Ring main in timber frame house

[Podooser]

JohnD sorry if this is a stupid question, what do you mean by unbalanced ring.

 

[bernardgreen]

grouping for two multicore cables, enclosed method 3 or 4, is 0.8

so capacity is 20A x 0.8 =16A

I can't find conduit capacities for T&E


But on a 32A type B MCB it gives no leeway for an unbalanced ring.

Just use 2 conduits,one in and one out

I would agree, use two conduits, makes pulling in the cables much easier and offers less risk of damage to the cable while pulling in. Also makes wiring the sockets a bit easier ( in my opinion ).

An un-balanced ring is where all the load is concentrated on one side of the ring. This results in one cable of the two cables leaving the consumer unit carrying much more than half the current and in a badly un-balanced and large ring ( long cable lengths ) this current could exceed the rating for the cable

 

[Podooser]

Thanks for that Bernard. I have decided to run the cables horizontally from socket to socket eliminating the need for 2 cables per conduit. I will have to go up and over the doors and run in the ceiling void till the next socket.

Will I need to continue to use conduit in the ceiling void or can I just clip it?

 

[bernardgreen]

Will I need to continue to use conduit in the ceiling void or can I just clip it?

I would clip it. Just bear in mind it should not be covered by the loft insulation and that some time in the future you may add more insulation.

What type of timber frame are you building ? Interested as 26 years ago we built a timber post and beam framed house. One day I will finish it.

 

[Podooser]

It is a standard timber frame, 4 bed chalet style bungalow. Panel frame with large roof truss structure and 5 dormers. This is my first self build.

bernardgreen wrote:

I would clip it.Just bear in mind it should not be covered by the loft insulation and that some time in the future you may add more insulation

How can I stop it from being covered by the insulation? Surely the insulation would be touching on one side if it is clipped to the side of a joist.

 

[bernardgreen]

I defer to someone else to answer about cable clipped to a joist with insulation against it.

Having built a post and beam timber framed house I have a "problem" refering to timber panel construction as timber frame construction.

Timber panel construction is good but doesn't provide the freedom of a construction with load bearing frame and walls that are not load bearing.

 

[Podooser]

...but doesn't provide the freedom...

Can you elabourate.

 

[bernardgreen]

One day my wife decided that the kitchen was too small and the dining room too large. So in less than a day we took the 13 foot long dividing wall down and rebuilt ( re-assembled ) it two feet from its original position. It would have been quicker but there were electrics to be moved as well.

 

[Podooser]

Same with ours. All the internal stud walls are easily moved. Infact since the frame went up we have decided to rearrange some of the rooms. It seems to me that both styles of timberframe house are equally far removed from traditional masonry

 

[bernardgreen]

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