Was just wondering if its fine to run an extension lead under my floorboards? Only reason I ask is Im half way through building a false chimney breast, but cant get a sparky in because of obvious reasons and would really like to get it finished. Plan would be plug it into socket, run straight down through floor board, then along and up behind false wall so I have plugs behind the TV. Im in a bungalow so getting under floors is easy.
Running an extension lead under floor boards
- Thread starter scottpetrie
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Don’t let ppl put you off.
Do your original plan.
Do your original plan.
If your going through all that Trouble why not extend the ring yourself, as long as you do it properly, I would recommend the use of wago connectors and wago box to make it legal.
You'll want the 2 way wago connectors, if it's old 70/80s wiring your tapping into then I would recommend getting the wago suitable for 6mm cable as the old twisted t+e is a pain in the bottom.
The socket should have 2x 2.5mm t+e cables behind it, pull only 1 of the cables out, connect the wires using wago, black and blue and brown and red together and earth together, take the wire to the new socket make it what length you want, then put another cable into the new socket and take it back to the other socket and replace the wire removed.
Screwfix etc still doing click and collect, or can order it online from various places for delivery.
Obviously this depends on how confident you are.
Apologies if I am wrong on this,
You'll want the 2 way wago connectors, if it's old 70/80s wiring your tapping into then I would recommend getting the wago suitable for 6mm cable as the old twisted t+e is a pain in the bottom.
The socket should have 2x 2.5mm t+e cables behind it, pull only 1 of the cables out, connect the wires using wago, black and blue and brown and red together and earth together, take the wire to the new socket make it what length you want, then put another cable into the new socket and take it back to the other socket and replace the wire removed.
Screwfix etc still doing click and collect, or can order it online from various places for delivery.
Obviously this depends on how confident you are.
Apologies if I am wrong on this,
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I agree with Andy.
Just fit a spur as you first intended. Your television equipment will not make any difference to the loading.
Then after the troubles you can get it checked to make sure.
Just fit a spur as you first intended. Your television equipment will not make any difference to the loading.
Then after the troubles you can get it checked to make sure.
Hmm. Only testing with a test meter can confirm what is going on here. It may be that the first socket is a spur and the second is a spur off the first (not correct).
it may be that the second socket us a spur from somewhere else and the first is just a socket on a ring final.
if could be that the whole thing is a radial circuit. Lots if maybes.
you need an electrician to be sure if you are thinking of permanently extending any of that wiring.
In the meantime, go with your first thought, extension lead run under floorboards. At least then the current is limited and you can unplug it if something goes wrong.
it may be that the second socket us a spur from somewhere else and the first is just a socket on a ring final.
if could be that the whole thing is a radial circuit. Lots if maybes.
you need an electrician to be sure if you are thinking of permanently extending any of that wiring.
In the meantime, go with your first thought, extension lead run under floorboards. At least then the current is limited and you can unplug it if something goes wrong.
As a true DIY bodge, you could install twin and earth cable between the double and your new socket.
Fit your new socket probably.
Fit a plug onto the end of the cable and plug into the double socket.
In future it shouldn't be too difficult to wire in correctly. Leave a little slack
What size breaker powers the socket circuit? 20A 32A ?
Fit your new socket probably.
Fit a plug onto the end of the cable and plug into the double socket.
In future it shouldn't be too difficult to wire in correctly. Leave a little slack
What size breaker powers the socket circuit? 20A 32A ?
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What have you got to test with, even a bell and battery is better than nothing, the main thing is work on the mm² rating not the current stated for flex, as flex used as flex is always in free air, but under floor boards etc it may not be free air so current rating can change, but 2.5 mm² flex and twin and earth can both take same current, we used twin and earth because it is cheaper.
But @AndyPRK asks size of protective device, and @Taylortwocities also asks about testing, so until we have some answers hard to advise, the problem is 2.5 mm² is often rated 20 amp but a ring final is often protected to 32 amp so it needs to share the load between two cables, so need to test to insure either a 13A fuse or MCB of 25A or less is limiting current or it has two cables.
But @AndyPRK asks size of protective device, and @Taylortwocities also asks about testing, so until we have some answers hard to advise, the problem is 2.5 mm² is often rated 20 amp but a ring final is often protected to 32 amp so it needs to share the load between two cables, so need to test to insure either a 13A fuse or MCB of 25A or less is limiting current or it has two cables.
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