Taking spur for new sockets

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Hello, I’m looking to add a double socket in a part of my house where there is currently none. We had our kitchen extended last year and the electrician installed a secondary consumer unit which has the sockets for the kitchen and a wired cooker on it as well as the boiler.

Luckily these cables all run underneath the stairs (where I require a double socket). Is it okay to take a spur before the first socket in the kitchen?

There are three cables running through the area, I am not sure if this is a ring or radial. I will investigate this further before proceeding with anything. I have not encountered a radial circuit before, I have taken Spurs from a regular “ring” before. Any help would be greatly appreciated thanks https://imgur.com/gallery/IQGKSIY



IQGKSIY
 
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Can you post a pic of the inside of that consumer unit?
 
Hi the unit is underneath the first picture, just scroll down and you should be able to see it. Thanks
 
Can't see the inside. Was wondering if the 32A socket circuit was a 2.5 ring final or a 4 radial.
 
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Ah right I’m sorry, the casing is screwed shut on the unit. Is there any other way I’d be able to find out?
 
You can copy and paste photos into your reply.

If you show the breakers in the CU clearly, and the cables coming out of the top and bottom, in sequence, it is sometimes possible to make a reasonable guess.

It is also possible to look at the cables inside the sockets, but this is also a guess as the cable may change part-way round.
 
Your pics show three grey cables coming from the bottom of the CU ,and again in the section of floor that's removed. Have a look at the embossed Info on the outer sheath for cable size . One cable is much thicker than the other two ,and likely the radial cooker circuit.

Simple way to be sure is testing at a socket outlet ,if you have a multimeter.
Edit...just realised there are 3 circuits from that CU.
 
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2 x 32 amp and 1 x 6 amp and three cables so it seems possible wired as lollipop for ring or as a 32 amp radial, either way seems likely the cables are not 2.5 mm² but 6 mm² this does not stop taking a radial but not sure what maintenance free junction boxes there are for 6 mm² if any, so would likely need to be an epoxy resin joint I hesitate at saying this is a DIY job, it is very likely it can be spurred from, but also easy to get it wrong so would not recommend DIY.
 
I was asking because it could make a difference to the cable used. If a radial and the possibility of more than one outlet, that kind of thing.
 
2 x 32 amp and 1 x 6 amp and three cables so it seems possible wired as lollipop for ring or as a 32 amp radial, either way seems likely the cables are not 2.5 mm² but 6 mm²

epoxy resin joint


Good god you know how to over-complicate things :D.

There may of course only be three cables visible, maybe a fourth, perhaps for lighting, goes upwards in a different direction to the other three.
 
In fact, there may not even be anything connected to that 6 amp breaker - some of these Europa garage boards and the like already come with breakers.
 
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The position at the moment is we know 32 amp MCB but not a clue on cable size. Batt cables and of course we don't know the make, but between 5.4 x 10.2 mm to 5.7 x 10.9 mm is 2.5 mm² twin and earth, 6.2 x 11.8 mm is 6 mm² twin and earth, your looking at ½ mm to 1 mm difference in outside size. Not some think you can expect the DIYer to measure, and different makes different thickness.

So as it stands we don't know if ring or radial or what size cable, and your trying to advise the guy if he can cut cable and splice into it.

It seems I was wrong Wago does go up to 6 mm² but once he cuts the cable that's it, if it turns out to be 10 mm² then he needs crimps etc.

With a request for a picture and he can't even post it on the forum, you have to look on another site to view it. So how able do you think this guy is?
 

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