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https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl DIY Forum >> Electrical Questions >> Single ring https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1467361947 Message started by TrevorP on Jul 1^st, 2016, 9:32am

Title: Single ring
Post by TrevorP on Jul 1^st, 2016, 9:32am

Have recently moved house and need to added a couple of sockets to the ring, but just found that the whole house is served by a single ring.
This is protected by a 32A breaker, so is it ok to add to the ring as not sure if there is a limit to how many sockets, I suppose it deepens on the loading but again not sure what regs are or if this is not good.
I would have to rip up flooring in many rooms to convert to split ring, advise needed pls
Thanks
Trevor

Title: Re: Single ring
Post by Natedog on Jul 2^nd, 2016, 11:20am

Think a single ring main used to be very common, but then we didn't have as much electrickery in our lives. Depending how big the house is, I'd be very tempted to split it up into 2 or more.

Have you still got the old 4 way fuse box? (Ours was sockets, lights, cooker, doorbell)

Title: Re: Single ring
Post by TrevorP on Jul 4^th, 2016, 3:28pm

The consumer unit was updated just before we moved in, it was one of the things I insisted be done before purchase. It is a split circuit but only lights have been split, not sockets. As I said would be a swine to do as ground and first floor socket wiring all between ceiling and upstairs floor.
It is a four bed house with a total of 18 sockets, and was wanting to extend this by 2.
Not sure how calculations are done to get total loading for this?
Trevor

Title: Re: Single ring
Post by londonman on Jul 4^th, 2016, 5:10pm

My understanding is that there is no maximum limit. They generally like the sockets to be reasonably spaced out around the ring but again nothing mandated.

You don't have to extend the ring (I'm not sure if that is actually notifiable) You could simply run a spur (fused?) off of a convenient socket. I don't believe that that is notifiable ...but not 100% sure.

Title: Re: Single ring
Post by TrevorP on Jul 4^th, 2016, 6:49pm

OK, thanks, I think that maybe the simplest solution.
Thanks for your help.

Title: Re: Single ring
Post by baz on Jul 5^th, 2016, 11:16am

Adding sockets or extending an existing circuit is not notifiable.

My house had only one ring and everything was hanging off that - I never had a problem with the MCB tripping.

Best plan is to wait until you have a new kitchen/utility and have a new ring installed for that area (where the high power devices live.)

PS New circuits ARE notifiable.