FCU spur on spur

[NeilBrookes]

My wife has bought a small chest freezer for our garage for which I need to add a new mains socket. However, on planning the job I've inspected the current wiring inherited with the house and I not sure whether it is currently within regulations.

Currently, a spur is taken from the ring main in the dining room through the wall to a single RCCD protected socket. However, there are two further spurs taken off this RCCD protected socket. One leads to a 3 AMP switched FCU for an outside light and the other to a double socket (which is actually back through the wall to another place in the dining room - feeding a table lamp and a small mini system stereo!). Apart from not been very elegant, I think this is against regulations. Shouldn't there at least be a a 13A FCU protecting the initial spur from the dining room.

My ideal solution to fix this would be to extend the ring main from the dining room into garage but I'm not sure how practical this would be as I don't have two accessible ring main sockets to extend from. With only one ring main socket accessible, how would I make a neat job of this in the dining room? I'd have to join the one side of the ring main wire to extend into the garage - I'm guessing this would mean a junction box of some type. Is there a tidy way of doing this?

Although not ideal, my other solution would be to take the initial spur into a 13A FCU in the garage and then feed this into a 30A 3-way junction box with a feed to the existing 3A FCU for the light and a feed back through the wall for the other double socket in the dining room. Additionally, I'd finally add a new single socket from this junction box for the freezer.

Any thoughts or ideas please?

Thanks

Neil

 

[EFLImpudence]

Shouldn't there at least be a a 13A FCU protecting the initial spur from the dining room.

Not sure about 'at least' - there must be.

My ideal solution to fix this would be to extend the ring main from the dining room into garage but I'm not sure how practical this would be as I don't have two accessible ring main sockets to extend from. With only one ring main socket accessible, how would I make a neat job of this in the dining room? I'd have to join the one side of the ring main wire to extend into the garage - I'm guessing this would mean a junction box of some type. Is there a tidy way of doing this?

Just join one of the existing cables to one of the new ones in the back box with connector blocks or similar.

Although not ideal, my other solution would be to take the initial spur into a 13A FCU in the garage and then feed this into a 30A 3-way junction box with a feed to the existing 3A FCU for the light and a feed back through the wall for the other double socket in the dining room. Additionally, I'd finally add a new single socket from this junction box for the freezer.

You don't really need a junction box, just run the cable from one accessory to the next.

You seem to know what is required so it doesn't really matter which method you choose as long as it meets the purpose.
That is, the spur will be limited to 13A

 

[NeilBrookes]

Thanks for your reply EFLImpudence. I really appreciate your help. As long as I can fit a connector in the 25mm metal back box behind the socket in the dining room, I think I'll extend the ring main into the garage for the three sockets and spur the 3A FCU off the RCCD socket for the outside light.

Thanks again

Neil

 

[Adam_151]

Generally crimped joints are preferred for this as they take up less space.

However they must be applied with the correct rachet crimpting tool

 

[EFLImpudence]

Generally crimped joints are preferred for this

Even if that were true, it doesn't make it right.

 

[JohnW2]

Generally crimped joints are preferred for this

Even if that were true, it doesn't make it right.

Indeed. As you know, I'm not totally comfortable with hand-crimped joints (particularly of solid conductors) at the best of times, but I certainly doubt that it should even be suggested to a DIYer who is not experienced in doing it (in many cases, probably never done it).

Kind Regards, John

 

[NeilBrookes]

I've prepared my new extension to the ring main in the garage and all that remains is to connect this to the existing ring main. I'm undecided on the best way to do this.

I'm glad you've mentioned using crimps as I was gong to ask your opinions on these. I would like to do the best and safest job that I can as a competent DIYer. However, I am a DIYer and if you deem that crimps with an appropriate crimping tool is not the best option for a me then I'll do the next best solution that is appropriate for me. If that means chiseling out more of the breeze block, fitting a deeper back box and using a terminal connector then that's fine. If I do this, should I insulate with insulation tape or should I use something like a chocbox?

Thanks

Neil

 

[JohnW2]

However, I am a DIYer and if you deem that crimps with an appropriate crimping tool is not the best option for a me ...

Well you've heard my personal view - that I would only come close to being comfortable with crimped joints if I knew that the person who had done them was pretty experienced at crimping. Other's may feel differently.

... then I'll do the next best solution that is appropriate for me. If that means chiseling out more of the breeze block, fitting a deeper back box and using a terminal connector then that's fine. If I do this, should I insulate with insulation tape or should I use something like a chocbox?

Provided the back box is deep enough to accommodate a connector block, that's fine - it doesn't need taping or any other protection, and I doubt you'd get a chocbox into even the deepest of back boxes! Just make sure that you don't strip too much insulation off the wires, hence leaving bare bits sticking out of the connector block.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I certainly doubt that it should even be suggested to a DIYer who is not experienced in doing it (in many cases, probably never done it).

And the reason a DIYer can't practise is....... ?

 

[JohnW2]

I certainly doubt that it should even be suggested to a DIYer who is not experienced in doing it (in many cases, probably never done it).

And the reason a DIYer can't practise is....... ?

(S)he can, and if (s)he does enough practising, could become as experienced as a professional - but that would take a fair bit of time, and lots of crimps. It makes little sense to suggest that someone who currently has no experience should go through that process (or, indeed, 'invest' in a ratchet crimper) in order to undertake a one-off job. If they think it likely that they will want to make many crimped joints in the future, that might be a different matter, but that is rarely going to be the case with the average DIYer.

Kind Regards, John

 

[NeilBrookes]

Hi All

I'll use terminal connectors as there appears to be some discussion on me being able to do a safe job with crimps. I presume I need 30 Amp terminal connectors (I know a ring main shouldn't normally come under that kind of load)?

I've bought some 30 Amp connectors but they appear to be designed to accommodate a much larger (16mm?) cable. Is this the corrector connector for me to use or should I be able to get a 30 Amp connector more suitable for a 2.5mm ring main cable?

Thanks

Neil

 

[JohnW2]

I've bought some 30 Amp connectors but they appear to be designed to accommodate a much larger (16mm?) cable. Is this the corrector connector for me to use or should I be able to get a 30 Amp connector more suitable for a 2.5mm ring main cable?

"30A" connectors should be fine - as for the size of the terminal holes, don't forget that they are designed to be able to accommodate multiple 2.5mm² conductors, if necessary. If the conductor seems 'lost' in the terminal, you can 'double over' its end to make it larger.

Kind Regards, John

 

[NeilBrookes]

Thanks John. Much appreciated. Thank you all for your help and advice.

 

[JohnW2]

Thanks John. Much appreciated. Thank you all for your help and advice.

You're welcome.

Kind Regards, John