Adding additional sockets

[Jadumantar]

I have a 4 bedroom house. I want to add a socket in each bedroom just below the ceiling to power TV in each bedroom. Adjacent to each socket, I would like to install TV aerial outlets powered by Antenna signal amplifier. The amplifier will be fitted in loft powered by another adjacent socket. For 5 additional sockets, this appears out of question.

I have read several posts on adding sockets but all talk of allowing just one spur from an existing socket on a ring mains.

In an airing cupboard on the first floor, there is a socket powering a shower motor and another outlet (an FCU, I think) for the hot water cylinder. I would like to take a spur off either of these outlets to feed the 5 sockets. Can I do this? If not, can anyone suggest an alternative way to add 5 sockets without having to employ an expensive electrician. In fact, one electrician I asked for a quote gave me a 9unaffordable) quote and said that he would take power from one of the sockets in the airing cupboard.

All help greatly appreciated.

 

[ericmark]

The reason for one socket per spur is to ensure it is not overloaded. Once you fit a FCU that stops any overload as the fuse would blow if it was overloaded. So once a FCU is fitted you can add as many sockets as you like from it's output.

Clearly I can't see exactly what you have but from your description you should be able to add the sockets using either of the existing FCUs.

If the supply to the FCU is from a 20A MCB or smaller then you could connect to either side. It is only for a ring circuit supplied from a 32A MCB where the restriction applies.

32A is too much current for a 2.5mm cable but with a single socket the 13A fuse in plug stops overload. All sockets on the ring are supplied with two cables that's why it is so important to ensure the ring is never broken.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

I am not sure if you can take a further feed from the supply to the hot water cylinder I would expect these to be connected independent of anything else.
*Firstly you/we need to know what type of socket circuit you have in your property on the first floor? As the two types of circuits (ring final circuit (RFC) and radial) can be dealt with in different ways. //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:socket_circuits
*So at your consumer unit what fuse/breaker rating is on the first floor circuit, is circuit labelled up, do you have a circuit chart or documents describing the circuit. If not how many conductors (wires) are fitted in to the live terminal of the fuse/breaker? (please isolate installation prior to removing any covers and do not go poking around at the main isolator switch or the end of the incoming tails)
*If the circuit is radial normally 20A with one 2.5mm T&E cable at board, you maybe able to extend it, but can spur from it.
*If RFC you maybe able again to extend or spur.
*Without knowing for sure what you have in place, a logical step would be to find a suitable socket outlet in one of the first floor rooms that is part of the existing socket circuit but not a spur, then install a 13A fused connection unit (FCU) next to this, take a feed/supply from the exiting outlet using 2.5mm T&E to the FCU, then you can take a feed up in to the loft space again I would use 2.5mm T&E for the addition/alteration of this circuit Then drop the cables to the point of installation accordingly.
Remember/be aware that cables must be kept in safe zones or buried at 50mm within wall, depth of chases in wall must comply to Part A of Building Regulations (No greater than one sixth depth of leaf/thickness of wall on the horizontal and one third on the vertical)
//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:installation_techniques:walls
*Also do you have RCD protection on this circuit, as it will be required?
Normally RCDs/RCBOs will be located at the board will state 30mA protection and have a test button on them. If you don't have 30mA RCD protection, then the FCU to be fitted can changed to one that has RCD protection.
* Also do not run your data/coax cable with the mains cable, keep them apart, as they can cause interference and they are likely to be rated at different voltages.

 

[Jadumantar]

I am not sure if you can take a further feed from the supply to the hot water cylinder I would expect these to be connected independent of anything else.
*Firstly you/we need to know what type of socket circuit you have in your property on the first floor? As the two types of circuits (ring final circuit (RFC) and radial) can be dealt with in different ways. //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:socket_circuits
*So at your consumer unit what fuse/breaker rating is on the first floor circuit, is circuit labelled up, do you have a circuit chart or documents describing the circuit. If not how many conductors (wires) are fitted in to the live terminal of the fuse/breaker? (please isolate installation prior to removing any covers and do not go poking around at the main isolator switch or the end of the incoming tails)
*If the circuit is radial normally 20A with one 2.5mm T&E cable at board, you maybe able to extend it, but can spur from it.
*If RFC you maybe able again to extend or spur.
*Without knowing for sure what you have in place, a logical step would be to find a suitable socket outlet in one of the first floor rooms that is part of the existing socket circuit but not a spur, then install a 13A fused connection unit (FCU) next to this, take a feed/supply from the exiting outlet using 2.5mm T&E to the FCU, then you can take a feed up in to the loft space again I would use 2.5mm T&E for the addition/alteration of this circuit Then drop the cables to the point of installation accordingly.
Remember/be aware that cables must be kept in safe zones or buried at 50mm within wall, depth of chases in wall must comply to Part A of Building Regulations (No greater than one sixth depth of leaf/thickness of wall on the horizontal and one third on the vertical)
//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:installation_techniques:walls
*Also do you have RCD protection on this circuit, as it will be required?
Normally RCDs/RCBOs will be located at the board will state 30mA protection and have a test button on them. If you don't have 30mA RCD protection, then the FCU to be fitted can changed to one that has RCD protection.
* Also do not run your data/coax cable with the mains cable, keep them apart, as they can cause interference and they are likely to be rated at different voltages.

 

[Jadumantar]

Gents, thanks. Much appreciated.