sockets

p_c

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4 Mar 2005
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I am wanting to replace single sockets with doubles in a bedroom. It appears that the upstairs sockets are spurs from the downstairs ring main (upstairs sockets have 1 cable, downstairs generally have 3). Is it OK to replace singles with doubles and how can I be sure the upstairs sockets are all spurs from the ring main and not spurs from spurs ? Ripping up the floor to check the wiring is not something I want to do at the moment, but the wiring at the sockets all appears to be original.

Thanks
 
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Apart from looking under the floor with mirrors, spurs can only be identified by measuring continuity from socket to socket with a meter, which is a fairly tedious operation, involving two people, a meter with a low ohms range, a long lead, and a lot of patience. Sockets will need to be taken off and wires separated out to trace the order of things on the ring. Any sockets that are suspect of being mid-spur can de identified as one of the 2 sets of wires will go to an end of spur. However, unless you take good notes as you go of what is feeding from what to where, it is very easy to be confused.
M.
 
You can replace your singles with doubles or even trebles no problem, why anyone fits singles is beyond me anyway. The likely hood of you putting anything more powerful than a vacuum in an upstairs socket is (depending on toys ;) ) minimal. At least you can plug bedside light and radio in at the same time.
 
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Also, seeing as the cable "all looks original", at some time it was the right way to do things, doesnt mean theres ought wrong with it now but its starting to get so complicated that only an electrician on a call out can understand it, swap 'em.
 

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