Four weeks after moving into a new house have discovered that the power supply to the shed and a freezer inside, is supplied by an armoured cable connected as a spur to one of the sockets in our downstairs ring circuit. The 3 leads, L, N andE are passed through the wall and are simply connected into the back of one of the sockets. In the shed, the freezer is permanently on and the surge protected sockets work welll enough. Any problems with this layout?
Is This OK?
- Thread starter bolo 2
- Start date
What size is the cable? It is normally embossed on the cable sheath.
That is the 'informative' guidance, but that guidance appears to relate to a situation in which the spur is wired in 2.5mm² cable.
Kind Regards, John
There are no markings on the sheath but the diameter of the cable is around 12mm.
The armoured cable is fed into a small 'mains' switch with neon indicator and from there into a single power breaker double socket but there is also a 1.5mm cable taken from that to a low voltage single Phillips 11w energy saving bulb via a switch.
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The spur is wired into the 2.5mm ring circuit but I don't know if it is wired in 2.5mm² cable!
Well that is wrong then as your spur which is no more than 2.5 mm cable (could even be 1.5mm) is feeding both a socket and a light.
Also that light is straight off a socket circuit probably protected at 32 amps. It should be fed via a switched fcu with a 3 or 5 amp fuse.
The OP appears to be describing an FCU. IF that feeds the sockets and IF the feed to the light comes off the load side of that FCU, then the arrangement may be OK (give or take the theoretical desirability of the light feed being fused down by something less than 13A).
However, there are some very important IFs in what I've just written.
Kind Regards, John
On the TLC site, 1.5mm² 2-core SWA cable is described as having a Nominal O.D of 12.4mm. So let's hope it's fused at the house end!!
OP / @Motivated1 have a closer look at the cable sheath. The cable size is usually embossed on it, every half meter of so.
OP / @Motivated1 have a closer look at the cable sheath. The cable size is usually embossed on it, every half meter of so.
Googled FCU but only got something to do with a fan! The cable from the neoned switch box feeds the power breaker double socket, and the1.5mm cable feeding the light is actually a spur taken from the back of the double socket.
FCU = fused connection unit. A box with a fuse in it. Swiitched fcu = a box with a switch and a fuse. It can also have a neon.
Does your box with neon also have a fuse? It not my post no. 8 applies. In fact it applies anyway as far as the light is concerned as the light should be fused at 3 or 5 amps.
Does your box with neon also have a fuse? It not my post no. 8 applies. In fact it applies anyway as far as the light is concerned as the light should be fused at 3 or 5 amps.
If you are not sure what the
is, then post a photo!
As winston has asked, does this "neoned switch box" also have a fuse (small 'door' on the front, secured with a screw), as well as the switch and neon? If it does, it's a switched FCU. If not, it is a switch with a neon.
Kind Regards, John
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