Wall Removed - Couple Of Wiring Issues To Deal With

[scoobasteve]

Hi,

I have knocked my kitchen and dining room into one and in process have completely removed one wall which had a single socket as part of the main ring circuit (And a dodgy spur wired into this by previous owner completely hidden inside a cavity wall!).

1. I want to relocate this outlet to another wall in the dining room, is it OK to do this with 2 junction boxes and then run cable to the new sockets and back to same location to re-connect the ring? JB's will be under the floor, (I know I should really locate the 2 sockets either side and join new sockets into these but don't really want to have to damage plaster etc around the 2 sockets to replace the cabling.)

2. I now have a kitchen light and dining room light in essentially the same room and the kitchen light switch is now in a place which would be awkward to access when new kitchen layout fitted so i have two options - Remove this switch and run drop cable to dining room switch and replace with 2 gang switch which will involve chasing a solid wall to fit cable or run both light fittings from the existing dining room switch - how do I wire this in? Is it just a case of running a cable from dining room light fitting to kitchen fitting and wiring in place of the existing switch cable?

3. I want to connect a socket outside for power and to run some lighting, is a spur from existing socket (On a ring) into an RCD FCU such as http://www.screwfix.com/prods/14770/Electrical-Supplies/RCDs/Powerbreaker-13A-RCD-FCU one of these and then to the outside the best way to do this?

Cheers

 

[pushrod]

1) Don't think screw connections ie junction boxes are allowed under the floor boards - need to look at other ways of joining the cables - crimping or other no-maintenance box?

3) think outside circuits are notifiable to LABC - otherwise ok

2) sorry can't visualise it

 

[scoobasteve]

2. 2 separate pendant lights, each has it's own switch (As they were both in separate rooms before I removed the wall) Can I wire both pendants into 1 switch?

 

[pushrod]

2. 2 separate pendant lights, each has it's own switch (As they were both in separate rooms before I removed the wall) Can I wire both pendants into 1 switch?

no problem as long as you can get to all the wiring - put one in parallel with the other.

 

[scoobasteve]

So to clarify, disconnect switch wire from redundant switch and then i can run cable from same terminals which are connected to the pendant in first light fitting back to terminals in second light fitting and that's that?

 

[pushrod]

that's right.

JUst came on here to find out something about damp proofing but clicked on the wrong section

 

[ericmark]

I would guess that work of this type will be under local authority building control anyway so you will already know about Part P!
1) The
junction boxes need to be maintenance free.
2) Either you will need to run wires between lights or use which will save on wiring however I don't think you can use with energy saving bulbs.
3) Although the RCD FCU would seem a easy way out if you are re-routing cables in the walls those will also need RCD protection and to fit so many RCD FCU's would seem a lot of work and expense compared with putting whole ring on RCD protection.

Although you can continue using sockets and cables that already exist the BS7671:2008 regulations requires cables buried in walls to now either be over 50mm deep, be of special type i.e. Ali-tube, or be RCD protected. Also all new sockets over 20A and not for one item and marked as such i.e. freezer will need RCD protection not only those used outside. And lighting and anything else used in bathrooms needs RCD protection. So on new builds normally everything is now RCD protected.

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