Hi,
Having lurked for a while and done plenty of searching, I've decided to ask the advice of the obviously experienced members of the forum! (/crawl mode off)
I've read and reread the regulations and guidelines, but as always real life is never quite as simple.
The situation:
A small wooden lean-to conservatory on the back of my house has just been extended across the width of the house. It had no electrical supply previously.
I now want to fit the following:
1 (possibly two) double 13A sockets
A socket for the washer dryer
Ceiling mounted Flourescent Lighting
Wall Mounted extraction fan 20W
Wall Mounted electric heater (1-2kw)
Just inside the house I have a fan flex outlet for the combi storage heater which appears to be on the main ring (the economy 7 connection is next to it but separate).
As far as I can see, there are a few options for the best way to proceed, and what I'd like is advice or thoughts on the best solution, bearing in mind future sale of the house, but also ease of installation.
The three options I can see are:
1. Extend the ring from the flex outlet plate to run round the conservatory and return to the same point.
2. Add a FCU with 13A fuse as a spur from the flex outlet, and then run the conservatory radial circuit from that
3. Run a radial circut from the main consumer unit to a small new consumer unit in the conservatory, from which the wiring can run.
In each case running the lights from a FCU with switch fitted with 3amp fuse....
Option 2 seems the easiest. However, because I can see that I may be running the washing machine, electric heater, extractor fan and using at least one socket together, the 13A limit may be a problem. From what I have read, it is only acceptable to use a 13A FCU spurred from a ring main, even though the cable could take, say, a 20A unit?
Extending the ring main would seem to be the best option at the moment, though I am wondering if there would be a benefit to being able to isolate the conservatory circuit. Given that its a lean to wooden structure with palstic roofing I could imagine in a hurricane it might leak. There is also the rcd consideration, although the garden is currently covered in gravel so no mower.....
Hope that rambling made sense - any advice or suggestions welcome. Is there a recognised way to isolate a part of the ring main? Inside the house the feed and return cables will be adjacent if that helps.
In case its useful, the house is a small 2 bed terrace, and has only one power ring, and one lighting ring, plus the individual storage heater radial runs.
Thanks in Advance for any thoughts,
Gavin
Having lurked for a while and done plenty of searching, I've decided to ask the advice of the obviously experienced members of the forum! (/crawl mode off)
I've read and reread the regulations and guidelines, but as always real life is never quite as simple.
The situation:
A small wooden lean-to conservatory on the back of my house has just been extended across the width of the house. It had no electrical supply previously.
I now want to fit the following:
1 (possibly two) double 13A sockets
A socket for the washer dryer
Ceiling mounted Flourescent Lighting
Wall Mounted extraction fan 20W
Wall Mounted electric heater (1-2kw)
Just inside the house I have a fan flex outlet for the combi storage heater which appears to be on the main ring (the economy 7 connection is next to it but separate).
As far as I can see, there are a few options for the best way to proceed, and what I'd like is advice or thoughts on the best solution, bearing in mind future sale of the house, but also ease of installation.
The three options I can see are:
1. Extend the ring from the flex outlet plate to run round the conservatory and return to the same point.
2. Add a FCU with 13A fuse as a spur from the flex outlet, and then run the conservatory radial circuit from that
3. Run a radial circut from the main consumer unit to a small new consumer unit in the conservatory, from which the wiring can run.
In each case running the lights from a FCU with switch fitted with 3amp fuse....
Option 2 seems the easiest. However, because I can see that I may be running the washing machine, electric heater, extractor fan and using at least one socket together, the 13A limit may be a problem. From what I have read, it is only acceptable to use a 13A FCU spurred from a ring main, even though the cable could take, say, a 20A unit?
Extending the ring main would seem to be the best option at the moment, though I am wondering if there would be a benefit to being able to isolate the conservatory circuit. Given that its a lean to wooden structure with palstic roofing I could imagine in a hurricane it might leak. There is also the rcd consideration, although the garden is currently covered in gravel so no mower.....
Hope that rambling made sense - any advice or suggestions welcome. Is there a recognised way to isolate a part of the ring main? Inside the house the feed and return cables will be adjacent if that helps.
In case its useful, the house is a small 2 bed terrace, and has only one power ring, and one lighting ring, plus the individual storage heater radial runs.
Thanks in Advance for any thoughts,
Gavin
