Wiring a 2kW electric fire

[MM2005]

Hi there

I need to wire a 2kW electric fire into the mains circuit. Currently there is a double plug sockets which has a fused spur feeding 2 wall lights. I'm wondering will it be OK to add another fused spur to feed the fire (and keep the double socket or replace with a single)? Or should I replace the double socket with a fused socket to feed the fire and take a fused spur off there for the lights? Ideally we could keep a plug socket there but I'd appreciate your advice.

Apologies if I haven't used the correct terminology - if anything is unclear please ask.

Many Thanks
MM

 

[breezer]

why not just put a plug on it and plug it in.

much easier, less hassle and if you dont like it, you can plug it in somewhere else

 

[MM2005]

why not just put a plug on it and plug it in.

much easier, less hassle and if you dont like it, you can plug it in somewhere else

Thanks for the reply. There is already a plug on it. But it looks horrible - the wire coming out from behind the fireplace and plugged in. Doesn't look like a professional job imho. Any thoughts on the wiring? I am redoing the loung anyway so no hassle making extra plugs etc.

 

[breezer]

you can not spur off a spur.

but you could make the new fcu part of the ring (along with the other fcu too

i would prefer a plug and socket, since an electric fire is meant to be ortable and connecting via an fcu means it isnt

 

[MM2005]

you can not spur off a spur.

but you could make the new fcu part of the ring (along with the other fcu too

i would prefer a plug and socket, since an electric fire is meant to be ortable and connecting via an fcu means it isnt

Hmmm, when I say electric fire - it is an electric fire built into a marble fireplace (not a portable jobbie!) - like a gas fire. Eg:

I think the double socket currently there is on the ring with a fused spur for the lights. So, my question was - can I add another spur off this ring at the same point (from the double socket)? Eg:

DOUBLE SOCKET (on RING) >>> FCU for fire >>> FCU for lights

Or do I have to do it like:

FCU for fire (replacing DOUBLE SOCKET) >>> FCU for lights

As I said, I'd like to still have a plug there but not sure I can. Thanks for the advice.

 

[breezer]

i see (said the blind man) yes fcu indeed, no you cant take it from the same place, you can take it from the fused side of the other fcu, but as thats got light and a 3a fuse you will have o swap them round (wires not fuses) easier to make all onto the ring (safer too)

 

[Spark123]

Personally I would opt to put the fcu for the fire on the ring. You can't have the setup of "DOUBLE SOCKET (on RING) >>> FCU for fire >>> FCU for lights" as you will be spurring from a spur. You can have the setup of "FCU for fire (replacing DOUBLE SOCKET) >>> FCU for lights" or "FCU for fire on ring>>>>>Double/single socket on ring>>>>>Spur FCU for lights".

 

[MM2005]

Thanks for both replies lads. Think I'll go with replacing the double socket altogether with a FCU (for fire), spurring off the FCU for lights. Seems safer and I'll make do without the plug there (actually would look pretty awful, 3 sets of boxes on the wall together, 2's bad enough!). Thank s again, nice to get confirmation on these things. :

 

[MM2005]

One more question! I've carried out the work but decided to do it like this:

Replace DOUBLE SOCKET with FCU to fire.

But taken the SUPPLY to the FCU of the wall lights from the SUPPLY to the FCU for the fire (and not from the LOAD, thus missing the FCU).

Is this OK. I have it like this (if it's clearer):

SPUR from DOUBLE SOCKET to FCU for FIRE.
SPUR from same DOUBLE SOCKET to FCU for WALL LIGHTS.

Is this OK? I wanted to prevent the fire FCU blowing and thus stopping the wall lights working.

Can I go with this or do I need FCU FIRE >>> FCU LIGHTS?

 

[Spark123]

So the FCU for the fire is on the ring circuit and you then spurred off on the supply side for the other FCU hence you have 3 wires in each terminal, this is fine.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Reads more like 4 wires in each socket terminal...

 

[Spark123]

Cheers ban, you're right I'll have to start reading the posts fully . 2 spurs from the same point is OK providing the double socket is suitable to hold the 4 sets wires.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Hmm.

I think that each FCU wired properly into the socket circuit like this:



Is the way to go....

 

[MM2005]

Hmmm, when I actually opened the thing up it looks like the double socket was actually a spur (I assume from another socket). So, I decided to revert back to the original plan, which is now:

FCU for FIRE (this has replaced the old double socket) which is a spur. Then from this a spur to the FCU for LIGHTS. Only potential problem is if FCU for FIRE blows then this will knock the lights off. Only really an issue when I'm on holiday (as FCU for LIGHTS actually has a built in timer) - but obviously fire won't be on when I'm out the house!

Thinks this should be OK - ta for replies. Please feel free to contradict me of course!

 

[The Jeep]

Won't you be coming out of the supply side of the fire FCU to go to the lights FCU? In which case, if the 13A fuse in the fire FCU blows, that only affects the load side, so power will still be supplied to the other FCU.