Cutting Into Ring Main For Spur

[Benarty]

Hi,

I want to break into one of our ring mains to add a spur and have I two questions.

1. The break in point is between the last/first socket in the ring main and the consumer unit. Any problems with this? (There are no other spurs on this ring main).

2. I will be placing the new spur next to a socket on a different ring main, so any suggestions on how I should lable the socket for safety? I cannot take the spur from the adjacent socket as I need it to come from the other ring main to plug in an ethernet powerline adapter. Powerline adapters plugged into the the same ring main double the speed of the connection. I have tested this.

Confirmation of the safety aspects would be appreciated.

Ben

 

[riveralt]

Hi,

I want to break into one of our ring mains to add a spur and have I two questions.

1. The break in point is between the last/first socket in the ring main and the consumer unit. Any problems with this? (There are no other spurs on this ring main).

No - but do you have sufficient slack in the cable to join them in the back of the new double socket? By the way you will be adding to the ring final circuit not adding a spur.

2. I will be placing the new spur next to a socket on a different ring main, so any suggestions on how I should lable the socket for safety? I cannot take the spur from the adjacent socket as I need it to come from the other ring main to plug in an ethernet powerline adapter.

There are no safety problems with the additional socket and its up to you whether you mark it or not. Whenever you turn the power off to a circuit you should always check it is dead anyway.

 

[Benarty]

"No - but do you have sufficient slack in the cable to join them in the back of the new double socket? By the way you will be adding to the ring final circuit not adding a spur".

Perhaps I was not clear in my first post. I am looking to cut into the cable between the last/first socket and the consumer unit, add a junction box and run a new cable from the junction to the new socket. Everything is easily accessible in the attic to do this, but I cannot get a cable straight into existing socket as I have brick walls. Still OK?

Ben

 

[riveralt]

Perhaps I was not clear in my first post. I am looking to cut into the cable between the last/first socket and the consumer unit, add a junction box and run a new cable from the junction to the new socket. Everything is easily accessible in the attic to do this, but I cannot get a cable straight into existing socket as I have brick walls. Still OK?

So your RFC is in the loft and this is were you will make the cut/junction box - then run visible cable to the double socket - which one assumes is surface mounted.
Okay but make sure you use the right size jb 30Amp or above and the right size cable 2.5mm2 T&E. If the cable is not visible, buried less than 50mm below the surface or not run in the safe zones then the cable must be protected mechanically or additionally protected by an RCD.

 

[radweld]

The big advantage of powerline is that you use existing wiring - so it seems a little perverse to be adding sockets specifically for powerline. You may have other reasons, but if you're primarily doing this to provide the Ethernet connection, running some Cat5 cable would seem an easier solution and provide better performance.

 

[Benarty]

The big advantage of powerline is that you use existing wiring - so it seems a little perverse to be adding sockets specifically for powerline. You may have other reasons, but if you're primarily doing this to provide the Ethernet connection, running some Cat5 cable would seem an easier solution and provide better performance.

Yes I have looked at all of the options and running Cat5 would appear simpler, however:

The router is in the old part of the house with solid brick, plastered and decorated walls. There is no way to get a Cat 5 from the router into the attic without running it on the surface or ruining the decoration. Instant divorce!

The new socket location is in the new part of the house with stud walls so very easy to drop a cable from the attic to the new socket location and break the other end into the ring main for the old part of the house where the 2.5mm cable to the CU, also in the attic, runs very close to the new socket location.

Hope this makes sense.

Ben

 

[xr4x4]

You do know that each power line adaptor can be plugged into any socket on the same fuse box and also extension leads..?

 

[Alarm]

You do know that each power line adaptor can be plugged into any socket on the same fuse box and also extension leads..?

I was just going to say that,
No need for a new socket if one is adjacent anyway.

 

[Benarty]

You do know that each power line adaptor can be plugged into any socket on the same fuse box and also extension leads..?

I was just going to say that,
No need for a new socket if one is adjacent anyway.

Yes, but you have missed the point of the first post. I have tested the adapters on every socket in the house and sockets on the same ring main give double the speed of sockets on separate ring mains. The speed is very good on separate ring mains, 40-50% about 80mpbs, but with occaisional buffering. On the same ring main the values are 80-100% 175mpbs and no buffering. This is why I want another socket on the same ring main.

Ben

 

[radweld]

There is no way to get a Cat 5 from the router into the attic without running it on the surface or ruining the decoration.

Fair enough. I assume you've also considered running from the router to another plug over powerline, then using Cat5.

You do know that each power line adaptor can be plugged into any socket on the same fuse box and also extension leads..?

The original poster stated there was an appreciable drop of in performance if the adapters are not on the same circuit. I have heard of powerline adapters failing to sync if they are on different circuits. Possibly various MCBs have a different effect on the data signal.

 

[plugwash]

I would also consider making the new socket a different color/style from the rest of the sockets so you can easilly remember which one it is.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

any suggestions on how I should lable the socket for safety?

Why would you need to label it?

 

[plugwash]

You are not required by regs to mark it but I'd say it's still a bloody good idea to make it distinctive in some way and then make mention of the fact that it is on a different circuit in the records you keep for your installation (you do keep records right.......... )

 

[Benarty]

any suggestions on how I should lable the socket for safety?

Why would you need to label it?

Simply to note that it is on a different circuit in case someone in the future switched of the MCB which has the label "sockets new extension" without double checking that they were all dead.

Ben

 

[EFLImpudence]

You could clearly mark the CU with the relevant information.