Hi all and thanks for allowing me to join. I would like to fit some extension sockets to an existing ring main (upstairs) as each bedroom hasn't sufficient ones. My question is what cable should I use? 13amp 2.5mm? An additional 2 to each room (3 bed house) as each only has one (cheap rewire job originally me thinks!!) Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Extension sockets
- Thread starter nosmoking
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The advise to a DIY person is different according to skills and existing set up.
For example with a house with no RCD protection I would advice replacing an existing socket with a RCD FCU then supplying new sockets from that. That's all well and good for bedroom but in a kitchen it may need a different approach.
So step one is to find what you already have. Have you got rings or radials, fuses or MCB's and is there already RCD protection.
Any socket needs some testing and there hardest problem with DIY people is to explain how to test the ring is complete.
Start by reading Wiki then ask your questions.
For example with a house with no RCD protection I would advice replacing an existing socket with a RCD FCU then supplying new sockets from that. That's all well and good for bedroom but in a kitchen it may need a different approach.
So step one is to find what you already have. Have you got rings or radials, fuses or MCB's and is there already RCD protection.
Any socket needs some testing and there hardest problem with DIY people is to explain how to test the ring is complete.
Start by reading Wiki then ask your questions.
Eric is right.
The wonderful WIKI has a whole section called "extending a ring circuit".
It will tell you most of what you need to know.
The wonderful WIKI has a whole section called "extending a ring circuit".
It will tell you most of what you need to know.
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nosmo, do you understand how the way in which you install cables affects how much current they can carry? Given that you talk of "13amp 2.5mm", my guess is no. 2.5mm² cable can get down to a capacity as low as 13A, but if it did you wouldn't be allowed to use it for a socket circuit.
http://www.batt.co.uk/upload/files/4d5.pdf
Some of the details here are out of date, but the principles are still valid, and you can absolutely learn valid things from them. You will need to refer to the latest edition of the Wiring Regulations to get the correct data.
Do you know the rules concerning cables concealed in walls, partitions and under floors?
Where cables need to be joined, how should this be done / not be done and in what circumstances are different methods acceptable?
Can you correctly identify all components and connections of a circuit by method of testing or otherwise? In doing so can you identify or recognise anything wrong or dangerous with the circuit?
Do you know what tests you would carry out on the altered circuit - what sequence you'd do them in and at what point you would energise it, and for each test do you know what is being measured, why it is important, how you would carry out the test, and with what equipment, and what sort of results you would expect to get if everything was OK?
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/8.1.1.htm
The thing is this is not a trivial job, and I can assure you that it involves knowing more than you think it does.
Asking questions here can be a useful part of a learning process, but they are not a substitute for proper structured studying. The key term there is "learning process" - you cannot learn all the things you need to know just by asking questions here. It isn't structured enough - it won't provide you with a way to progress where each step builds on what you learned before.
You can't carry out a job of this magnitude by asking whatever random questions happen to occur to you. You've already shown that you have some dodgy misconceptions - what if you get something wrong because you have no idea your knowledge is wrong? What if you miss something because you simply have no idea it even exists, and just don't realise you don't know it?
http://www.batt.co.uk/upload/files/4d5.pdf
Some of the details here are out of date, but the principles are still valid, and you can absolutely learn valid things from them. You will need to refer to the latest edition of the Wiring Regulations to get the correct data.
Do you know the rules concerning cables concealed in walls, partitions and under floors?
Where cables need to be joined, how should this be done / not be done and in what circumstances are different methods acceptable?
Can you correctly identify all components and connections of a circuit by method of testing or otherwise? In doing so can you identify or recognise anything wrong or dangerous with the circuit?
Do you know what tests you would carry out on the altered circuit - what sequence you'd do them in and at what point you would energise it, and for each test do you know what is being measured, why it is important, how you would carry out the test, and with what equipment, and what sort of results you would expect to get if everything was OK?
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/8.1.1.htm
The thing is this is not a trivial job, and I can assure you that it involves knowing more than you think it does.
Asking questions here can be a useful part of a learning process, but they are not a substitute for proper structured studying. The key term there is "learning process" - you cannot learn all the things you need to know just by asking questions here. It isn't structured enough - it won't provide you with a way to progress where each step builds on what you learned before.
You can't carry out a job of this magnitude by asking whatever random questions happen to occur to you. You've already shown that you have some dodgy misconceptions - what if you get something wrong because you have no idea your knowledge is wrong? What if you miss something because you simply have no idea it even exists, and just don't realise you don't know it?
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