be done, its only one hole in the wall to be done.

The way I was thinking of doing it, uses less cable.

 

[sm1thson]

(edit i was a bit slow and the above 2 responses came whilst i was typing, lol)

you are allowed to add as many sockets as you want to an FCU, but:

I am unsure on using a junction box, Im not sure if you are allowed to split a (fused) spure into too like this or if you have to follow the traditional route of going one socket to the next and so on? -can someone confirm? even if its technically allowed its not ideal, following traditions with electrics makes things easier and safer to work on in future. also junction boxes are crap, they must be accessible which is a pain and the job can be done without them.

as for the loading, i cant be bothered adding up estimates of all that equiptment, but if it is less than 13amp, what about when you plug the vaccum cleaner in? or when the boiler brakes and you have an electric fan heater blowing?

extend the ring, and put more sockets in than you suggest above.

edit:

The way I was thinking of doing it, uses less cable.

but it doesnt allow as much functionality, cable isnt expensive -changing fuses in the FCU will be a pain.

 

[mdbalson]

If you have a lot of work to do in the house and don't want to chase it in, you could use surface boxes and mini-trunking, and cut the walls the boxes next time you are decorating that particular room.

I was going to use Surface boxes, as all the Sockets Upstairs are Surface Mounted, and then I was going to clip the cable up near the ceiling, as I have done with the two coaxal cables that run through the wardrobe (Coaxal for the tv in: Main Bedroom, and Side Bedroom), as you will not be able to see the cables to much as they are in the wardrobe near the ceiling, and will be painted over.

 

[mdbalson]

you are allowed to add as many sockets as you want to an FCU, but:

I am unsure on using a junction box, Im not sure if you are allowed to split a (fused) spure into too like this or if you have to follow the traditional route of going one socket to the next and so on? -can someone confirm? even if its technically allowed its not ideal, following traditions with electrics makes things easier and safer to work on in future. also junction boxes are rubbish, they must be accessible which is a pain and the job can be done without them.

as for the loading, i cant be bothered adding up estimates of all that equiptment, but if it is less than 13amp, what about when you plug the vaccum cleaner in? or when the boiler brakes and you have an electric fan heater blowing?

extend the ring, and put more sockets in than you suggest above.

The Sockets in the two bedrooms will be up next to the ceiling, and the other one will be in the Loft.

The JB would be accessible, you would only have to move the boxes which would be on the shelf in the wardrobe.

 

[RF Lighting]

There is no problem with running three sockets off an FCU, but as others have said, leave the junction box out altogether and just loop from socket to socket.

You should have as few joints as possible, as joints can fail. It is very rare for an unjointed properly installed cable to fail.

 

[mdbalson]

There is no problem with running three sockets off an FCU, but as others have said, leave the junction box out altogether and just loop from socket to socket.

You should have as few joints as possible, as joints can fail. It is very rare for an unjointed properly installed cable to fail.

So it will be alright to run 3 single sockets off one FCU then?

 

[securespark]

(Low Power consummation)

Sorry, but that sounds painful....

 

[mdbalson]

Here is some pictures of how I did it in the end.

My TV Socket & my mum's TV Socket, are fed by the unswitched FCU.

My Brother's Tv Socket, is fed by the switched FCU.

The 2.5mm T+E for my brother's TV Socket runs from the switched FCU, up the wall of my mum's wardrobe (in trunking) into the loft, clipped along the rafters, down the loft wall, & down into my brother's wardrobe(in trunking), & into the double Socket.

The 2.5mm T+E for my TV Socket & my mum's TV Socket runs from the unswitched FCU, up the wall of my mum's wardrobe (in trunking), then it is clipped up along the wall of the wardrobe, to the hole in the wall which goes through into the back of my TV Socket, where it is wired into my socket, then another piece of 2.5mm T+E comes from my TV Socket back through the hole, where it is then clipped up along the wardrobe wall to where my mum's TV Power Socket is.

