New socket attached to consumer unit

[walker88]

Happy New Year.
I fitted a new double socket in the garage into which a freezer and tumble drier are plugged. This is more convenient than running an extension from another double socket elsewhere in the garage.
To connect the new double socket I wired it into the existing consumer unit which is already on the garage wall. The new socket is effectively a spur running from the RCD marked 'ring 1' and the RCD unit is marked 32.
I followed instructions I had read elsewhere and believe the work to be safe. I connected the usual colours correctly. Are there an issues here? The various sockets on the neutral and earth gangs were marked with numbers eg 1,2,3 etc etc - do all these numbers have to be the same for a new connection? The live I connected to the RCD marked 'ring 1' and is the same for the other double socket in the garage.
Grateful for any hints that might point to errors in work - the new sockets work fine and nothing has tripped.

walker88.

 

[breezer]

you should (i didn't say you didn't) connect the live neutral and earth to the same numbered terminals.

so if as in your case you chose ring one, then the live goes to ring one (which you said it does) the neutral should go to the same Neutral terminal as ring one does , and similarly for the earth wire. and you did put green / yellow sleaving on the earth wire didn't you?

 

[BR]

You state that the RCD unit is marked 32. Is this an MCB/RCD combi unit? If so 32A is too large for one double socket outlet (2.5mmsq is rated for 27A). You would be better reducing this to a 20A supply by means of an additional MCB, although this is not a major point.

I would recommend plugging a freezer into a circuit wich is not RCD protected so as it will not be switched off should the RCD trip.

The numbering on the neutral/earthing blocks is for identification purposes only. Although it is perfectly safe to connect these wires to any of the "sockets" (terminals), it is good practice to connect both of the wires to the same number.

 

[supersparks]

does ireland have different regs to england? thaught they were the same , you are allowed spurs off a 32amp ring here, you dont need to down rate

 

[ban-all-sheds]

From the description what walker88 now has is two circuits, one a 2.5mm ring and the other a 2.5mm radial, both coming off the same 32A MCB.

Is this really OK?

 

[breezer]

its not ideal, but as a spur with 2.5mm t & e yes it is ok

 

[supersparks]

ok ok, we seem to have got lost here, he has a 32amp ring, he has spurred off to power a double socket, this is fine, it supplys one double socket, iee says you may have one spur per fitting on the physical ring, anything that is on the ring, with two ring cables on, this includes the cu as one of those fittings, so what he has done is fine, if i have understood correctly, if i have not i take this back and ignore it as it does not apply

 

[supersparks]

breezer.......you have done it again! one short reply gets in whilst writin mine....i hate you




i dont realy...you live to close

 

[ban-all-sheds]

You're all saying that what he's done is OK, and I don't doubt your decision based on what the regs say. If he removed the ring, and left the "spur" coming from the MCB (except now we would call it a radial), would it still be OK?

Let's say somebody had created this situation from scratch - say they wanted a non-RCD socket to supply a fridge freezer, and installed a new circuit to do this, wired as a radial with 2.5mm cable and a 30/32A MCB. If you were inspecting this installation, what would your verdict be?

 

[supersparks]

bas....we arnt debating the regs, take it up with iee if it bothers you, we have had this discusion before, and we agree, but if it bothers you, talk to iee, theer is nothing we could do even if we wanted to....

 

[ban-all-sheds]

You're absolutely right - this is just another example of the regulations making absolutely no sense at all, and permitting/prohibiting situations with no justifiable electrical theory behind it. I don't know why I'm surprised - particularly when I've encountered this lack of consistency and justifiability in the regs before, and have advised others not to look for those things there.

And of course it is nothing to do with you, but I'm afraid this has just rekindled my feelings of resentment and bitterness over the fact that I can't do what I want to do to the wiring in my house, not because it is in any way unsafe but simply because a regulation which has no justification says that I can't.

I really ought to lie down in a darkened room for a while....

 

[walker88]

Many thanks to one and all for the helpful replies.
I get the impression that there is some debate about the safety of the installation. For clarity, and from what you have all written, this is a radial circuit wired to a double socket from the CU MCB which is supplying a ring circuit in the house. Is that legal or MUST it be to a separate MCB?
Although the appliance attached to the socket is a freezer, it is still attached to an RCD and I am happy about that. That is what the previous setup was to the other socket so I haven't changed that.
The numbers of the neutral and earth connections don't necessarily match but I think that is OK (although for tidyness I will re-connect to the matching numbers).

Does this seem OK?
Have an electrifying 2004.

 

[supersparks]

i take it that your garage supply has a fuse in the house ormac/fuse in house cu, in which case it is a radial, your garage cu is 2 subcircuits, which is fine, what you have done is fine, dont worry about the regs, they are for us to worry about(and get no ware) as long as you follow them your fine...

 

[breezer]

what is an ormac fuse ?

ormac/fuse ...

 

[supersparks]

yea thats a good point
should read or mcb/fuse