Fused spur question

[Tim Kane]

Last week I ripped a load of dodgy wiring out of the conservatory and I want to redo it.

I had a 2.5mm cable coming through the bathroom wall from the socket ring, connected to a junction box which then fed a socket and a 5 amp fused spur connected to another junction box which connected the light switch and light fitting.

I want to simplify all this junk and I thought of doing the following. Run the 2.5 to a 5 amp fused spur supply then another cable in the supply connection back out to the socket. So the fused spur will have two cables in the supply connection. Then the load of the spur would connect to one wire of each of the light switch cable and the light fitting, with the other wire of each connected within the spur back box.

This would remove the need for two junction boxes and be a lot cleaner.. I'm pretty sure it'd work.. But is this even remotely acceptable? I would get this checked out by a spark afterwards.

 

[JohnW2]

I had a 2.5mm cable coming through the bathroom wall from the socket ring, connected to a junction box which then fed a socket and a 5 amp fused spur connected to another junction box which connected the light switch and light fitting. ... I want to simplify all this junk and I thought of doing the following. Run the 2.5 to a 5 amp fused spur supply then another cable in the supply connection back out to the socket. So the fused spur will have two cables in the supply connection. ... This would remove the need for two junction boxes and be a lot cleaner.. I'm pretty sure it'd work.. But is this even remotely acceptable?

Yes, it would work and, yes, in common sense electrical terms there's really not anything wrong with it, BUT an 'informative' Appendix of the regulations say that an unfused spur can only feed one thing - a socket (double or single) or an FCU ('fused spur') - which means that many an electrician might claim that it is 'not compliant with regulations' (although it's not too difficult to argue against that).

Kind Regards, John

 

[winston1]

You have a spur off the ring feeding 2 outlets, a socket and a FCU. This is not allowed, a spur can only feed 1 socket or 1 FCU.

Suggest you feed only the socket (it can be a double if you like). For the light take a new 1.00mm cable to the existing lighting circuit.

 

[JohnW2]

You have a spur off the ring feeding 2 outlets, a socket and a FCU. This is not allowed, a spur can only feed 1 socket or 1 FCU.

As I've just written, it's not actually a question of 'not allowed' - you are referring to the guidance in an informative' Appendix to the regulations.

I suppose you could try arguing if it were a double socket, but there is not really any electrical sense in saying that a single socket and FCU can't be connected to a single spur, particularly when the FCU is for lighting and therefore is always going to have a low-rating fuse.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Tim Kane]

Many thanks for the replies. Sounds like I could probably get away with what I initially planned and it'd be perfectly safe.

I do like the idea of another cable to the lighting circuit though as this would be really easy to install as the bathroom is half way through a refurb and the wall studs are all exposed, so pretty simple to run a cable up a stud and into the loft area. This would also do away with the FCU half way up the conservatory wall too.

Brilliant! I have a plan!