sockets in garage

[tommythefox]

hi i have a wylex fuse box in my garage which uses plug in mcb's,at the moment there is one 6 amp mcb for lights and one 16 amp for one double socket.i want to add two more plug sockets do they have to be wired to two separate 16 amp mcb's.

 

[kevindgas]

what else is fitted to this board? do you have another for the house?

 

[tommythefox]

nothing esle on the board in garage etc what was mentioned there is consumer boards in the house 3 all together one for storeage heaters,one for lights sockets cooker water heater and one with shower a 20 amp and two 16 amp mcb on which feed to the garage.

 

[MTE]

i want to add two more plug sockets do they have to be wired to two separate 16 amp mcb's.

No, a 16 amp mcb is for a whole circuit. What are you going to be using these sockets for? Although a 16 amp breaker can take numerous sockets you really should know the impedance of the whole circuit before adding too much to it. Why did someone only put in one socket?

 

[tommythefox]

hi M t e iwill be using the sockets for washing machine,tumble dryer,fridgefreezer and when i am using electric drill etc.

 

[josh1e]

I'm only a diy'er but i would have thought u needed a proper 30A trip & similarly rated 30A ring main in there for the appliances your describing if they're going to be on the same circuit.

if your putting them on seperate trip's then depending on which appliances you connect & the total load on each circuit then you may be able to use smaller trips. I wouldn't have thought it was a good idea though as if in a years time u forget & overload the circuit, you may end up replacing the washer / dryer thinking it;s a fault.

diversity i haven't read up on, but in our house the washer, dryer & dishwasher are frequently on at the same time, so better safe than having it trip later on.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Josh - depending on circuit type, cable size and installation method he may not be able to increase the rating.

Tommy - is the garage detached, or integral with the house?

 

[josh1e]

Hi BAS,

sorry. I didnt think of those

so (also to confirm my own understanding), the o/p needs to

check where the supply to the garage fusebox comes from.
if the supply comes from the fusebox in the house for example, then he needs to check if the garage feed was taken from the actual supply or via a trip.
if from the trip then the rating?
either way he needs to know the size mm cable & cable type
worst case if he cannot find the supply, it might be because the supply was taken from a fused spur or existing ring?

lastly installation method, do you mean the effect of insulation / clipping / etc on the cable?

thanks. (sorry for 20questions, just taking the opportunity to learn too )

 

[tommythefox]

hi bas, the garage is detached from the house,the power supply to the garage is from a fusebox in the house.

 

[securespark]

So you have a 16A MCB feeding the garage fusebox?

What size is the cable feeding the fusebox?

W/M & T/D are quite a load when on together...

 

[ban-all-sheds]

W/M means a water supply and drainage, which could well mean extraneous-conductive-parts in the garage, and therefore if you have a TN-C-S/PME supply there are issues with exporting the house earth connection.

See this: http://www.iee.org/Publish/WireRegs...matters_electrical_installations_outdoors.pdf

Tommy - if the supply to the garage was installed by someone who didn't know about any of that you could be at risk - can you post a photo of the incoming supply cable/fuse/meter area in the house?

 

[tommythefox]

hi bas, here are the pictures of fuse boxes ,the isolation box grey top right is 20 amp,the fed for garage comes from the fuse box below and out through the grey isolation box to garage. cable looks like at lease 2.5 twin-earth. View media item 9328 View media item 9327

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Can't see where the earth cables go so still don't know if you have a TT/TN-S/TN-C-S supply.

I guess the RCD warning notice refers to the garage? Can't see any RCD at the house end.

And what's with that separate switch lash-up, with the earths joined in choc-block and twin/earth sheathing stripped back too far?

 

[ColJack]

you mean that seperate RCD above the RCD lable BAS?

 

[Spark123]

I think he probably does, how about the MCB in the left hand side of the middle CU - is it a 40A? I'm thinking that CU is a 60A one so isn't suitable to supply a 40A mcb, nor if it was should it be in the left hand side. I'm guessing some sort of a shower feed lash up.