Spur socket through loft space

[tokn]

Assuming the short wall is plasterboard you could fit an extra socket there, split the ring and recomplete the ring by running two cables picking up your new sockets as many as you want

That's a pretty solid alternative. I'll look at my options.

As an aside - where the cable is in the wall behind plasterboard I've heard conflicting opinions about the need for oval conduit - one recurring thread is that even if it's less than 50mm from the surface conduit isn't required since the whole house is RCD protected. Can anyone confirm whether I need conduit or a minimum distance or neither?

 

[Simon35]

That's a pretty solid alternative. I'll look at my options.

As an aside - where the cable is in the wall behind plasterboard I've heard conflicting opinions about the need for oval conduit - one recurring thread is that even if it's less than 50mm from the surface conduit isn't required since the whole house is RCD protected. Can anyone confirm whether I need conduit or a minimum distance or neither?

Oval conduit is not required anywhere, regardless of RCD's or not.

It's only a plastic tube, and offers no mechanical protection.

If mechanical protection is required then steel conduit would be an option.

Keep your cables in safe zones - vertically/horizontally in line with fittings.

 

[333rocky333]

Though plastic conduit could assist in keeping it within the safe zone formed by the socket.
Have you checked you can get down from the loft to the socket, sometimes there is noggins or insulation hindering you.

 

[winston1]

Then you just write on it? A sparky did mine and was happy with it. I didn't want to mess up the walls in my new build. I'm fully aware where it's connected, I can isolate via an fcu in the loft - and can (if I wanted to) put a sticker on the socket highlighting that.

Each to their own

It is totally wrong however. What sort of spark did that?

1. FCUs are not used or needed on lighting circuits.
2. BS1363 sockets should NOT be fitted to lighting circuits.

 

[Risteard]

It is totally wrong however. What sort of spark did that?

1. FCUs are not used or needed on lighting circuits.
2. BS1363 sockets should NOT be fitted to lighting circuits.

1) Except where they are (e.g. for protecting a fan with a 3A fuse - even though unnecessary for safety).
2) Where is that stated?

 

[stillp]

It is totally wrong however.

Do you have a regulation reference for that statement?

 

[Risteard]

If I turned off the socket ring to change that faceplate and it was still live I'd be slightly peeved.

Peeved with yourself hopefully for completely and utterly failing to carry out the safe isolation procedure and thereby putting your own life in danger. (After all it wouldn't be anyone elses fault to any extent whatsoever.)

 

[winston1]

1) Except where they are (e.g. for protecting a fan with a 3A fuse - even though unnecessary for safety).
2) Where is that stated?

1. Unnecessary at all. The fuse is for protecting the cable which will be rated at least for 6 amp,
not the fan which should have it's own internal protection.
2. It does not have to be. It is common sense that you don't put a potential 13 amp load on a 6 amp circuit.

 

[eddiewakey]

There's no regulation that says you can't have a socket on the 6a ring.

It's for a tv. Never gonna pull 13a. Never gonna move the tv off the wall to plug a vacuum in, and what's the worst that would happen? Mcb would trip!!!??

 

[winston1]

There's no regulation that says you can't have a socket on the 6a ring.

It's for a tv. Never gonna pull 13a. Never gonna move the tv off the wall to plug a vacuum in, and what's the worst that would happen? Mcb would trip!!!??

You clearly don't know what you are talking about. 6 amp circuits are NOT wired as rings.

You can indeed have a socket on a lighting circuit, a BS 546 5 amp one.

It is NOT good practice to put a potential 13 amp load on a 6 amp circuit. MCBs are to protect against faults not idiots.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Oh dear Winston. You do have a lot of bonnet bees.

It is NOT good practice to put a potential 13 amp load on a 6 amp circuit.

Sockets are not loads.

How do we protect against potential 39/52/65/78/91 etc. Amp loads on 32A circuits?

MCBs are to protect against faults not idiots.

They also protect against overload.

 

[Risteard]

1. Unnecessary at all. The fuse is for protecting the cable which will be rated at least for 6 amp,
not the fan which should have it's own internal protection.

We all know that - it doesn't change the fact that the fan manufacturers almost universally require it. So do what you want, but there is nothing wrong about following their instructions. In fact if your firm was enrolled then your Area Engineer may well expect you to do this.

 

[winston1]

We all know that - it doesn't change the fact that the fan manufacturers almost universally require it. So do what you want, but there is nothing wrong about following their instructions. In fact if your firm was enrolled then your Area Engineer may well expect you to do this.

There is no requirement to follow the manufacturers instructions, especially when they are wrong.

Suppose this fan were to be fitted elsewhere in the EU (or the world) where FCUs are unavailable and non compliant.

 

[Risteard]

There is no requirement to follow the manufacturers instructions, especially when they are wrong.

Suppose this fan were to be fitted elsewhere in the EU

The electrical systems are different so there is no use in comparing apples with oranges. You can't mix and match standards.

There is a requirement to take account of manufacturers' instructions. That is not the same as saying that they are to be ignored.

Again, if your firm was enrolled with the leading industry voluntary regulatory body then they may elect not to take the same view as you. But you obviously know better.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It is totally wrong however.

Do you have a regulation reference for that statement?

Of course he doesn't, this is Winston, remember, and more of his random incompetence being posted to mislead people.