Ring feeds Light switch, I want to add a spur

[adam1984]

Morning all,

I have a ring main in my conservatory and from one of the sockets it feeds to a light switch, which then feeds 2 wall lights.

I want to hang a TV on the wall and I want to put a double socket in close to where the TV will be.

I was Thinking of chasing out the wall and running a cable from the double socket up to a new socket next to the TV.

This will mean I will have 4 cables in the back of the D/Socket. Is this allowed?

If this is not allowed then I will just buy a 5M extension cable with a double plug on the end and chase that into the wall and plug it in to the face of the Socket.

I hope that all makes sense?

Adam

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Morning all,

I have a ring main in my conservatory and from one of the sockets it feeds to a light switch, which then feeds 2 wall lights.

A regular light switch, or a switched FCU?

If the former then that is wrong, and needs to be sorted.

This will mean I will have 4 cables in the back of the D/Socket. Is this allowed?

No.

Extend the ring to the new socket.

There's a variety of ways to do that.

1. Replace one of the ring cables currently supplying that socket with a longer one to reach the new socket.
2. Disconnect one of the ring cables and extend it to reach the new socket. 30A rated choc-block would be OK for that, as it's accessible, but you might struggle for space in the back box.
3. Replace the double socket with two singles in a dual box.
4. Add another socket in the ring either side of the existing one.
5. If you don't have an FCU for the lights then put an unswitched one onto the ring next to the existing socket - that'll give you the means to extend the ring and to safely supply the lights.

If this is not allowed then I will just buy a 5M extension cable with a double plug on the end and chase that into the wall and plug it in to the face of the Socket.

Sorry - that's revolting. Have some pride in your work - do it properly.

 

[adam1984]

Thanks BAS

It is a Light Switch and not a FCU. Are you saying it should be a FCU.

The whole house is a bit of a bodge and I am slowly finding things that the previous owner done.

I totally agree that it is revolting - I wont do it.

You may also be pleased to know that the bodger cut all the earth wires to the Metal Lights, and none of them were earthed.

 

[adam1984]

BAS,

Thanks for the help, I am going to Change the D/Socket for a Dual box and fit 2 single sockets to it. I think it is simpler for me to break the ring that way.

I can then spur off one of the single sockets to a FCU for the Lights.

Does that sound ok?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It is a Light Switch and not a FCU. Are you saying it should be a FCU.

It should be one, or be supplied by one.

You may also be pleased to know that the bodger cut all the earth wires to the Metal Lights, and none of them were earthed.

You should get an electrician to check it all over - someone who would do that could have done anything, and just reconnecting them doesn't mean that they are actually earthed.

BAS,

Thanks for the help, I am going to Change the D/Socket for a Dual box and fit 2 single sockets to it. I think it is simpler for me to break the ring that way.

I can then spur off one of the single sockets to a FCU for the Lights.

Does that sound ok?

Yup.

Or if you don't need that socket to be a double you could replace it with a single and an unswitched FCU in a dual box and keep the existing light switch.

 

[adam1984]

Sorry to bring this back up. Can someone tell me if i am right in the way i will run the lights:

I will put a FCU on one side of the Dual Box.
From this I will run a cable up to a light switch.
The way I will wire the light switch will be as follows from the wiki:

//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting:single_way_lighting

Its the 7th diagram down;

Using Terminal Block enclosed within the light switch:

Will this be correct for what i am doing?

Many thanks,

Adam

 

[Chri5]

If you take LNE up from the f/spur, the live goes to the common side of the switch, the neutral gets put on a terminal block with the neutral to the lamp. The switched live of the lamp goes to the other side of the switch.

Hence when the switch is operated on the live is extended to the fitting and illumination occurs

 

[riveralt]

I will put a FCU on one side of the Dual Box.

And then I assume put the single socket in the other and run the 2.5mm cable from this socket up to the spur double socket for your TV? Unless you can bury the cable more than 50mm deep or otherwise mechanically protect it then you should have an RCD protecting the circuit.