Extending ring main in kitchen??

[get-a-fix]

Hi,

I only have two power points in my kitchen. The first is a large one that supplies power to my cooker and has a power point on it. The other is a regular power point. Both have a black cable, a red cable and an earth cable. If I wanted to extend the ring main I would put a 30amp junction box on each side extend the three cables into the 30amp junction boxes on either end and then I can add the extra power points in between these junction boxes connecting each cable ie red to red, black to black and earth to earth. The last connections will connect back into the junction boxes thus completing the ring main? is this correct?
thanks
Andy

 

[fireman22]

are you saying you have two cables or three, if there is a larger cable feeding cooker this is probably a 6mm cable

 

[JohnD]

Forget (sorry Fireman, didn't mean you) about the cooker outlet. that is (should be) a dedicated circuit for the cooker and not part of the ring.

How many cables go into the other socket?

When you look at your consumer unit (fuseboard) how many circuits does it have, what names are they labelled with, and what printed numbers or colours are the MCBs or fuseholders?

 

[get-a-fix]

Hi,

fuse no 1 = cooker = red
no 2 = 1mm heater = blue
no 3 = lounge dining = blue
no 4 = bedrooms = blue
no 5 = 5A 5W skts = white
no 6 = lights = white

the socket has three cables. Black, red, earth.

The cooker power point has an on/off switch for the cooker and a power point with an on/off switch for the power point. Previouse owners have spured off the cooker point because if I turn the cooker switch off it also isolates a double power point in the kitchen.

I am moving my cooker to the otherside of the kitchen can I extend the cooker socket?

Thanks
Andy

 

[JohnD]

It sounds like (3) and (4) are for your sockets, and like you have a Wylex fuseboard.

Red (1) means 30 amps, which is OK for an electric cooker unless it is very large (like a range cooker with 2 ovens and 6 rings).

Blue means 15Amps, which is Ok for your immersion heater (2) but unusually low for sockets (3) and (4) It is possible that your house is not wired with rings. It might be very old wiring. and so it may not be safe to extend it

White is 5amps, which is correct for lighting (6), I don't understand what the other one (5) does (it shouldn't supply ordinary sockets)

the reason I was asking about cables into the socket, is that a socket in a ring will have two cables going into it, each containing a red, a black and a gree&yellow wire (colours may vary). I gather from what you say that there is only one red, one black, and one green/yellow. That means the socket is not in a ring so you cannot extend the ring or add a spur to it. Sorry.

Apart from getting a qualified electrician in to puzzle out how your installation works, the quickest, cheapest and easiest way to get additional sockets is to plug in one of those multi-way adaptors having 4 or 5 socket outlets.

How old is the house; how long have you had it?

 

[get-a-fix]

Hi John,

It was built in the 70's. I have had it for 2 years. If I plug a 5 way extension cable into the socket( which is under counter hight) and then extend a socket off each plug can I then build the sockets into the walls? ( I know this is not ideal but at least each socket will be double fused).

Thanks for the replys
Andy

 

[securespark]

Sounds like the best thing you can do is ask a qualified spark to carry out a PIR for you.

 

[get-a-fix]

Thanks mate will do.

 

[JohnD]

...It was built in the 70's. I have had it for 2 years. If I plug a 5 way extension cable into the socket( which is under counter hight) and then extend a socket off each plug can I then build the sockets into the walls?...

No, you can't. Sorry. A multiway extension will just be a convenience until you get a proper fix. I agree with Securespark. Unfortunately your installation sounds quite irregular and does not inspire confidence.

If you are remodelling the kitchen this is a good time to get the wiring sorted out, with plenty of new sockets, probably on a new circuit. There are likely to be other oddities around the house which an inspection will find.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It is possible that your house is not wired with rings.

It is possible, but there is nothing intrinsically wrong with that.

the reason I was asking about cables into the socket, is that a socket in a ring will have two cables going into it, each containing a red, a black and a gree&yellow wire (colours may vary).

So will each socket, except the last, on a radial.

I gather from what you say that there is only one red, one black, and one green/yellow. That means the socket is not in a ring so you cannot extend the ring or add a spur to it. Sorry.

It might mean that the socket is the last one on a radial circuit, in which case he can extend it (although not as he planned), subject to floor area served.

 

[get-a-fix]

Thanks all for the replys Ive decided to get an electrician in to quote me on a new ring main for the kitchen with four double sockets, cooker power move four downlights and a light switch move and new junction box. what should I expect got one quote on the phone for 800?

The floor area of my kitchen is about 16m2.

Thanks
Andy

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Thanks all for the replys Ive decided to get an electrician in

Make sure he's registered to be able to self-certify compliance with the Building Regs.

what should I expect got one quote on the phone for 800?

Nobody can properly quote without seeing the job, the layout, the condition of the existing wiring etc.

So you can probably guess how reasonable a price of £800 given over the phone is.

 

[Steve]

800 is very low. expect between 2000 and 4000 for a proper job - depending on the size of the house, how much work you could do yourself, the nature of the install, and where in the country it is.

EDIT: this is for a full house rewire. kitchen rewire will probably be less but this depends how much the electrician likes you

 

[get-a-fix]

I am looking to get the main board replaced and a new ring main in the kitchen. then when I have more cash I can get each room done seperately. I live in Warwick.