Kitchen SOCKET wiring concerns

[teeee91]

Hi all so I have a 6mm cable on a radial circuit on a 32rcbo that goes into a junction box with 2x2.5mm t&e coming out going to 2 sockets is this safe or not

 

[blup]

It's a spur from the main circuit so presumably yes.

Blup

 

[ericmark]

Likely yes, the 13 amp socket can't draw more than 13 amp due to fuse in plug, so we are permitted unfused spurs, there are some rules to follow like can't take unfused spur from an unfused spur, and the cable needs to be were unlikely to get damaged, and the loop impedance or prospective short circuit current is within limits, but the testers are not in the DIY price range, so this is only tested when the 10 year EICR is done.

 

[sparkwright]

POSSIBLY they have made a little ring circuit from the 6mm2, or possibly they have just spurred off twice from the junction box.

Either way is acceptable.

 

[JohnD]

A 32A radial for a kitchen was probably installed to supply an electric cooker. Yours might have been repurposed.

Or is there another cooker circuit?

 

[teeee91]

There is one for the cooker, this is separate it comes strait from the fuse board( which was renewed last year)

 

[JohnD]

If you have an additional 32A radial to the kitchen, not required for a cooker, you could run quite a lot of kitchen sockets off it.

 

[teeee91]

If you have an additional 32A radial to the kitchen, not required for a cooker, you could run quite a lot of kitchen sockets off it.

OK thanks, I was just a bit concerned after watching this video say it needed to be on a 20A

 

[JohnD]

I can't be bothered to watch 10 minutes, but it probably means "if the cable is only 2.5mm"

 

[teeee91]

I can't be bothered to watch 10 minutes, but it probably means "if the cable is only 2.5mm"

Cheers mate thanks your help

 

[plugwash]

What you have sounds fine, however you have to be careful if you want to extend it.

What you have is essntially a 32A 6mm² radial with a couple of 2.5mm² spurs. It's a slightly unusual case because there are no sockets on the main radial, only on the spurs but that doesn't fundamentally change the safety arguments.

The 6mm² cable is protected against overloads and short circuits by the 32A breaker. The 2.5mm² cable is protected against short circuits by the 32A breaker, but for overload protection it has to rely on the fuses in the plugs.

Since the only overload protection for a 2.5mm² spur from a 32 amp circuit is the plug fuses, there is guidance for what should be supplied from such a spur. Specifically the guidance says it should only supply one accessory either a single socket, a double socket or a fused connection unit.

So if you want to add more sockets, you can't just extend the existing 2.5mm² spurs. You would need to either extend from the 6mm² cable or possibly change the 2.5mm² cables into a ring (though this is non-standard, so some electrians may not like it).

 

[teeee91]

What you have sounds fine, however you have to be careful if you want to extend it.

What you have is essntially a 32A 6mm² radial with a couple of 2.5mm² spurs. It's a slightly unusual case because there are no sockets on the main radial, only on the spurs but that doesn't fundamentally change the safety arguments.

The 6mm² cable is protected against overloads and short circuits by the 32A breaker. The 2.5mm² cable is protected against short circuits by the 32A breaker, but for overload protection it has to rely on the fuses in the plugs.

Since the only overload protection for a 2.5mm² spur from a 32 amp circuit is the plug fuses, there is guidance for what should be supplied from such a spur. Specifically the guidance says it should only supply one accessory either a single socket, a double socket or a fused connection unit.

So if you want to add more sockets, you can't just extend the existing 2.5mm² spurs. You would need to either extend from the 6mm² cable or possibly change the 2.5mm² cables into a ring (though this is non-standard, so some electrians may not like it).

Thanks for your reply, I currently have 3 separate cables out of the junction box going to a double socket each with a 3amp fused spur from one of them for a cooker hood is this OK?

 

[plugwash]

It's outside the guidelines, but given that a cooker hood draws bugger all it would not concern me.