FCUs, Spurs and Rings

[Silver_Hawk]

I'm re-wiring my house (just about finished) with the help of a tame electrician --- I'm doing the work and he drinks tea, eats biscuits and offers advice

99% of my sockets are on the ring but I have 2 on a spur each...and my electrician is insisting that I put an FCU on the ring with the spur coming out of the FCU....rather than taking a spur directly from another socket on the ring. I can see his argument....there is no single stretch of spur 2.5mm T&E that is not protected by a 13amp fuse.....but all my books clearly show a spur coming off an existing ring socket...and if there is an FCU, it is between ring socket and spur socket on single piece of 2.5mm T&E.

He is also insisting that the FCU serving the permanently wired appliances (boiler, water tank thermostat, etc, etc) also be on the ring. Again, all my books show a single 2.5mm cable coming from a JB or ring socket to these FCUs.

Is he just being very cautious or are the regs really this tight now? The book I'm using as a reference is The Which? Book of Wiring & Lighting by Mike Lawrence.

Thanks for your help and advice ... and Happy Xmas everyone!

Paul

 

[ban-all-sheds]

99% of my sockets are on the ring but I have 2 on a spur each...

Blimey! 200 sockets!!

and my electrician is insisting that I put an FCU on the ring with the spur coming out of the FCU....rather than taking a spur directly from another socket on the ring. I can see his argument....there is no single stretch of spur 2.5mm T&E that is not protected by a 13amp fuse.....but all my books clearly show a spur coming off an existing ring socket...and if there is an FCU, it is between ring socket and spur socket on single piece of 2.5mm T&E.

He's being a bit picky, the regs allow the socket to be spurred as you describe. Maybe he's insuring against the possibility that the spur might be extended in the future.

He is also insisting that the FCU serving the permanently wired appliances (boiler, water tank thermostat, etc, etc) also be on the ring. Again, all my books show a single 2.5mm cable coming from a JB or ring socket to these FCUs.

IMO you should always do that if you can, and that it is good practice, but again it's not required by the regs.

However - you have employed this guy to give you expert advice, and presumably to issue an EIC at the end of it all, so you're best off doing what he says.....

 

[JohnD]

If you prove him wrong, he'll only find some way of getting back at you. You know what these electricians are like

 

[pdcelec]

If you know everything that is required, why bother employing a professional?. If you have got a professional, why not just let him get on with it?