Any advice or opinion on this setup

[SteveP86]

Hello folks

Before I start I would like to say I'm not a total idiot when it comes to electricity. I fully understand how important it is to ensure power is isolated and to not take chances etc.

I would like to ask your opinion on what I have in my home and for any alterations you may suggest?

I have the old style metal fuse box, the kind with fuse wire and 6 fuses (5,15&30amp).

Firstly

On the 15 amp fuse which is used to supply the garage with power I have a Brown Live 1.5mm cable coming out which goes to a junction box located approx. 12" along from main fuse box. Inside that junction box the Live, along with Neutral and Earth all have a 30 amp rated connector block attached to each. Leading off the L N & E there is again 1.5mm T&E which goes to a single switched socket. Not a spur/nothing spurred off it etc.

Secondly

Back in the junction box there is a second 1.5mm T&E where the Live is connected in along with the Live for the socket (twisted together) which goes off to a light switch where the Live is connected to the Common connection and the Neutral is connected to the 1 Way with a Brown marker on it to signify the Neutral is actually the switched live. This 'Live' Neutral back at the junction box also has a Brown marker to signify it's actually a Live. This Blue/Brown switched Live has its own 30A rated connecter block which feeds a 1.5mm Live out to a light with the 'True Blue' Neutral coming back to the junction box going into the Neutral connector block which goes back to the fuse box Neutral connector.

The light switch has the earth attached to the earth terminal and the light also has the earth wire connected to the earth terminal with all the earths coming back to the initial earth connected in the junction box.

I hope I have explained this clearly enough.

What I want to ask is what you all think of this in safety terms/current standards and would you change anything like perhaps completely separate the two and feed the light from the lights fuse and feed the socket from the main ring fuse?

I was thinking the socket may be ok with 1.5mm as it's a single socket which isn't a spur and should only need to draw 13 amp on the 15 amp rated cable? I personally only plan on using that socket for a PC to act as a media server which only has a 300w power supply.

As far as the light goes I was thinking of putting in a 5A fuse somewhere along the cable run.

What do you all recon? Safe as is? Rip out and do it differently?

To remove any doubt in case I'm confusing you by not making it clear, all external wiring visible with the junction box and fuse box closed is properly insulated, no bare blue brown or earth wires and is very tidily routed.

Many thanks for any valuable input

Steve

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Firstly
On the 15 amp fuse which is used to supply the garage with power I have a Brown Live 1.5mm cable coming out which goes to a junction box located approx. 12" along from main fuse box. Inside that junction box the Live, along with Neutral and Earth all have a 30 amp rated connector block attached to each. Leading off the L N & E there is again 1.5mm T&E which goes to a single switched socket. Not a spur/nothing spurred off it etc.

Radial socket circuits, ideally 2.5mm not 1.5mm.

Secondly
Back in the junction box there is a second 1.5mm T&E where the Live is connected in along with the Live for the socket (twisted together) which goes off to a light switch where the Live is connected to the Common connection and the Neutral is connected to the 1 Way with a Brown marker on it to signify the Neutral is actually the switched live. This 'Live' Neutral back at the junction box also has a Brown marker to signify it's actually a Live. This Blue/Brown switched Live has its own 30A rated connecter block which feeds a 1.5mm Live out to a light with the 'True Blue' Neutral coming back to the junction box going into the Neutral connector block which goes back to the fuse box Neutral connector.

The light switch has the earth attached to the earth terminal and the light also has the earth wire connected to the earth terminal with all the earths coming back to the initial earth connected in the junction box.

conductors should not be twisted together, they should be in connectors, this set-up would require connectors that can deal with the 15A rating of the circuit. As you have already pointed out blue conductors are often used as switched lives and sleeved to identify this and are not always neutral.

I hope I have explained this clearly enough.

Sound well explained.

What I want to ask is what you all think of this in safety terms/current standards and would you change anything like perhaps completely separate the two and feed the light from the lights fuse and feed the socket from the main ring fuse?

The socket circuit would be best served by 2.5mm conductors, as it stands the lighting part would likely be okay, if socket excluded.

I was thinking the socket may be ok with 1.5mm as it's a single socket which isn't a spur and should only need to draw 13 amp on the 15 amp rated cable? I personally only plan on using that socket for a PC to act as a media server which only has a 300w power supply.

It is likely to be electrically safe but BS7671 would be expecting any radial socket to have a CSA of at least 2.5mm/1.5mm. (T&E)

As far as the light goes I was thinking of putting in a 5A fuse somewhere along the cable run.

What do you all recon? Safe as is? Rip out and do it differently?

I have answered what I reckon.

 

[SteveP86]

Thanks for the reply PrenticeBoyofDerry

For the sake of a tenner for a roll of 2.5mm I think I'll take a feed off the main socket circuit in the fuse box direct to the socket in question that way the socket and light are separate. We're talking max 1 meter cable run max. As far as the 5A lighting circuit is concerned there's simply too many cables in there to squeeze another one into the supply so I'll add a FCU along the way and keep it on the 15A garage supply.

Does that sound acceptable in respect of current regulations?

PS again Re: Regulations is tagging a lighting circuit Neutral as a Live acceptable or should it be Twin Live w/earth?

Again thank you

Steve