Hello All,
After a power cut in my garage conversion (done some 10+ years ago by the owners-before-previous) and an examination into the electrics, I discovered a right disaster, posted elsewhere for others' general amusement:
//www.diynot.com/diy/threads/disaster-to-cheer-up-your-sunday-but-not-for-me.458126/
What we have here is basically this:
A garage conversion was done, basic construction seems okay, and some of the garage length was walled-off to provide a utility room. At the end of the garage is a little study, so the conversion basically consists of a study, a utility room, and then a garage.
I've traced all the wiring since the power cut, and I've learned (to my horror) that all the sockets in the conversion are fed from a single socket which is a spur off the ground floor ring main. Into that socket is connected a 5-gang adapter, into which there are a number of plugs. Those plugs feed four double sockets in the utility room, and a further two in the study. A plug also powers the lights in the study.
The appliances in the utility room are a fridge, a washing machine, a tumble drier, and a charger for the hand-held hoover. In the study it's just a computer, monitor and printer. They are connected to one socket via a surge-protected computer supply.
Needless to say I have disconnected everything for safety. Temporarily I have run a 2-gang extension cable from the socket in the garage, into which the fridge (3A fuse) is plugged. In the other socket, I've told the missus she can run either the washing machine or the tumble drier. When she's not using either, I can plug in me computer.
Now I have to get this sorted, and I'm going to have to engage a pro, as this is beyond me time-wise and would need to get it certified anyway. Please let me have any comments on the following:
1. Temporary fix (me):
To get rid of the extension lead I though I could fit a double-pole 13A fused switch with an RCD such as the one below onto the incoming spur:
http://www.screwfix.com/p/safetysure-13a-rcd-fused-spur-white/26963
I will then connect two of the double sockets in the utility room to that (I can access all the cables) plus one of the sockets in the study (I only need 1 socket). If the total load exceeds 13A then it will of course trip. Any issue with that? Or having an RCD on the spur when there's one in the main CU as well?
2. Permanent fix (electrician):
There is a spare bay on the CU which I could use to take a spur from and run into the conversion. Could I then get an electrician to fit a CU on the end of that spur, and then properly connect a new ring main and light circuit for the conversion to that?
Any comments very welcome, I hope you enjoyed reading this saga, and it didn't bore you to death...
Best Wishes
Jock
After a power cut in my garage conversion (done some 10+ years ago by the owners-before-previous) and an examination into the electrics, I discovered a right disaster, posted elsewhere for others' general amusement:
//www.diynot.com/diy/threads/disaster-to-cheer-up-your-sunday-but-not-for-me.458126/
What we have here is basically this:
A garage conversion was done, basic construction seems okay, and some of the garage length was walled-off to provide a utility room. At the end of the garage is a little study, so the conversion basically consists of a study, a utility room, and then a garage.
I've traced all the wiring since the power cut, and I've learned (to my horror) that all the sockets in the conversion are fed from a single socket which is a spur off the ground floor ring main. Into that socket is connected a 5-gang adapter, into which there are a number of plugs. Those plugs feed four double sockets in the utility room, and a further two in the study. A plug also powers the lights in the study.
The appliances in the utility room are a fridge, a washing machine, a tumble drier, and a charger for the hand-held hoover. In the study it's just a computer, monitor and printer. They are connected to one socket via a surge-protected computer supply.
Needless to say I have disconnected everything for safety. Temporarily I have run a 2-gang extension cable from the socket in the garage, into which the fridge (3A fuse) is plugged. In the other socket, I've told the missus she can run either the washing machine or the tumble drier. When she's not using either, I can plug in me computer.
Now I have to get this sorted, and I'm going to have to engage a pro, as this is beyond me time-wise and would need to get it certified anyway. Please let me have any comments on the following:
1. Temporary fix (me):
To get rid of the extension lead I though I could fit a double-pole 13A fused switch with an RCD such as the one below onto the incoming spur:
http://www.screwfix.com/p/safetysure-13a-rcd-fused-spur-white/26963
I will then connect two of the double sockets in the utility room to that (I can access all the cables) plus one of the sockets in the study (I only need 1 socket). If the total load exceeds 13A then it will of course trip. Any issue with that? Or having an RCD on the spur when there's one in the main CU as well?
2. Permanent fix (electrician):
There is a spare bay on the CU which I could use to take a spur from and run into the conversion. Could I then get an electrician to fit a CU on the end of that spur, and then properly connect a new ring main and light circuit for the conversion to that?
Any comments very welcome, I hope you enjoyed reading this saga, and it didn't bore you to death...
Best Wishes
Jock