No ring mains??!!

[GaryMo]

A PIR should identify any defects which will be listed as observations.
Each one will be coded due to the severity of that defect.
You should get a good feel as to what needs doing on a priority basis once it's been carried out.

OOI, the close up of your CU is a little blurry. What size is each MCB?

No RCD protection for any circuit, especially socket outlets.
Is it a ground floor flat? Is it reasonable to expect any sockets to supply portable equipment outdoors?

 

[chix1000]

I think my idea at this stage is to complete the ring main on both the kitchen circuit and the socket circuit.

However this will mean the spare room will be running off the kitchen ring main - is this ok?

Currently it's running half on the kitchen spur and half as a spur off the socket spur - is it ok to run the extra sockets off the kitchen spur?

Thanks a lot for your help

Andy

 

[bernardgreen]

As long as it wont kill anyone i'm happy... well that's not true, but i'm going to have to put up with it being 'ok' rather than totally correct i think.

That is the problem. Bodged wiring like that can and does kill people. Not always by electric shock but often indirectly by smoke inhalation as the house burns down. Repairing a burnt out house costs a bit more than just a rewire.

 

[chix1000]

Hi no i have no sockets outside at all, and no rcd to the best of my knowledge. The MCB's are

B40 Cooker,
B32 Sockets spur,
B32 kitchen spur
B32 Spare
B16 Airing cupboard (combi boiler, bathroom towel rails and one plug socket),
B6 Lighting circuit

 

[GaryMo]

I think my idea at this stage is to complete the ring main on both the kitchen circuit and the socket circuit.

If the existing radial has been botched then it might not be so simple.
Where does this floating cable go? Is the other end connected? Is the floating end live?

 

[chix1000]

This is my point - if that is 'going to kill someone' bad then i need it fixed, if it's ok, just not how someone would do it in an ideal world, then i'll leave it.

Thanks
Andy

 

[GaryMo]

Hi no i have no sockets outside at all, and no rcd to the best of my knowledge.

Do you use power outdoors or would it be reasonable to expect power to be used outdoors? Jet washer, drill etc?

 

[chix1000]

Yes, that was the quite shockign thing - that floating cable is live! I'm going to put a block or something on the end of it short term, but that is what i would connect to one of the extra sockets i was thinking of.

Thanks for your help
Andy

 

[GaryMo]

Have your PIR, take advice from the electrician who carries it out then act accordingly.

 

[chix1000]

Using power outside... not really no - i have done in the past but i don't intend to in the future, most of the outside work has been done already and it's too far to the shared garden to used things outside on a regular basis. Certainly no jet washers no - i don't have a drive or parking space

Thanks again
Andy

 

[chix1000]

Electrician booked. Coming tomorrow afternoon if they finish their previous job early or wedensday next week otherwise.

I guess i can ask them what would be the best way to extend the circuits. Thanks for your help.

Andy

 

[GaryMo]

No problem Andy.

Good luck for tomorrow - it looks like you'll need it

 

[chix1000]

Just one final question, as i might be able to at least downgrade my place from 'hazard' to just in need of work - can i extend the kitchen circuit into another room? I.e. the wire going to nowhere - i'll just put that into a socket rather than just having it hanging there?

What i'll then do (if the electricians approve) is take a cable from that socket straight back to the consumer unit to make a ring main for the kitchen and spare room, rather than just a spur to the kitchen. Is that OK to do? Surely it must be better than a hanging wire?!

Thanks a lot

Andy

 

[Chri5]

Radials (one wire out from CU) are perfectly ok.

Thing is a 32a fuse would require a 4mm cable, not the standard 2.5mm.

If the radials seem acceptable and the cable is wrong / under sized then a simple change to fuses rates at 20a would be fine.

As for connecting the live cableend in to a socket, that fine. Just make sure you scribble up a doc that makes it clear that 'socket in front room, backing kitchen wall is via the kitchen circuit.
Someone in future could kill the front room socket circuit to do work not knowing that a socket in the room is still live.

To calculate the load on a circuit- add up all the devices that could be used at the same time in watts divide the figure by 230v and that gives a sound idea as the the circuit demand in amps.
Obviously if that figure is over 20a you will have to add and make the ring.

The kitchen is the likely area where a 20a radial would NOT be enough (dish washer, kettle, tumble drier, toaster etc).
There is a thing called diversity, the sparks will tell you more and help assess the situation.

If the cables are 4mm you will have a good result


PS There's 5 x wires below the board, but the lighting might go upward and could be buried.

 

[chix1000]

Chri5 you're a legend! My main concern was the fact that there was no ring main and that sockets would be on the kitchen circuit. You've answered both. This reassures me that the extra sockets i was planning on doing in the spare room also would be ok.

The fact that the wires i have are 2.5mm not 4mm is not so good though! That's fine though, i'm more than happy if the sparks tomorrow tell me i need to downgrade the fuses, what i wasn't so happy about was telling me i needed a rewire.

I don't think they'll be best amused with the connector blocks next to the CU but we'll see! The lighting circuit is buried but it is included in the 5 wire count!