Prediction

[knowall]

Mistic spark has a prediction -





- within 2years, 18th edition, ring circuits will be outlawed. Radials only in the Uk !

 

[Johnmelad]

Wont happen.

 

[knowall]

It's already here ...... spur on spur on spur.......... fed of course, from a fcu

 

[RF Lighting]

Are you on glue?

 

[Chri5]

Are you on glue?

Troll food


So enlighten us all with your wisdom, there's a heap of banter regarding the ring v radial camps and that's all old hat.

Oh wise one, enlighten us all

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Wont happen.

Indeed not.

But I wish it would.

Clearly they can't arrange for all the existing ones to be removed, but they could deprecate them, and stop new ones from being created.

 

[ericmark]

Nothing wrong with the final ring system it is only people who fiddle with the system without testing their work who cause problems and what ever one does one can't stop DIY people from working outside the accepted skilled man's practice.

The problem with the ring is a failure is not make apparent with power loss and it requires testing however test the loop readings before starting and test the ring is intact while working on it then re-test loop readings once finished and we know the ring is intact however without those loop readings as one inserts the socket into the box should a wire become dislodged we would not know.

The ring is only a problem when coupled to a lazy-fair attitude to testing.

 

[mfarrow]

I'm assuming we're talking about the good-ol' British socket circuit ring main?

Closed ring mains themselves are a useful way of distributing power to multiple locations, and can significantly reduce the cable size needed to meet the requirements for the installation, especially if the load is known, but it is not yet understood how it will be distributed.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

You cannot use a ring unless you have an idea of how the loads will be distributed.

With a radial it doesn't matter.

 

[bernardgreen]

You cannot use a ring unless you have an idea of how the loads will be distributed.

With a radial it doesn't matter.

What about a ring using 4mm² cable ?
No need to know how the loads will be distributed, lower impedance on the supply and slightly higher integrity on the CPC, fault tolerant in that a single loose terminal on an un-used socket will not over heat as can happen with a radial.

 

[EFLImpudence]

What about a ring using 4mm² cable ?

There is no point.

No need to know how the loads will be distributed, lower impedance on the supply and slightly higher integrity on the CPC, fault tolerant in that a single loose terminal on an un-used socket will not over heat as can happen with a radial.

Because it would be two radials joined for no reason.

 

[bernardgreen]

Because it would be two radials joined for no reason.

Two radials would mean two MCBs so it would not be two radials joined for no reason, it would be a ring.

The size of wire does not decide whether it is a ring or a radial...

 

[EFLImpudence]

Because it would be two radials joined for no reason.

Two radials would mean two MCB

Not necessarily.

so it would not be two radials joined for no reason, it would be a ring.

It would be two radials joined to form a ring for no reason nor advantage.

The size of wire does not decide whether it is a ring or a radial...

Yes, it does.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Two radials would mean two MCBs so it would not be two radials joined for no reason, it would be a ring.

OK - it would be two radials joined to save the cost and space of an MCB, and to provide less capacity than two radials.

Or it would be one radial brought back to the CU to use more cable and not provide any more capacity.

lower impedance on the supply

Enough to matter IRL?

fault tolerant in that a single loose terminal on an un-used socket will not over heat as can happen with a radial.

Why not?

 

[mfarrow]

There was a discussion some time back regarding a guy with garage + sheds. He didn't know what the load distribution was going to be, because he wasn't sure which shed he was converting to a 'garden office' in a couple of years. But he needed power to the garage, and the sheds for future-proofing.

Depending on the layout of his garden, the ring circuit may have provided the best solution for his particular problem. OK, you would have to do some additional volt drop checks for different scenarios, but that, and a bit of trench digging, would be the only disadvantages.