an easy question about the way the house is wired

[StaticPhilly]

OK, to start this off i hurd that you should have no more than 2 double from 1 cable, for example,

double socket -> double socket -> fuse bourd

however, my house and most in this area (there old terrice houses) basicly have got god knows how many coming off 1 cable, for example i know my mothers has 12 running off 1 cable from the fuse bourd.

so can anyone tell me if this is sort of wireing is ok and if not what are the effects?

thanks

 

[rebuke]

It entirely depends in what way the circuit is wired. If it is a ring final circuit (see the wiki for info), then there is no absolute limit as to the number of sockets, just a limit of the maximum area the ring can cover. Obviously circuits should be designed so that their intended load doesn't exceed the rating of the protection device (MCB / RCBO etc).

The other way of wiring a circuit would be as a radial, at which point again there is no limit to number of sockets, other than the fact that it should be designed to be within the rating of the protective device.

I think what you might be thinking of is the rule that you shouldn't have more than one double socket spurred from a ring final, without the protection of a FCU (fused connection unit), as otheriwse you can overload the cable that is forming the spur...

 

[StaticPhilly]

OK that answers my question and some,

i'll take a guess at they are ring circuits because every house iv been in round here is the same, it was an electrition that told me there shouldnt be anymore that 2 per cable (im assuming he was just trying to get a rewire job from the owner)

I'll check my bourd once i can turn the electric out (women, cant live with or without them!) but a ring circuit would explan the way they are wired.

anyway thanks for the infomation rebuke, was most helpfull.

thanks again,
Philly

 

[Chri5]

So a ring circuit will have 2 x cables terminated at the same fuse position in the fuse board, a radial will only have one cable.

2.5mm TE cable is standard stuff, a ring supports 32A via 2.5mm, a radial supports only 20A via 2.5mm

If you have a radial socket circuit with a 32A fuse it should be a 4mm TE cable.

 

[sparkyspike]

i know my mothers has 12 running off 1 cable from the fuse bourd.

i'll take a guess at they are ring circuits

They won't be a ring if there is just one cable going to the fuseboard. What rating is the circuit fuse? 15/16/20A or 30/32A?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

it was an electrition that told me there shouldnt be anymore that 2 per cable

Report him to Trading Standards - he is either grossly incompetent or a thief.

 

[RF Lighting]

Or misunderstood

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Well, rebuke did attempt a clarification with "I think what you might be thinking of is the rule that you shouldn't have more than one double socket spurred from a ring final, without the protection of a FCU" and the OP didn't evn hint that it might have been that, so either he is telling the truth or is so unable to pay attention to anything anybody says that he'll probably think TSO stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke AG...

 

[securespark]

I heard on the news today that Trading Standards have changed their name but BM are fighting it in the courts.