Sockets in the garage

[happyolly]

My new build garage is supplied from its own 16 amp MCB and protected by a 30ma RCD. After it enters the garage there’s a normal single use fuse. It came with a single double socket in the garage but I’d like 12 more double sockets. Light load. Only 3 or 4 things on at the same time. The lightning total is about 85 watts.
What am I best doing for the sockets please? Chain them in series and bring the wire back round to where it comes into the garage after the fuse?

 

[EFLImpudence]

Just chain them in line (in parallel). No need to bring the cable back to the fuse.

 

[AndyPRK]

If the fuse is 3 or 5 A it’s probably for the lights ?

 

[happyolly]

Nah the fuse is after the input. It then goes to a switch we previously turned off everything. I already rewired the lights in two halves each with two switches. One of those was the original switch.

is it bad to do a sort of T Shaped pattern for the socket wiring or should it all be in a row?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

The fuse is probably just for the lights, to fuse them down to 5amp, from the 16amp supply. The sockets will have the full 16amp available to them, so as per EFL above, just run a radial cable (chain) from that socket to however many sockets you might needed. Do it in 2.5mm T&E, but be aware the maximum load for all lights and sockets is 16amp.

A T pattern will be fine, but you can only squeeze 3x 2.5mm into the socket terminals.

 

[happyolly]

Perhaps the fuse was intended for the lights but it wasn’t connected up like that as far as I remember. I can change things around easy enough so that the fuse is just for the lights. I’ve used a junction box to break the wire between two sockets and branch off for the leg of the T.

 

[happyolly]

Hmm 16 Amps is less than 4kw. I really will have to be careful what I have on at any one time if I’ve got a fan heater on in there

 

[happyolly]

Here’s what it currently looks like. Work in progress. The way it was wired when I moved in was the light switch turned off the sockets too.

DC92B00F-1CFC-40DE-B045-C73D6A4EB9AF

• happyolly
• 13 Apr 2020

I’m not too sure of the logic behind the switch on the box with fuse in it. Does anyone have second to explain please?

I’ve lost the diagram I had for the lights so I’m going to have retrace all that as it’s made more complex because I didn’t have enough of the special cable for lights with two switches.

 

[crystal ball]

Is that an armoured cable going into a plastic pattrass box?

 

[happyolly]

They are plastic yes. Why do you ask?

 

[flameport]

I’m not too sure of the logic behind the switch on the box with fuse in it.

The original intent was probably to have that with a 3A fuse in it for the lights only as they would be wired in smaller size cable, and the socket connected directly to the incoming cable which would be a larger size and protected by the 16A MCB in the house.

 

[happyolly]

But why the switch though? I understand the fuse but not why there’s a switch too

 

[flameport]

Not needed now as there is a separate light switch.
Originally it could have been the fused switch was the only thing controlling the lights, which would have been cheaper and quicker to install than what is there now.

 

[happyolly]

Both switches were always there and they both did the same thing. Turned everything off - lights and sockets. That’s why I was confused.
I seldom use that door to leave the garage so the risk of turning off the freezer as well as the lights by pressing the wrong switch is low but if nobody can think of a good reason for it being there then i may change it to a fuse only.

 

[happyolly]

Sorry by that I meant leave the fused switch but move it to right. Get rid of unfused one and put the armoured cable into a junction box with plenty of space as it’s very cramped in there currently.