The cables for the FCUs

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/mdbalson/DSC00008.jpg

The wiring to the 1st FCU

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/mdbalson/DSC00010.jpg

The wiring to the 2nd FCU

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/mdbalson/DSC00009-2.jpg

The wiring to the double socket

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/mdbalson/DSC00011.jpg

The cables feding the 2 FCUs & the double socket

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/mdbalson/DSC00012.jpg

The 2FCUs & the double socket

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/mdbalson/DSC00013.jpg

The TV Power Socket in My Bedroom

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/mdbalson/DSC00303.jpg

Close up of the wiring in my TV Power Socket

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/mdbalson/DSC00304.jpg

The TV Power Socket in my brother's wardrobe

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/mdbalson/DSC00006.jpg

The Tv Power Socket in My Mum's Room

Will Post up Later

 

[jondiy]

mdbalson, I'm not sure whether you have put these pictures up for appraisal, or for some criticism??

Does'nt look too bad, however, would have been better to take your trunking directly up from the accessory, as the way you have done it will leave wires showing to the side of the spur. Perhaps you could have took the strunking straight to the floor, and notched out the cable entry points on the side of the trunking ??

The unclipped and surface mounted white 2.5 makes it look a little untidy, possibly could do with a length of trunking underneath the accessories to hide it? What's to stop a child pulling at them, and ripping the wires out of the accessories

Also, consider getting hold of a label printer to label your accessories , eg dymo/brother ,they are about £15 in argos, but give a far more professional look, and are very handy for lots of other things that need labelling too!

I know you think, ah well its all in a cupboard so no-one will see it, but thats not the point!

I am not knocking your work in any way, just pointing out a few suggestions in case you embark on some more diy. It's your house , so you can do as you please - but think of a potential future house buyer, who could be put off by amateur work - make it look just that little more professional!

 

[jondiy]

mdbalson, I'm not sure whether you have put these pictures up for appraisal, or for some criticism??

Does'nt look too bad, however, would have been better to take your trunking directly up from the accessory, as the way you have done it will leave wires showing to the side of the spur. Perhaps you could have took the strunking straight to the floor, and notched out the cable entry points on the side of the trunking ??

The unclipped and surface mounted white 2.5 makes it look a little untidy, possibly could do with a length of trunking underneath the accessories to hide it? What's to stop a child pulling at them, and ripping the wires out of the accessories

Also, consider getting hold of a label printer to label your accessories , eg dymo/brother ,they are about £15 in argos, but give a far more professional look, and are very handy for lots of other things that need labelling too!

I know you think, ah well its all in a cupboard so no-one will see it, but thats not the point!

I am not knocking your work in any way, just pointing out a few suggestions in case you embark on some more diy. It's your house , so you can do as you please - but think of a potential future house buyer, who could be put off by amateur work - make it look just that little more professional!

 

[mdbalson]

mdbalson, I'm not sure whether you have put these pictures up for appraisal, or for some criticism??

Does'nt look too bad, however, would have been better to take your trunking directly up from the accessory, as the way you have done it will leave wires showing to the side of the spur. Perhaps you could have took the strunking straight to the floor, and notched out the cable entry points on the side of the trunking ??

I would have liked to take the trunking directly up from the accessory, as I know the way I have done it may leave wires showing to the side of the FCUs, but there was all ready an other piece of trunking there, which has 9 of the Cat 5E network cables, which come from the network patch cabinet up in the loft & 8 go into my room, & 1 goes down into the hallway(there are 24 CAT 5E network cables, altogether, through out the house).

The unclipped and surface mounted white 2.5 makes it look a little untidy, possibly could do with a length of trunking underneath the accessories to hide it? What's to stop a child pulling at them, and ripping the wires out of the accessories

I will put a couble of clips onto the white piece of 2.5 T+E underneath.
I cannot use trunking underneath as the white cables only have a little bit of slak in them, as they are the origal ring circuit cabels.

Also, consider getting hold of a label printer to label your accessories , eg dymo/brother ,they are about £15 in argos, but give a far more professional look, and are very handy for lots of other things that need labelling too!

I will do that