puzzled

[simonsidekick]

Hi

I don't know whether I'm 'missing something' so thought I would ask you good people...

project - moving a socket 6 inches to right.

there are 2 sockets about 1 metre apart and a fused isolator about a metre to the right of the socket to be moved.
there is a feed to each socket and the isolator piggy-backs off the middle socket.

however, the 2 sockets are connected as well as having separate feeds.

I'm assuming there is no need for the connection between the two sockets, so am about to rip it out. Does anyone please know if there is any reason why this shouldn't be done? I've tested with a load and it is dead when disconnected from either of the sockets.

many thanks

Simon

 

[davy_owen_88]

there are 2 sockets about 1 metre apart and a fused isolator about a metre to the right of the socket to be moved.
there is a feed to each socket and the isolator piggy-backs off the middle socket.

however, the 2 sockets are connected as well as having separate feeds.

It's called a ring circuit. The 'isolator' is a spur from one of the sockets and if probably feeding more sockets or another appliance.

I'm assuming there is no need for the connection between the two sockets, so am about to rip it out. Does anyone please know if there is any reason why this shouldn't be done? I've tested with a load and it is dead when disconnected from either of the sockets.

You assume wrong. Removing the link will break the ring and you run the risk of overloading a single leg which could lead to overheating/fires etc.

Davy

 

[simonsidekick]

ok, many thanks

 

[davy_owen_88]

Just re-read your post, what were you using to test the cable?

In a ring circuit 'electricity' comes from both legs, so disconnecting the link cable from one of the sockets should leave the cable live. If it was a radial circuit then the cable would still be live when connected to one of the sockets and dead when connected to the other.

Could you clarify what you have done?

Davy