Upstairs ring circuit

[RonnyRaygun]

I've just moved into a new house and have a lot of work to do, not least to the electrics.

The upstairs ring circuit serves only four single socket outlets and runs off a fifteen amp fuse.

Furthermore, the ring itself does not start at the consumer unit, but a single length of cable runs from the consumer unit to under the floorboards on the landing, joining the ring circuit at a junction box.

Is this standard practice? I'm no expert so any advice would be appreciated.

 

[briwire]

I suppose if its fed from a 15A fuse and 2.5 cable is used, there is nothing electrically wrong with it, as it is a sort of radial circuit. Howeverit is totally inadequate for adding anything to it.

 

[JACKC]

A ring main starts and finishes at the consumer unit and not the way your circuit is wired. As you have just bought the house I would recommend the electrics are checked by a professional electrician as it sounds like you need a consumer unit upgrade. This would involve a complete inspection and testing of your property and highlight any further faults. It does sound like a DIYer has had an attempt of adding to circuits. For piece of mind get the whole lot checked.

 

[daytona]

agree on the PIR to let you know where you stand with it all.

it may well be salvageable but not without costs.

not sure about the CU upgrade though as you havent given us one single detail on it yet

 

[RonnyRaygun]

The consumer unit definitely needs upgrading. It has rewirable fuses and only six fuses on the board, which isn't going to be enough. There is also a cable running from one of the fuses which apparently used to serve the immersion heater (which has been taken out). It has been taped up and I have removed the fuse wire but would it be sensible to remove the cable completely?

Back to the upstairs circuit. I forgot to mention that when I removed the fuse, the combi boiler also went off (This appears to have been wired into the upstairs circuit with a fused spur, despite being in the kitchen), and the outlet into which I have my fridge plugged also went dead. This seems to be an unfused spur running directly from the consumer unit.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

There is also a cable running from one of the fuses which apparently used to serve the immersion heater (which has been taken out). It has been taped up and I have removed the fuse wire but would it be sensible to remove the cable completely?

No - it would be sensible to leave it (assuming it's OK) in case you ever find it useful for a towel rail/shower pump/UFH....

Back to the upstairs circuit. I forgot to mention that when I removed the fuse, the combi boiler also went off (This appears to have been wired into the upstairs circuit with a fused spur, despite being in the kitchen), and the outlet into which I have my fridge plugged also went dead. This seems to be an unfused spur running directly from the consumer unit.

Let the games begin...

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I've just moved into a new house and have a lot of work to do, not least to the electrics.

I'm no expert so any advice would be appreciated.

//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:part_p

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=75416#75416

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/1.1.htm

http://www.kevinboone.com/electricity.html

http://www.kevinboone.com/domesticinstallations.html

http://www.kevinboone.com/cableselection_web.html (or http://www.kevinboone.com/cableselection_web.pdf[size=3] [/size])