Is This Safe?

[oakapple]

Having tidy up in shed today and took the time to have a look at the consumer unit in the shed.

The feed from house to shed consists of TWO T&E running side by side in underground ducting. The conductors of both are joined together in a 60a switch box in the house and where they enter the consumer unit in the shed. One T&E looks like a 10a and the other a 4a. I assume the previous owner did this to up rate the supply as the shed was used as his woodworking workshop.

Has this really up rated the supply and more importantly is it safe

 

[RF Lighting]

Not sure on your cable sizes there, but I suggest you have an electrician take a look.

It might not be immediatly unsafe, but it is certainly an unconventional way of doing things.

 

[sealeon]

not sure on the two dfferent cable sizes but it is quite common to run two cables in parallel as a feed in some commercial and industrial installs.It would act as a ring final does but the two different size cables dont sound so good

 

[Stoday]

Using two different sized cables is frequent in distribution engineering, but not on installations in buildings.

The reason is that in distribution the cable size is normally chosen for its volt drop, not on its current carrying capacity. Normally, the current carrying capacity is far greater than the limit set by the volt drop.

On the other hand, in buildings, current carrying capacity is the driver and most cables are well withing the voltage drop limit.

 

[Lectrician]

not sure on the two dfferent cable sizes but it is quite common to run two cables in parallel as a feed in some commercial and industrial installs.It would act as a ring final does but the two different size cables dont sound so good

Two cables of the same CSA and the same length would be ok, although a single larger cable would be preffered.

It isn't a 'ring final' it is simple two cables in parallel.

 

[holmslaw]

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