Wiring bit suspect????

[glowplug]

Hope someone can help with my concerns,i am having a conservatory built and i am having 3 double sockets fitted to it,i have had a local sparky come in to do the job but im not sure of his methods,what he has done is came off a socket from the kitchen which is a spur off another socket and has then wired it to a 13a fused switch,then the 3 sockets in the conservatory are wired to the 13a fused switch.

1-is this ok to do as he is tapping into a spur
2-how do i correct it if its a total lash up

the sockets in my house are ring main and not radial

hope you understand what im trying to put across,hope someone can shed some light on this

Many thanks

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

All three double sockets are protected by the 13amp f.c.u. so you could not plug in 2 3kw fires without blowing the fuse so yes, it is ok.
Not 100% about the coming off a spur though so I'll pass ( but I think it's o.k ).

 

[mapj1]

It is safe, in that a fuse will blow before any cables will melt, and as such is not against the regs, but it does mean that the total load you can have in the extension is limited to 13A max.
Depending what you put in there that may or may not matter. If it becomes a problem then the ring would have to be looped properly in and out of the conservatory, or a dedicated 4mm /30A radial circuit fitted.
what do you expect to plug in?
regards M.

 

[towman]

Seeing as you might want to put one or 2 heaters in there it sounds like abit of a LASH UP! Not an expert, but would have thought best practice would have been to make it an extension of the ring - though of course doing it the way he has probably avoids any of those nasty Part P complications!

 

[Damocles]

Where exactly is this 13A spur fuse? If it is before ALL the spurred sockets then fine. If it is after the original spur in the kitchen but before the new sockets then not fine.

All this assuming that 2.5mm cable has been used throughout. If a thicker cable was used to power the first spur then it would still not qualify as a conventional acceptable spur but might be regarded as safe.

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

Where exactly is this 13A spur fuse? If it is before ALL the spurred sockets then fine. If it is after the original spur in the kitchen but before the new sockets then not fine.

Thats what i was thinking

 

[glowplug]

mapj1
The washing mashine will be used in the conservatory and maybe a couple of floor standing lights,so the load wont be over the top,i am hopeing to just use 1 panel heater just to keep it warmish maybe a 2kw,its a small conservatory 3.5m by 3.0m

Damocles
The fused switch is between the spur and the first of the three sockets,the three sockets are radial after the fused switch,so does this mean its no good?the fused switch is next to the spured socket,so if i were to swap them around so the spured socket becomes the fused switch how would that work as now i will be adding a single socket to the additional 3,does that make sense??

 

[paulh53]

mapj1
The washing mashine will be used in the conservatory and maybe a couple of floor standing lights,so the load wont be over the top, i am hopeing to just use 1 panel heater just to keep it warmish maybe a 2kw,

Hmmm Washing machine (3kw), Heater (2kw) Total 5kw,
5kw/230v = 21.74 Amps,
Don't think your 13a fuse is going to be a happy bunny for long

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

It makes sense as in, all spurs now controlled by the 13a fcu, but doesnt help you with your wash m/c .heater, lights etc.

 

[glowplug]

This dont look good,i wonder why he done the instalation like that knowing it was not right since i told him what would be used,ive tried to get him back but no joy as yet so is there any way i can salvage anything out of this ie: turn it into a proper ring main bearing in mind i know enough to get by and everything regarding building/plastering has been completed,i take it you would have to wire the last socket back to where? to complete the loop,as you can guess its going to be very hard as ive no access to the cavity or wiring anymore

 

[brumtrician]

This dont look good,i wonder why he done the instalation like that knowing it was not right since i told him what would be used,ive tried to get him back but no joy as yet so is there any way i can salvage anything out of this ie: turn it into a proper ring main bearing in mind i know enough to get by and everything regarding building/plastering has been completed,i take it you would have to wire the last socket back to where? to complete the loop,as you can guess its going to be very hard as ive no access to the cavity or wiring anymore

the correct way to do it is how i do them all the time. I disconnect the 2 cables in a convenient socket in the existing house after checking it is part of the ring main and not a radial or spur. run a new 2.5 cable from this socket to the first socket box in the conservatory and then to the next and so on and on. Then from the last socket i take the 2.5 back to the socket in the house.This has formed a new ring main in the conservatory.

I then take one of the 2.5 cables from the house ringmain and one of the 2.5 cables from the new conservatory ring and connect together in the socket. The other 2 cables one left from house ring and other from conservatory ring i then crimp the cables together with insulated crimps and the proper crimping tool and cover with heatshrink and leave in the back of the house back box. This has now extended the house ringmain to include the conservatory.

If the customer wants a light or fan light in the conservatoy i take some 2.5 from one of the sockets in the conservatory up to where they want the switch on the wall and fit a switched fused spur and this is the light swtich with a 3amp or 5amp fuse in it.


so basically while you are going to all the bother running one cable to an existing socket you might as well run 2 while you are at it and make it part of the ringmain than mess about

 

[glowplug]

brumtrician

Thanks mate,i will give it a shot,you and all the others have been very helpful with all your comments and have sorted a problem which should not have happened,looks like i will do it myself as mr sparky has married an answer phone once again,many thanks chaps from a now happy glowplug

 

[ban-all-sheds]

i have had a local sparky come in to do the job

Where/how did you find him?

Did you at least get a present from his horse to use on your roses?

 

[glowplug]

Believe it or not,i found him in the yellow pages and he was also recomended to me from my neighbour,nothing suspect until i got home after work and looked at the job and then started to smell the scent of horse s**t,im no sparky hence why i got one in,but something didnt look right thats why i posted here,shame i have no roses though.

 

[comms]

Had one like this over christmas period, complaint was the kitchen sockets have stopped working.
I found the ring had been extended from the kitchen to include the conservatorys 4 sockets, so with 3 heaters , tv, playstation & table lamp on in the conservatory every time the freezer/fridge went to chill or the kettle was boiled bang went the mcb, needless to say my mates missus was not impressed.
So something to remember don't over load the kitchen ring with heaters & the like when you have extended it into the conservatory.

(And no I didn't do the original work by the way)