Can I add a socket here?

[sparkwright]

There are 10 outlets on the board and 20x2.5mm going into the bottom. Make sense?

No.

Not all circuits use 2.5 mm2 cable.

 

[JohnD]

and not all circuits are rings.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

And you seem so unsure of really basic stuff, like cable sizes, the importance of MCB ratings rather than colour, circuit topologies etc, the fact that you think you can divine how many cables go to an MCB by dividing the total number by the number of MCBs and so on that you really should not be doing electrical work, particularly as for this job you are required to obtain Building Regulations approval first, and to do that you'll have to explain how you'll comply with Part P of the regulations.

I strongly urge you to either put this job on hold until you know a great deal more, or to get an electrician.

• http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=electrical+circuits+101
  
  
• http://kevinboone.net/electricity.html
  
  
• http://web.archive.org/web/20080213151445/http://www.kevinboone.com/domesticinstallations.html
  
  
• http://www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:books
  
  
• http://www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics
  
  

 

[ban-all-sheds]

BTW - this is so ludicrous

Firstly you need to determine the size of the fuse or mcb at the consumer unit which serves this circuit.

the colour of the mcb is a light grey colour if that helps?

that I strongly suspect it's only benefit of doubt at this stage which stops you from being branded a wind-up merchant.

 

[ericmark]

In theroy with 2.5mm sq cable feed from a B16 MCB already RCD protected there should be no problem in adding a socket to same circuit.

However there are some things which make me wonder if all is as it seems as one would not expect to have a single FCU supplied by two cables from a B16 MCB.

If the house is wired to date A1 then there is no problem. However we don't know if the installation is A1 or not and as already stated a washing machine is a large load. If an electrician was doing the job he would before starting test the outlet with his loop impedance tester and this would tell him what volt drop will result and if it will be within the allowed tolerance. However most DIY guys don't have test equipment and so in the main they just take a chance.

Since you ask the question I will assume you don't want to take a chance? So what can go wrong.

The chance of overload with a B16 MCB is small but loss of supply to a central heating boiler can cause overheating as the pump stops running so that is first problem.

The other is the volt drop. The washing machine may induce spikes into the line and upset the electronics in the boiler.

Likely neither will be a problem but until tested you will not know.

As to Part P I have seen no reference to location so this is unknown.

We would like to say "Yes go ahead" but really we are only guessing so you have to decide we can't do it for you.

 

[Space cat]

Its only the boiler on that circuit atm

Do I see two white cables coming out of that FCU?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

As to Part P I have seen no reference to location so this is unknown.

Well - Part P applies to the work no matter where it is.

I agree it may not be notifiable - in what I said above I assumed that boiler + W/M = kitchen, which was wrong of me, it could be a utility room.

But I stand by my overall conclusion - I don't think the OP knows enough to be doing this.

 

[trickymicky69]

Sorry people I should have made my question clearer.

Would it be easy enough/cost effective FOR A SPARK to put a socket in the UTILITY for a washing machine?
So boiler and washing machine on its on part of the board?

I just want to be clued up so I dont get ripped off.

Apologies for the vagueness yesterday, its very dark under the stairs.

And yes its two wires coming out of the FCU to the boiler, is that wrong?

Thanks

 

[JohnD]

a spark can do it but might have to change the wiring

two cables in the FCU might be incorrect depending on how it is done.

 

[trickymicky69]

change the wiring?

 

[JohnD]

we don't know for sure what size it is, or if it is wired as a radial or a ring, or if the extra cable coming out of the FCU goes off and feeds something else.

If it is on a 16A MCB you could put a washing machine and a boiler on it, but you couldn't add e.g. a tumble drier as well or it would overload and trip.

 

[trickymicky69]

after closer inspection its wired as two lots of t+e 2.5 mm into the fcu (this is the only circuit on the mcb)

there is one 2.5mm t+e coming down from the room stat but i cant see where it goes

and the fuse in the fcu is a 3 amp

making any sense?

i am going to get an electrician to do it but not if it involves lots of messing around