best way

[theo32]

hi guys this is my first post on here after a bit of advice on a few things

firstly i need to install a 2g socket and a 2way switch onto a chimney breast, are there any rules and regs regarding this? i was thinking from the heat point of view, its a real wood fire that gets quite hot

secondly i need to add more sockets to mu upstairs ring circuit, currently i have to 1g sockets in the room, ive taken the floor boards up and the sockets in the room dont link to each other so i cant reroute it that way, is the best way to cut into one of the legs of the first socket install a 30a jb, out of the jb to my new sockets then install another jb on one of the legs on my second original socket in the room.

is that the best way to go?

thanks lads

 

[securespark]

Sockets don't link to each other?

Have they got one cable at each socket?

 

[Dartlec]

Hi theo, and welcome.

To take your points separately.

There is no specific regulation about heat that I know of, but there is a general rule that equipment must be suitable for the environment in which it is installed, and that may cause a problem.

While the sockets may take the heat (can someone give the heat rating for a standard 2G socket?), heat and cabling does NOT mix well, and at best it will derate the current carrying capability of any wiring you put there.

Do they HAVE to go on the chimney breast? are we talking on the side with bricks in between the fire and any cabling? It may require some testing with a thermometer at the point where you plan to put them.

It would be useful to know more about the socket/switch and their purpose before giving further advice....

Regards your upstairs ring, if you indeed do have one ring then those two sockets WILL be connected together somewhere, though perhaps not under the floorboards.

If you break into the ring, you need to ensure you maintain its continuity as a single ring, and not introduce extra loops within it.

If you only want to add a couple of new sockets, and both those singles are on the ring, then you could run a single cable (spur) from each of those sockets to a new 2G socket. However, you cannot put more than one socket on each spur, and each socket on the ring can only have one spur from it (so max 3 sets of cables in any one socket)

Junction boxes can be used, but if so they have to remain accessible, and general good practise takes that to mean not under the floor, unless you are willing to have a clearly labelled hatch that will never be covered by carpet.

But assuming you were to do it with junctions boxes, the correct way is to divide the ring into two ends, put both into separate junction boxes ( you could do it in one if you keep them separate but thats not likely to be easy) and take a leg from each jb to continue the ring through as many sockets as you want.

so if you have A-----B where A is the previous socket on the ring, and B is one of the single sockets, you would have the following:

A----JB000000000JB------B
00000|00000000 |
00000C-------------D



If that makes sense. (ignore the cyan 0s, but the only way I could space the diagram out - they show where cable is NOT present)

There is I am sure a much better diagram in the FAQ/Wiki somewhere if you look.

 

[theo32]

hi thanks very much for your detailed reply.

as for the socket on the fire place i have decided to move the socket to a better location, no point going through all that when i can just move it.

and just to clarify on the ring circuit, when you have 2 legs going into socket A and 2 legs going into socket B, from socket A cut into one of the legs fit a jb, out of the jb round to my 3 new sockets then over to socket B cut into 1 of the 2 legs jb connect new leg from sockets.

thanks again