Current kitchen wiring

[tonydadams]

This probably an easy one for the more technical off you but I am confused so help is required.

I am replacing my kitchen, being the safety freak that I am I turned of the downstairs sockets. The kitchen didn't turn off. I then turned off the upstairs and off they went. Why is this? is this right? Or has my house been wired by a blind man?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

No - it's been wired by someone who put the kitchen sockets on the same circuit as the upstairs ones.

Nothing intrinsically wrong with that, although the CU should have been properly labelled, and it's usually a good idea to have the kitchen on its own circuit.

What electrical work do you plan as part of the kitchen replacement?

 

[tonydadams]

I need to move the above work top sockets as they are way too high and there is currently no below work top sockets for appliances so I will need to add those too. The current sockets are in the ring and not spurs so I am assuming I can spur off each for below?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Is the socket circuit RCD protected?

How have you confirmed that the existing sockets are on the ring?

If the existing sockets are dropped from above, and you want to lower them you're going to have to rewire the circuit, so why do you want to add spurs rather than put the new sockets on the ring?

Do you know the rules for buried cables?

Will the new sockets be accessible points of isolation for the appliances?

What will you do about testing?

Are you aware that the work is notifiable, i.e. you have to apply for Building Regulations approval in advance?

 

[ebee]

I once saw a periodic stating upstairs sockets on downstairs circuit etc etc and this was not the case at all. The installer had not labelled them upstairs or downstairs circuits but had gone to great lengths to make it clear which sockets were fed by which circuits. Indeed in one room some were on one circuit andsome on another but the labeling back at the CU made it clear which was which.

In any sized dwelling I fit a minimum of two power circuits and two lighting.

Kitchen power being on its own circuit or perhaps kitchen power plus one bedroom, this is to help balance the loads a bit. Of course now with the dual RCD boards this is not always as helpfull as an up down split would be in order to have area A power and area B lights on one RCD and vice versa on the other RCD, mind you RCBOs come into there own then or even a triple RCD board