Can I do this - 13A socket in loft, by RCD on Ringmain.

[Yarn]

Hi Guys, I would like some more much appreciated advice please..

Q1) Can I put a 13A socket in my loft? I have it boarded out, and am using it partly as a work shop. I do hobby electronics, so might want a soldering iron on or to recharge my power tools. (The loft is accessed by a temporary loft ladder. I have not converted it).

Now so far, I have resisted the temptation of using the easily accessible lighting circuit.

I have given it some thought and the easiest way to get electricity in to my loft would be to go outside, up the wall and into the soffit.

Q2) What type of cable must i use for outdoor, but fiixed to the wall of my house? (its second story so out of harms reach).

Assuming all the above is still ok, I will drill through the wall in my back bedroom (already have a hole actually from last owners electrics horror story). Now on the inside I was thinking of using a RCD FCU. I seen one at screwfix for about £20. This will have to be connected to my ring main.
Is this one ok - http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?id=14770#

I was hoping to use trunking to supply power to the FCU. I will have to go from FCU, along wall for about 10 CM then go round a corner, 1 Meter run back to existing socket.

Q3) how can I connect my spur to the socket? (e.g. Do i chase out a bit and take trunkking over this hole. ?)

Q4) would i need this to be approved by inspector?

Any help is much appreciated. I will try to answer any questions ASAP.

 

[didthathurt]

Ans 1: Yes you can - and I am glad you are made of stern enough stuff to have ignored the lighting radial for your power supply!

Ans 2: As to what sort of cable, if it is completely out of arms reach on a 2 storey house I would directly clip hi-tuf like this
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/HT2dot5slash3.html
If it is more vulnerable and liable to damage you might want to consider extra mechanical protection.

The issue of the RCD protected FCU will depend on whether the ring final you intend to use as your power supply is already RCD protected in your CU. If it is the RCD in the CU may trip before the RCD on the FCU anyway, so you will only need an FCU with a 13A fuse therein. A spur like this, from an upstairs socket doesn't actually need RCD protection. (Make sure the hole slopes down towards the outside of the house).

The internal trunking is OK. If I could, though, I'd take it through the underfloor void or chase it in.

Ans 3. That is what I would do.

Ans 4. No, you are adding to an existing cct and it's not in a special location so it is non-reportable minor work.

 

[breezer]

would it not be easier to run a t & E to the nearest socket in the room below? you could put the cable in trunking

 

[Yarn]

Thanks for the help.

I am glad that the job will be straight forward.

I have chosen the cabel route (outside the house) to save on decorating.
My floorboards are a nightmare as they are tongue and groove chipboard, although I might have a crack at it because it is in the corner of the room, however, i know from looking else where that the boards do not necesserily stop when they meet a party wall, so unlikley i will be able to get the required boards up with my current tools / experties. (there will be plumbing pipes near by too). As well as decorating, i cant chase the route as i forgot to say that the soil pipe is boxed in the corner of the room. Final thought, the trunking will be under 2 meters and at skirting board level, so will be quite descreet.

Looks like I can save £20 quid, my house an RCD consumer unit. Suppose no point in having another one. I would like a switch though at the FCU, so that I can be sure the power is off when Im off out for a while.

Thanks again for the help guys.

 

[Yarn]

I gotta tell you about the horror story thats already there..

The socket I will spur off already has a 'spur' coming out of a small hole beneath the socket. some flex has been used to go the route that I described, it cant be more than 3 amp cable. Iv seen thicker speaker wire. The flex is nailed down with cable clips every few inches. The flex is used to provide a plug socket next to the hole to outside wall.

The hole to the outside wall is 'covered' by a FCU empty white box. There is a halogen lamp on the outside of the house, its flex comes into the 'FCU' and passes straight through. The halogen lamp plugs into the dodgy socket. It sums up the last owners very well actually.

Come to think of it, this was done before part P and homebuyers packs. What would happen if I sold my house now without fixing this bodge? Does the bodge have grandfather rights (i.e. exempt becuase installed before law) ?

 

[Yarn]

would it not be easier to run a t & E to the nearest socket in the room below? you could put the cable in trunking

Nah, because of decorating and ceiling coving.

 

[didthathurt]

i forgot to say that the soil pipe is boxed in the corner of the room.

Why not run the cable up alongside the soil pipe then? Use T+E and save money (binning the old wire).

 

[Yarn]

Why not run the cable up alongside the soil pipe then? Use T+E and save money (binning the old wire).

Umm, yes i am interested, but would I go outside the soil pipe boxing? if so, what to do about the coving?

If inside the soil pipe boxing, I supose I could trunk up to the boxing.

I have never looked for the soil pipe in the loft its a part iv not boarded. might check it out.

Any advice?

 

[didthathurt]

I have run cables inside boxes alongside soil pipes before. You have to consider how the cable will be supported (if it's a long run and left hanging it can cause stretching of the cable at the top and thinning of the wire). With those considerations, it's a good point of access.

 

[Yarn]

Im just off to look in th e loft now.

The boxing is wallpapered so I will want to minimise access. Therefore it wont be easy to support the cable. I only want the smallest of holes in the bedroom (to be covered by trunking) so fishing the wire out from the box will also be dificult.

Im off to look now.

At least going outside does not affect any decorating. Im happy to pay for extra parts if I do not have to wall paper!

 

[RF Lighting]

These are absoloutly indispensable for this sort of thing

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Cable_Accessories_Index/Push_Pull_Rods/index.html