how to connect a plug socket off an existing plug

[98aallen]

hello sorry i am kind of new to this

okay so i have a plug socket and when opened there is two sets of wires going into the plug so two live two neutral and two earth
what i want to do is add a new plug about 4 metres away a twin socket again as this one also is a twin socket now
a mate of mine has simply added a length of the correct wire from the plug so now there is 3 of each going into this plug and the new wire goes to the new plug socket so its basically like an extension he said
i dont know much and yes it does work at the moment but im not sure is this okay to leave like this and be using all 4 plug sockets?
it will have a tv and an extension lead in one with sky box the internet and maybe a dvd player
is this okay?
thank you adrian need a reply quite urgent thanks

 

[riveralt]

Unfortunately you are not very clear about how the circuit was/is set up - you imply there are three sockets but talk about four!!

The bottom line is that the first socket you talk about (the one with two sets of line neutral and earth) could either be part of a ring final circuit or a radial final circuit.

If it is part of a ring final circuit then you can have one additional socket (spur) running from the original socket - I think the limit might be 3 metres though. If you want more than one socket then you must put a (13Amp )Fused Connection Unit in between the original socket and the first socket.

If it is part of a radial final circuit then you can add as many sockets as you like subject to voltage drop.

Dosen't matter whether the socket is a single or a double by the way.

 

[electronicsuk]

If the original socket was part of a ring final circuit, the wiring has been installed properly and is definitely of the correct size and type, what's been done should be fine.

EDIT: riveralt is right in that it's also permissible to take a spur, which is what has been done, from a radial circuit. Whether or not it would actually be called a spur in that situation is a matter we won't debate here. Not so sure about the 3m limit though - I think he may be confusing another regulation with regard to branches from a circuit with a cable that meets the requirements for fault current, but is not protected against overload. Spurs from ring final circuits are a special case and are not covered by said regulation.

 

[Taylortwocities]

I think it might be best if alen re-wrote the original post. There is no such thing as a plugsocket. There are plugs - these are usually attached to flexible wire that come from an appliance (like a kettle eg). Plugs have squRe pins that stick out. Plugs go into
SOCKETS
Sockets are the plates that are mounted on the wall. They have squarish holes that the plugs go in to.

I lost the plot trying to work out if you mean sockets when you say plugs. Can we start again, please?

 

[Taylortwocities]

I think it might be best if alen re-wrote the original post. There is no such thing as a plugsocket. There are plugs - these are usually attached to flexible wire that come from an appliance (like a kettle eg). Plugs have square pins that stick out. Plugs go into
SOCKETS
Sockets are the plates that are mounted on the wall. They have squarish holes that the plugs go in to.

I lost the plot trying to work out if you mean sockets when you say plugs. Can we start again, please?

 

[JohnW2]

Unfortunately you are not very clear about how the circuit was/is set up - you imply there are three sockets but talk about four!!

I'm not sure where you see the implication that there are three sockets. He says that he has a 'twin' socket and wants to add a second 'twin' socket - that makes four 'socket outlets' (places to plug plugs into) in total, and he seems to be asking if it would be OK to have all four loaded simultaneously. The only reference to 'three' is that this would be the number of sets of wires going into the existing socket if he did as he suggests, which is correct.

Kind Regards, John.

 

[JohnW2]

I think it might be best if alen re-wrote the original post. There is no such thing as a plugsocket. There are plugs - these are usually attached to flexible wire that come from an appliance (like a kettle eg). Plugs have square pins that stick out. Plugs go into SOCKETS
Sockets are the plates that are mounted on the wall. They have squarish holes that the plugs go in to.
I lost the plot trying to work out if you mean sockets when you say plugs. Can we start again, please?

If I didn't know (assume) better, I would take that comment to mean that your work doesn't involve you having to deal with 'the man in the street'. If one considers the totality of the post, it is surely quite obvious whether he means plugs or sockets?

Indeed, most disciplines can't really talk, since many/most create some decidely odd jargon - sometimes seemingly with the main purpose of allowing differentiation between those 'in the club' and those who speak normal English! Who, for example, got the idea of calling a plug a 'plug top'. I know what an electrical plug is, and they all have tops and bottoms (not to mention sides) ... and I wonder what you call a 'female plug'; do you call it a female plug, or maybe a 'trailing socket', or what?

At least calling it a 'plug socket' makes it a little (although not a lot!) less ambiguous - at least one can probably assume that a 'plug socket' is not something into which one pushes a length of soil pipe, or the stump of an amputated limb

This is a valuable forum, designed for 'lay' people - and I think it's a pity that the first experiences of some people who come her to ask for advice is of quibbling about terminology or even, in some cases, 'intimidation' (e.g. answers full of jargon and techno-talk, sometimes seemingly deliberated done to make them incomprehensible to the op).

Kind Regards, John.

 

[riveralt]

Unfortunately you are not very clear about how the circuit was/is set up - you imply there are three sockets but talk about four!!

I'm not sure where you see the implication that there are three sockets. He says that he has a 'twin' socket and wants to add a second 'twin' socket - that makes four 'socket outlets' (places to plug plugs into) in total, and he seems to be asking if it would be OK to have all four loaded simultaneously. The only reference to 'three' is that this would be the number of sets of wires going into the existing socket if he did as he suggests, which is correct.

Kind Regards, John.

John you must have the crystal ball tonight then...

As I said, and I think TTC, nothing he has said is clear - reading his opening comments you could read in that his mate has wired the 3 wires (presumably from the socket) to the plug - 'so it is basically like an extension'!!!!

Alternatively, he could have wired a cable from the original socket to another socket which is acting as an extension but just lying on the floor. Nothing is mentioned of burying the cable or protecting the cable and the user.

 

[JohnW2]

John you must have the crystal ball tonight then...

No, no crystal ball - just lots of experience of deciphering what people mean when they are less than explicitly clear and are not using the correct technical terminology or jargon of the field in question!

As I said, and I think TTC, nothing he has said is clear ...

The words are not very clear, I agree - but I really don't think there is any sensible interpretation of the whole of the post other than what I think is the fairly 'obvious' one. Of course, as always, I may be wrong.

The important point is that, although the question was not expliciltly clear, the answers should be - so that the op has no doubt as to exactly what is being advised (and what assumptions are being made about his situation).

Kind Regards, John.