Socket Wiring

[BorisPlankton]

Hello,
I have uncovered a surprise socket when I have removed cupboard from bedroom.
The socket is working but the wiring looks amateur to me.I am not an electrician. There is a surprise single socket and a double next to it.
The are single wires going to L,N,E on both plugs. This all looks fine but the earth wire is earthed at the two socket for the single socket and the wire is 2 joined lengths with red insulation on part of one of the lengths. In addition the wires going into the double socket look as if they were doubles in the sense there was an extra L,N,E going n at one time.
It looks like wires running into the double sockets have been cut and run to the single socket.
So having had trawl around web my question is can you do this with a ring circuit?. I am thinking the change of wiring has created spur from ring? Clearly the earth wire running from the single socket into the double (where it is earthed to wire coming through bottom of gang) needs sorting but is it required at all?
Sorry if this is confusing - I can post pictures if wanted.
Thanks for your time and help.

 

[ericmark]

The ring is not always the system used in wiring a house. To work out what you have will need some form of inspecting and testing. The radial circuit can originate from a 32A, 20A or 13A fuse and it is the fuse size and wire type that tells us if it's allowed or not.
Pictures may show how connected but not size of cable. There are 3 common sizes. 1.5mm is normally from a fused spur and limited as a result to 13A. 2.5mm is the most common and could be from a 20A MCB, and 13A FCU or a unfused single outlet from a ring or part of a ring.
4mm can be from a 32A radial circuit.
Other than trying to fit a red or blue crimp connector it is often hard to work out which type of cable one is looking at. There is also thermosetting and thermoplastic cable which have different capacity so in real terms it's not something that can really be answered without being on site.

 

[BorisPlankton]

Thanks I was thinking it was ring as it seems the socket was double wired. Would it be double wired if not ring? The single socket is obviously newer.
From your reply I am thinking I will disconnect the single plug. And try to get an electrician in. Unless anyone has eureka moment.
Thanks for the speedy response.

 

[ericmark]

I came to do some work in an office block and on testing the ring found no circuit. It was 2.5mm cable and a 32A supply so assumed it was a ring.

However as I started to look further I found in fact it was a radial circuit using 4mm cable but some one had mistaken it for a ring and split the radial and added another 5 or 6 sockets using just 2.5mm cable instead of 4mm.

This is the problem it's far too easy to assume and get it wrong. There is only one way and that's to test it.

As to my problem all I could do was change the 32A MCB for a 25A until rewired. Again there may be a simple method of making safe with what you have.

But only way is to get it tested. We can all guess until cows come home but it will only be a guess. It needs testing.

 

[BorisPlankton]

Thanks again. I have disconnected the plug and sealed off the cable.
Getting an electrician to come and look at is proving more challenging.......
Once again thanks for the advice.
Paul