Double socket spur on chimney breast from socket in alcove

[KCalzone]

Hello there, I’m wanting to add a spur to a socket that’s on a ring circuit, the socket I’m spurring off is in the skirting board and in the alcove on the right of the chimney breast. It’s on a 32a RCD.
I’m after some help and ideas in the best plan of attack to route the wire as I can’t come up through the floor as there is concrete with a layer of brick on the floor of the fireplace. Or is there a good way round this?
I can chase walls in the alcove as everywhere is getting plastered but only the chimney breast is getting boarded, also where the fire WAS is gonna be boarded up so can run wires behind there then cover with capping when on brickwork in cente of wall. Please ignore the red arrow Thanks in advance!

 

[JohnD]

I think I would put a switch or FCU vertically above the existing socket, at the same height as your intended socket, or perhaps on the side of the chimneybreast, with the cable running horizontally to the socket. I would probably have a double unswitched socket where it will be behind your TV. Run any conduit for the speakers or accessories you will decide on later, horizontally as well, to outlets on the side of the chimneybreast where the connections will be unobtrusive.

Where do you think the cables for your existing sockets run?

 

[KCalzone]

Thanks very much for that reply. The cables come in from a hole in the bottom of the back box so I’m presuming at the moment until I check in the morning that they’re coming from underneath the floorboards. If the brick wasn’t in the bottom of the fireplace I would of come up through there I think.
Once I’ve ran the cable up vertically am I allowed to run a cable horizontally where 2 walls meet? Then carry on to the middle of the chimney breast? Cheers

 

[sparkwright]

Is the depth of the chimney breast greater than 300mm?

 

[KCalzone]

Yes the depth is slightly greater than 300mm

 

[sparkwright]

Is the socket for a tv or fire or something?

 

[KCalzone]

The socket is just for a tv yes. Cheers

 

[JohnD]

The cables come in from a hole in the bottom of the back box so I’m presuming at the moment until I check in the morning that they’re coming from underneath the floorboards.

If you can get at the cables under the floor you can interrupt and remake the ring without needing a spur.

 

[sparkwright]

Cables can be run vertically and horizontally in line with the sockets.

Cables can also be run 150mm from corners on walls. See 'cable zones'.

If you fit a switched fused spur unit on the 'side' of the chimney breast, you should be able to meet this criteria.

The switched fused spur unit will be useful to isolate the tv without having to pull the tv away from the wall.

 

[KCalzone]

Many thanks guys! The cables are underneath the floorboards

 

[JohnD]

I can't draw, but someone may sketch how you can (carefully) pull one cable out of two sockets and fit an extra one (or more) between them, enlarging the ring. It can be fairly easy if you have access under the floor and the cables are in conduit, or under capping, or you don't mind chipping the plaster away.

This is much better than sticking in junction boxes, which are not permitted out of sight under the floor anyway.

 

[KCalzone]

I think I’ve found a diagram for what you mean..Once isolated is the dotted blue line where I would cut to separate the wire into 2? The extended ring is now the orangey/yellow lines to where the additional 2 sockets are?

so anywhere on the ring between 2 sockets is where I could make this cut? I’ll obviously do it the closest to where I want to put my new socket though.

 

[securespark]

You don't have to cut cable and insert junction boxes.

If convenient, you could extend the circuit directly from the sockets closest to the junction boxes in the diagrams.

The fewer joints, the better.

 

[JohnD]

You don't have to cut cable and insert junction boxes.

If convenient, you could extend the circuit directly from the sockets closest to the junction boxes in the diagrams.

The fewer joints, the better.

absolutely.

that's what I had in mind.

try to take the cable out of the two sockets, and add a longer piece, run it to your new socket(s)

this is especially useful in kitchens, which benefit from a huge number of sockets and switches, typically run about 150mm above the worktop, all round the room.

In the diagram shown, it might have been possible to cut the blue cable half-way between the right-hand sockets, and use the cut ends to fit two new ones, in the places where the diagram shows JBs, then continue between them in new.

 

[KCalzone]

Right okay so for example, remove the wire that connects the 2 sockets that are already there.

From old socket 1 Put a new wire in up to the new socket
Then put another wire in the new socket that goes to old socket 2. Have I now extended the ring final?

Sorry to break it down step by step like that but Is that right? Thanks everyone.