Confused about installing a FCU into a ring main.

[docboardman]

I'm installing a dual fuel heated towel rail. It will have an electric element in it to be used in the summer when the central heating is off.

In the room adjacent the bathroom there is a suitable socket I can spur off to run a cable to the site (outside the bathroom) where I plan to install a Smith's Timeguard FST11 or 17. I'm happy about how to do all of that.

I've just been told that, rather than running a spur to Timeguard, I can extend the ring main to it. If I do that, and the fuse blows for some reason, won't that switch off the whole ring?

 

[Adam_151]

You must put both legs of the ring in the supply terminals

 

[docboardman]

Thanks Adam_151!

Ah. Okay, it all makes sense now. I didn't look at the terminals on the back of the Timeguard correctly.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Lectrician]

I would just run a spur if it was me. Do you ever invisage wanting to take a further spur from the timeguard or the original socket? If not, just run a spur. easy.

 

[wingcoax]

As Adam151 says put both legs in the supply terminals and the fuse will only protect the load and not cut all the rest of your circuit off.

 

[Taylortwocities]

I hope that this circuit is protected by an RCD?

 

[docboardman]

Lectrician -

Thanks for that. I would have just spurred off an existing socket. But the wall is all exposed and it's easy to get to all the cabling. If I'm running one cable I might as well run another one. It will be straight forward to extend the ring.

The project has been dormant for a while and the previous electrician has gone to Australia, so I had to find a new guy. The new electrician is Part P certified and comes with a recommendation from someone I trust. We looked over the job and he suggested that he would do it this way. I'll lay in all the cabling and then he'll check it out and do the second fix. If his inspection discovers that I've done anything wrong then I'll have to redo it.


wingcoax -

Hi and thanks. After Adam_151's post I studied the connections on the back of a normal FCU. Don't know why I didn't see it before, but it was pretty clear after some thought.


Taylortwocities -

The whole house has been rewired and a new consumer unit put in. All the circuits are protected by RCDs.



Thanks everybody for your comments and help!